Tuesday, April 28, 2009

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: DVD ))))) Wilco!!

WILCO Ashes Of American Flags DVD
*** "Ashes of American Flags follows Wilco during its 2008 U.S. tour, capturing the six-piece band and three-man horn section. This feature-length DVD is a concert film of extraordinary intimacy, with the HD cameras focused primarily on the stage and often inches away from singer songwriter Jeff Tweedy's microphone or drummer Glenn Kotche's cymbals. Ashes of American Flags also functions as an evocative travelogue, a document of the band's physical and emotional journey. Co-directors Brendan Canty, the former Fugazi drummer, and Christoph Green track Wilco's tour bus across the country, taking in both the wide-angle beauty and William Eggleston-like desolation of the highways and cities they pass through. At each stop, the filmmakers record candid moments at sound check, back stage and on the bus, where band members offer insights into their lives on the road and their remarkably intuitive communication as a group.

((((( NEW ARRIVAL: Vinyl ))))) BOB DYLAN double-LP + CD

BOB DYLAN Together Through Life 2xLP+CD
*** "Bob Dylan's latest studio album was recorded late last year and features 10 new songs. This will be the 46th release from Dylan." 180g 2xLP includes CD version of album.

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Dylan, Acid Mothers Temple, Spiritual Jazz, Mr. Lif

v/a SPIRITUAL JAZZ - Esoteric, Modal + Deep Jazz From The Underground 1968-1977 CD
*** RECOMMENDED "STONES THROW subsidiary Now-Again Records in conjunction with JAZZMAN presents an expanded version of the compilation that introduced many listeners to the sound of the unsung musicians who, in the midst of the Vietnam War and the fallout of the Civil Rights struggle, created some of the most beautiful spiritual and meditative music of the era. The music was at times funky, at times contemplative, but it always strived to say something about the world in which the musicians lived. With this anthology we evaluate "Spiritual Jazz", Jazz created in the era after John Coltrane, a time which saw the evolution of an underground jazz that spoke about the reform of the soul, the reform of the spirit, and the reform of society. There are songs from prison bands, Egyptian big bands, high school jazz ensembles, African musicians gigging with free jazz legends, and African American jazz heroes."

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE Interstellar Guru & Zero CD
*** "A two-track lucid hallucination which will blow away the listener in one of the weirdest trips ever. Cosmic explosions intense and highly unforgettable. The 'loop of the universe.'"

BOB DYLAN Together Through Life CD
BOB DYLAN Together Through Life 2xCD+DVD
*** "Bob Dylan's latest studio album was recorded late last year and features 10 new songs. This will be the 46th release from Dylan." Deluxe edition includes episode 17 of Dylan's radio show and a DVD outtake from No Direction Home.

MR. LIF I Heard It Today CD
*** "Mr. Lif's coup du sort about the current political issues and agendas Americans and the global community are facing: fear, paranoia, and angst as the U.S. economy collapsed and the bailout bill passed, self hatred in the Black community, and the housing crisis are just a few of the topics touched on."

THE WHITEST BOY ALIVE Rules CD
*** "2nd album from Erland Oye, formerly of KINGS OF CONVENIENCE. Less Indie Pop and more Disco, Rules is both a step forward for the band AND a look back at their influences."

Thursday, April 23, 2009

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) It's like 45rpm heaven over here...

BENOIT PIOULARD Flocks 7"
*** Two long and gorgeous exclusive tracks (a song, "Maginot," and the dense ambient track "Alaskan Lashes") from KRANKY RECORDS' Benoit Pioulard, released on yellow vinyl by Windy & Carl. Limited! Don't sleep on this beautiful release.

EXTRA GOLDEN Thank You Very Quickly LP / CD
*** RECOMMENDED "A six-song wonder of a record whose joyous danceable anthems were crafted in the wake of political and economic upheaval in Kenya. Thank You Very Quickly showcases a new level of artistry that could only be referred to as synthesis -- the Benga grooves of Kenya with the psychedelic rock of America."

FINAL Reading All The Right Signals Wrong LP
*** "Undefinable and experimental interpretations of JUSTIN BROADRICK's (GODFLESH, JESU, NAPALM DEATH) more recognized music encompassing the brutal and the dark and the beautiful and the melodic."

FUCKED UP No Epiphany 7"
*** The album version and a NO AGE remix.

HEALTH Die Slow 7"
*** New jams!

KING KHAN & THE SHRINES What Is? 2xLP / CD
*** *** "14 blasts of pure punk-soul. The unique Sun Ra cum Stooges take on psychedelic big band soul is full on here, a literal aural middle finger to the calculated garage rock taking over the malls of America."

PAVEMENT Slanted & Enchanted LP+MP3
*** BACK IN STOCK!

RATATAT Mirando 12"
*** Album jam plus ANIMAL COLLECTIVE remix.

ROYAL TRUX Royal Trux LP
*** BACK IN PRINT! Remastered too, thankfully.

WAVVES To The Dregs 7"
*** New jams -- two versions.

YESTERDAYS NEW QUINTET Angles Without Edges LP
*** BACK IN PRINT! The first release from MADLIB's jazz project.

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Medeski Martin & Wood, Juan MacLean, Jon Hassell, Bill Callahan, Mountains & more!

ARBOURETUM Song Of The Pearl CD
*** "Arbouretum's third full-length, more earthy and direct than the band's previous efforts, reaching out from within the mire itself. The album exudes hopefulness, even though the songs' protagonists are often ultimately and intrinsically doomed."

BILL CALLAHAN Sometimes I With We Were An Eagle LP / CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle is about as beautiful an album as you can expect to hear sung circa 2009. Sure, there's guitar, keyboards and drums, just like there's always been -- but arranger Brian Beattie brought some old friends back into the picture: violins and French horns. Plus, recording in the big state of Texas has given Bill Callahan a panoramic sound-screen, filled with verdant and sparkling sounds, all of which allow him access to the depths of expression, allowing a gentle and stirring view of that which we call 'soul'."

DJ/ RUPTURE & ANDY MOOR Patches CD
*** A crazyman DJ plus a crazyman guitar player from THE EX do this crazy thing.

DOVES Kingdom Of Rust CD
*** New album featuring singles and other songs!

JON HASSELL Last Night The Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes In The Street CD
*** "American trumpet player, composer, Eno and Peter Gabriel collaborator returns to ECM with a stand-out album encompassing electronic, jazz, and world music.

KING KHAN & THE SHRINES What Is? 2xLP / CD
*** "14 blasts of pure punk-soul. The unique Sun Ra cum Stooges take on psychedelic big band soul is full on here, a literal aural middle finger to the calculated garage rock taking over the malls of America."

LITHOPS Ye Viols! CD
*** "Lithops is the solo disguise of Jan St. Werner (MOUSE ON MARS, MICROSTORIA, VON SUDENFED). Ye Viols! can be seen as background noise for a visual utopia: a recombined industrial iconography of spatial adventures, futuristic collages and phantasmagoric scenes."

THE JUAN MACLEAN The Future Will Come CD
*** "Rather than retