Wednesday, December 31, 2008

( NEWS ) WAZOO STAFF TOP TENS OF 2008!

( FOREST )
01. MI AMI African Rhythms
02. v/a 1970s Algerian Proto-Rai Underground
03. GANG GANG DANCE Saint Dymphna
04. GROWING All The Way
05. EMERALDS Solar Bridge
06. EARTH The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull
07. MENAHAN STREET BAND Make The Road By Walking
08. JOHN BAKER The John Baker Tapes Vol. 1
09. BOREDOMS Super Roots 9
10. NO AGE Nouns


(( JOHN ))
01. FLEET FOXES Fleet Foxes
02. RODRIGUEZ Cold Fact
03. ATLAS SOUND Let The Blind Lead Those That Can See But Cannot Feel
04. SON, AMBULANCE Somebody Else's Deja Vu
05. SIGUR ROS Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalust
06. INARA GEORGE & VAN DYKE PARKS An Invitation
07. GANG GANG DANCE Saint Dymphna
08. EVANGELICALS The Evening Descends
09. v/a MILES FROM INDIA
10. GRAILS Doomsdayer's Holiday


((( WILL )))
New:
TV ON THE RADIO Dear Science
SAM PHILLIPS Don’t Do Anything
FLEET FOXES Fleet Foxes
OASIS Dig Out Your Soul
SHELBY LYNNE Just A Little Lovin’
CUT/COPY In Ghost Colours
LINDSAY BUCKINGHAM Gift Of Screws
VAMPIRE WEEKEND Vampire Weekend
DUFFY Rockferry
SPARKS Exotic Creatures Of The Deep
WINDY WEBER I Hate People
GOLDFRAPP Seventh Tree
RA RA RIOT The Rhumb Line
SANTOGOLD Santogold
DAVID BYRNE & BRIAN ENO Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
TEDDY THOMPSON A Piece Of What You Need
JENNY LEWIS Acid Tongue

Reissues:
NICK LOWE Jesus Of Cool
MY BLOODY VALENTINE Loveless
FRIPP & ENO No Pussyfooting
FRIPP & ENO Evening Star
ROBYN HITCHCOCK Luminous Groove
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL Bayou Country
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL Green River
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL Willy And The Poor Boys Revival
THE MOVE Looking On
MISSION OF BURMA Signals, Calls, & Marches
THE MOVE Anthology 1966-1972
NEIL YOUNG Sugar Mountain
ELTON JOHN Tumbleweed Connection
WARREN ZEVON Warren Zevon
ROBERT WYATT Rock Bottom
THE SMITHS The Sound Of The Smiths


(((( SCOTT ))))
01. NEON NEON Stainless Style
02. TV ON THE RADIO Dear Science
03. ESTELLE Shine
04. NEIL HALSTEAD Oh! Mighty Engine
05. CUT/COPY In Ghost Colours
06. SHE & HIM Volume One
07. FLYING LOTUS Los Angeles
08. SPIRITUALIZED Songs in A & E
09. THE KNUX Remind Me in 3 Days...
10. VAMPIRE WEEKEND Vampire Weekend

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Gadget! ))))) Buddha Machine V.2 is here!!!

BUDDHA MACHINE #2 by FM3
*** WHOA NELLY! Buddha Machine V.2 is here! Nine new loops, three new colors, and now with pitch control. Truly unreal. Truly beautiful.

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) Fennesz, Environ, Scott Walker & Crystal Antlers

CRYSTAL ANTLERS ep 12"
*** "So these sweet bros from Long Beach self released this EP last March. Kinda raging soul punk like. People like PITCHFORK fell under their spell and started flirting with them and they sold 3,000 copies via their myspace. Now on TOUCH & GO."

FENNESZ Black Sea LP / CD
*** LP version; beautifully packaged with reversed Jon Wozencroft photography (compared to the CD edition) on the cover, and nicely printed innersleeves, etc. Feels luxurious.

MORGAN GEIST Detroit (Feat. CARL CRAIG) 12"
*** On ENVIRON. "Detroit features two epic, gorgeous remixes from CARL CRAIG and features vocals from Jeremy Greenspan of JUNIOR BOYS.

SCOTT WALKER Tilt LP
*** NOW ON VINYL!

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Fennesz, Heldon/Merzbow, moog music & more!

v/a ELECTRONIC TOYS Vol. 1 CD
v/a ELECTRONIC TOYS Vol. 2 CD
*** Subtitled "A Retrospective of 70's Synthesizer Music". "These compilations of Electronic tunes from the early 70´s are real fun. 19 (vol. 1) and 16 (vol. 2) great tracks, morning cartoon like and way more experimental than most of the mainstream stuff released in those years. Electronic Pling-Plong-Music for Lounge Fans."

FENNESZ Black Sea LP / CD
*** On TOUCH. "Black Sea features guitars that rarely sound like guitars; the instrument is transformed into an orchestra. Fennesz pushes his work into a more classical domain, preferring the slow reveal to Venice's and Endless Summer's more song- based structures."

ORCHESTRE POLY-RYTHMO DE COTONOU Volume One - The Vodoun Effect CD+BOOK
*** Subtitled "...Funk & Sato From Benin's Obscure Labels 1972-1975." Following the highly-acclaimed African Scream Contest, the music on this compilation is not only rare, but illustrates how Orchestre Poly-Rythmo thrived by mixing the coolest parts of funk, soul, Latin and vodun rhythms into a new sound."

LINDA PERHACS Parallelograms CD
*** RE-RELEASE w/ bonus tracks. "Combining fragile and beautifully melodic acid folk with perfectly-rendered electronic effects, Parallelograms has gone on to become one of the most legendary and well-loved recordings sitting alongside Vashti Bunyan's Just Another Diamond Day."

RICHARD PINHAS & MERZBOW Keio Line 2xCD
*** "Richard Pinhas of Heldon (one of the first bands to meld rock music and electronics) and Masami Akita, aka Merzbow collaborate on a release that is violent, soothing, hypnotic, noisy and trance inducing. Two full length CDs of radical music."

SHACKLETON Soundboy's Gravestone Gets Desecrated By Vandals 2xCD
*** "The final chapter in the Skull Disco story has arrived, in the shape of a 2CD compilation. Disc one collects all the tracks from SKULL006 to SKULL010. Disc two is dedicated to remixes of Skull Disco tracks."

J. SPACEMAN & MATTHEW SHIPP Spaceshipp CD
*** "Spaceman and Shipp return to Treader with a collaboration first outed for Patti Smith's Meltdown festival. This is their studio corollary to that concert. Magic golden voice drone followed by celestial ecstasy." J Spaceman (Vox Starstreamer) and Matthew Shipp (celeste, Golden Voice Harmonium).

SOM IMAGINARIO Som Imaginario CD
*** BACK IN STOCK! RECOMMENDED! Reissue of this album from 1970. "As Tropicalia took hold, and the sounds of funk, Italian prog, and British psychedelic rock were filtered through the unique sensibility of Brasil! Western pop meets eastern soundtracks."

ALEXIS TAYLOR Rubbed Out CD
*** Solo album from the singer of Hot Chip! "Exclusively tailored in places, planes, hotel rooms and at home. Fifteen bespoke songs and instrumentals by Alexis Taylor."

XELA In Bocca Al Lupo CD
*** "For the follow-up to The Dead Sea, Xela has used the dark corners of the Christian religion as his guide. A celebration of desolate cellars and distant church bells, it's not unlike a doom-laden take on the crunching assault of Hair Police or a noisy version of David Lynch's Eraserhead soundtrack or a freeform Pan Sonic, ending in a thick cloud of screams and crackle."

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) Japanther, Diplo, Wire, The Bug & more!

v/a BARRY 7's CONNECTORS Vol. 2 2xLP / CD
*** RECOMMENDED! Make that "highly recommended." This is another superb collection of library tracks compiled by Add N To (X) frontman, Barry 7 - but this time the tracks have come from the CAM library. Track 1's a DJ's dream. Really good stuff.

AFRIKA BAMBAATAA Planet Rock The Album LP
*** "First released in 1986, this collects BAMBAATAA’s classic 12"s from 1982-1984 combining the beats of hip hop with techno-pop futurism inspired by German pioneers Kraftwerk."

THE BUG Ganja (feat. Killa P. and Flowdan) 12"
*** "One can probably guess to what "Ganja" is an ode; The Bug's bass assault, combined with the rapid-fire lyrical mode of ROLL DEEP's FLOWDAN and KILLA P, gives off a skunky flavor of cannabis psychosis."

SCOTTY COATS & WES THE MES Double Fisted 12"
*** "First up is the nail-biting punk disco offering, 'Double Fisted.' The song's speaker-shredding synth line and drunken, chanted chorus is a valiant first stab at the disco dance charts. On the flip-side he creates a head-nodding Balearic version."

DIPLO Blow Your Head 12"+MP3
*** “DIPLO delivers his mutant-half breed-mongoloid version of the JB classic ‘Blow Your Head.’ Wicked wicked drums is all I have to say. ‘Must Be A Devil’ has a spaghetti western feel about it, another one of Diplo's strange concoctions that creeps into your brain. On the flip we get four remixes of ‘Wassup Wassup’.”

DJ AYERS & MATTY C Quarter Water Vol. 1 12"
*** "The first in a series of the freshest in party, house, and dance edits. Club-crushing anthems and dance edits guaranteed to bleed the bass from even the most expensive sound system."

JAPANTHER Tut Tut, Now Shake Ya Butt LP / CD
*** "Japanther exist halfway in the world of performance art, and halfway in that of DIY punk. On the surface, that may sound like an odd combination, but this thing is truly a wild romp 'round Africa, the Bronx, San Pedro and Brooklyn, complete with faeries, bicycles and a few cans of spray paint. More focused and rad somehow."

JAPANTHER Don't Trust Anyone Over Thirty LP
*** "Japanther gets points for making some of the most memorable, hummable and fun music of any art project in recent memory. Japanther is part Screamers intensity, part Misfits anthemery, part RZA samples/beats and part Lightning Bolt art/freakshow."

LAST STEP 1961 3xLP / 2xCD
*** "Everyone knows Funk as the pioneering breakcore producer, Venetian Snares, but Last Step's 1961 is a joyful collection of jumpy acid maneuvers, funky grooves, and kitsch beats."

MURCOF Versailles Sessions 2xLP
*** "Six compositions made entirely from recordings of 17th century baroque instruments and a mezzo soprano. The Versailles Sessions should not be considered as the successor to 2007's monumental Cosmos, rather as a special project preceding Murcof's next album proper."

NEW GRENADA Energy Shortage LP+MP3
*** METRO TIMES says Energy Shortage is "a concise, hyper-charged slice of indie rock goodness that surely ranks as one of the best records out of Detroit this year."

NITE JEWEL What Did He Say 12"
*** "Nite Jewel is the performing moniker of Ramona Gonzalez. Like her ex-pop peers, Ariel Pink and Geneva Jacuzzi, she records on an 8-track cassette deck, often composing her songs by layered tape edits. In Nite Jewel’s case, however, the quality of her chosen medium is a device to lend an ethereal kind of efficacy to the golden age of alternative disco. Influenced by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam and Debbie Deb, 90’s R&B, as well as Experimental, New Age, and Shoe Gaze."

OMAR RODRIGUEZ-LOPEZ Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fungus LP / CD
*** "One of four solo albums completed upon disbanding AT THE DRIVE IN. The record features tracks that were intended for eventual use by THE MARS VOLTA but reassigned, for one reason or another. Recorded only a few weeks after 'A Manual Dexterity Soundtrack, Vol. 1.'"

SUBMARINE RACES Hard To Look At, Easy To See LP+CD
*** "13 tracks that rock harder and are even more infectious than their debut. Adams's pop chops have never been sharper and his anglophile leanings recall the best tunes of Monochrome Set or Pastels."

WIRE Object 47 LP+12"
*** NOW ON VINYL! Contains the Read & Burn 03 EP.

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Barry 7's Connectors, Rong Music, Current 93, Ghostface & more

v/a BARRY 7's CONNECTORS Vol. 2 2xLP / CD
*** RECOMMENDED! Make that "highly recommended." This is another superb collection of library tracks compiled by Add N To (X) frontman, Barry 7 - but this time the tracks have come from the CAM library. Track 1's a DJ's dream. Really good stuff.

v/a NOISE ROOM CD
*** "This is the document of Noise Room, an autonomous surround-sound space built for pre-recorded musical works and sonic experiments. Each piece performed in the Noise Room has been selected, edited, and arranged for a situation in which the audience can dedicate themselves to a maximum listening experience." Feat. exclusive compositions by Lee Ranaldo, Black Dice, Kevin Blechdom, Mouse on Mars, David Grubbs, Vert, Jason Forrest, Daniel Schorno, Sun OK Papi KO, Casey Rice, Robert van Heumen, Jeff Carey, Keith Fullerton Whitman aka Hrvatski, and Michel Waisvisz.

v/a RONG MUSIC NON-STOP Vol. 1 CD
*** "Sweet 11 track mix CD from RONG MUSIC compiled/mixed by BEN COOK & DJ SPUN. Features MICHOACAN, NICK CHACONA, SCOTTY COATS & WES THE MES, SAN SERAC, ROLLMOTTLE remixed by MAURIC FULTON, STRANGER MUSIC and more. Nu-disco and balearic fans will be in heaven!"

v/a THIS IS RONG MUSIC 2xCD
*** "A sweet set of cosmic disco and balearic dance tunes. One CD mixed (live by DJ SPUN) and one CD unmixed. Tracks/remixes from MUDD, CHICKEN LIPS, TUSSLE, WOOLFY, BARFLY, PROJECTIONS, CHICO HAMILTON and more. 25 tracks in all."

ANATHALLO Canopy Glow CD
*** "Among lush pile-ups of Pet Sounds harmony and Sung Tongs texture, Anathallo's Matt Joynt and Erica Froman sing to the rafters, calm and considered yet wide-eyed in approach, and colored by kaleidoscopic detail."

MICHAEL BEAUCHAMP My Northern Voices CD
*** "Michael Beauchamp sings soulful old-timey acoustic tunes about love, loss and good friends."

SETH BERNARD This Here CD
*** "Eighteen months in the making, Seth Bernard’s epic new release, This Here is a tremendous collaboration of Michigan artists, and a testament to Seth’s talents in songwriting, production and orchestration."

SETH BERNARD & DAISY MAY Seth Bernard & Daisy May CD
*** "Seth Bernard and Daisy May’s first duo album was recorded from the U.P.'s Calumet Theatre’s stage."

CURRENT 93 Dogs Blood Rising CD
CURRENT 93 Nature Unveiled CD
*** "Current 93's first two album re-mastered and restored to their original formats. seminal second album. Each reissue comes with a booklet with early photographs of the group members and original insert materials."

DISTANCE Repercussions 2xCD
*** On PLANET MU. "Repercussions is a beast of an album. Heavy, chunky bass lines feature solidly, as well as moody, ambient soundscapes and sharp snares. The CD version of the album includes a second disc with all the releases from Distance's own label, Chestplate."

DJ/ RUPTURE Uproot CD
*** "Uproot, Rupture's first release since returning to Brooklyn after seven years in Spain, offers his most intimate work to date. How many DJs do you know who commission a string quartet for their latest mix? Surely his most "listenable" mix to date, blended seamlessly with elements from UK dubstep and Brooklyn dancehall to Berlin abstraction, not to mention Brazil (Maga Bo), Finland (Clouds), Australia (Dead Leaf) and more...."

DR. DELAY Eastern Bloc Party CD
*** "Dr. Delay, veteran mix tape mogul and envelope shoving Brooklyn dweller, has created what is easily his most dynamic concept to date. Eastern Block Party combines the disgruntled instrumentation of eastern Europe's communist era rock with the rap lyrics of New York's gully golden era."

FALL OUT BOY Folie a Deux CD
*** New! "This album is so ____!" - Fall Out Boy. Includes free download bonus song.

GHOSTFACE KILLAH GhostDeini The Great CD+DVD
*** "Two new songs plus classic hits, rare b-sides & remixes feat. LIL WAYNE, JADAKISS, RAEKWON, and KANYE WEST. Includes bonus DVD of Ghostface tour behind-the-scenes."

TIM HARDIN One CD
*** "An accidental classic originally released in 1966. Tim Hardin 1 remains a folk-rock-blues classic of the highest order. Though Hardin’s work is often known more through other artists’ interpretations his own versions are almost always superior."

JAPANTHER Tut Tut, Now Shake Ya Butt LP / CD
*** "Japanther exist halfway in the world of performance art, and halfway in that of DIY punk. On the surface, that may sound like an odd combination, but this thing is truly a wild romp 'round Africa, the Bronx, San Pedro and Brooklyn, complete with faeries, bicycles and a few cans of spray paint. More focused and rad somehow."

KID 606 Die Soundboy Die CD
*** "A new mini-album with nine original songs that devour and warp current musical trends like dubstep, bassline, ragga, techno, and rave (both old and new!). Dark and scary, bass-heavy jams that all celebrate life while thinking about death."

LAST STEP 1961 3xLP / 2xCD
*** "Everyone knows Funk as the pioneering breakcore producer, Venetian Snares, but Last Step's 1961 is a joyful collection of jumpy acid maneuvers, funky grooves, and kitsch beats."

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND Live Trax Vol. 13 - 6.7.08 Busch Stadium 2xCD
*** Hot heat!

MIRAH Old Days Of Feeling CD
***A collection of out of print and other unreleased tracks from her early years.

MYSTERY GIRLS Incontinopia CD
*** "Adding a dose of psych weirdness to their patented garage-punk-R&B sound has resulted in the band's finest moment. Like Nesmith meets Asheton."

NO NECK BLUES BAND Clomeim CD
*** "After months spent sculpting and recasting the raw material, Clomeim is that rare hybrid - a rock exterior with a cryptic, experimental core; a dense groover and a burning, exploratory psychedelic grimoire for the new dark ages."

PENTEMPLE 0))) Presents CD
*** "SUNN 0))) plus T.O.S. (Moog), Oren Ambarchi (analog effects and supplemental guitar), vokillist Attila Csihar, and Striborg get together for an unholy meeting. This was among the first time that sunn 0))) had worked with live drums and the outcome was completely unprecedented. Oren Ambarchi edited, sequenced and overhauled the EQ to make it as brutal as possible."

PHARCYDE Bobby Evans Mix CD
*** "A 48 minute mega-mix of classic Pharcyde material by L.A.’s revolutionary producer/remixer, Bobby Evans. Tracklisting includes all the hits, the remixes, a couple of songs from Rmxxology and a few rare gems."

OMAR RODRIGUEZ-LOPEZ Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fungus LP / CD
*** "One of four solo albums completed upon disbanding AT THE DRIVE IN. The record features tracks that were intended for eventual use by THE MARS VOLTA but reassigned, for one reason or another. Recorded only a few weeks after 'A Manual Dexterity Soundtrack, Vol. 1.'"

VETIVER More Of The Past CD
*** "Originally intended as a precursor to their acclaimed recent album, Thing of the Past, Vetiver's companion EP is six more songs that inspired Andy Cabic and friends."

VIRUS SYNDICATE Sick Pay CD
*** "Virus Syndicate is DJ/producer M.R.K.1 (Mark One) and MCs Goldfinger, JSD, and Nika D--Manchester's foremost grime crew, bhangra and electro influences coming to the fore."

Friday, December 12, 2008

(( RECOMMENDED )) Dr. Delay's wizard rock!

DR. DELAY REM Sleep CD
*** From Dusty Groove: "An excellent mix of tripped-out, fuzzy psychedelic records from the 60s and 70s -- all served up by Dr Delay, who gave us the Rajaz Meter batch of Middle Eastern funk! REM Sleep is an assemblage of old, rare records presented in a seamless mix that's filled with plenty of surprises, and which should have us digging even deeper for rare rock gems from the end of the 60s. There's a slightly funky undercurrent to many numbers here, but funk isn't the main focus of the set. A total of 24 tracks."

REM Sleep is a "DJ mix" in that songs flow from one into the next like any other mix but this is some serious wizard rock! Perhaps considered un-mixable by others, these jams aren't particularly upbeat as they are just completely stoned out and drugged up, but it somehow *works* (and apparently Dr. Delay just bumped it off in one afternoon for a pal). It works so well that you'll think -- perhaps after imbibing -- that's it's one... long... awesome... song, dood.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) Cat Power, F*cked Up, Vampire Weekend, Sigur Ros & mo'!

BEACH BOYS Pet Sounds LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

BELLE & SEBASTIAN The BBC Sessions 2xLP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

CAT POWER Dark End Of The Street 2x10"
*** Double-10" offering of cuts not found on Cat Power's most recent covers outing, this time with tracks originally by CCR, Aretha, and more. Vinyl-only and limited too!

FUCKED UP Year Of The Pig 12"
*** BACK IN STOCK! The reissue of the What's-Yr-Rupture release.

RADIOHEAD Hail To The Thief 2xLP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

SIGUR ROS Med sud i eyrum vid spilum 2xLP
*** NOW ON VINYL!

VAMPIRE WEEKEND The Kids Don't Stand A Chance 7"
*** Remix by CHROMEO.

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Pavement, Common, Kozelek, Justice and Ann Arbor Soul Club

v/a ANN ARBOR SOUL CLUB Mix No. 3 CD
*** BACK IN STOCK! Referred to by some as the "penultimate Soul Club mix," the third soul club mix curated by DJ Robert Wells is a fine-tuned collection of obscure soul, r&b, and modern tracks you're unlikely to ever find yourself. A top shelf compilation recorded straight from the original vinyl.

COMMON Universal Mind CD
*** "The future of hip-hop! Executive producer: PHARRELL WILLIAMS. Co-executive producers: THE NEPTUNES and KANYE WEST." Feat. CEE-LO and MARTINA TOPLEY-BIRD among others.

JUSTICE Cross The Universe CD+DVD
*** Subtitled: A Documentary By Romain Gavras, So-Me & Justice. "CD - Live In San Francisco and DVD - A Cross The Universe (a 64-minute documentary)."

MARK KOZELEK The Finally LP CD
*** "A rarities collection including covers of Husker Du, Stephen Sondheim, Will Oldham, AC/DC, Low, and others."

PAVEMENT Brighten The Corners: Nicene Creeders 2xCD
*** The deluxe edition of Pavement's second-to-last album rings in with 44 tracks, all remastered, smothered with rarities, alternate takes, outtakes, and long-bootlegged radio jams. Your collection would be so sad not to contain this gemstone.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CD ))))) Neil Young - Live at Ann Arbor's Canterbury House 1968

NEIL YOUNG Sugar Mountain: Live At Canterbury House 1968 CD+DVD
*** "Available for the first time -- the historic 1968 live solo acoustic Canterbury House performance. Features 13 songs in a special CD+DVD combo-pak. Audio on the DVD is in hi-res stereo for the highest quality audio available."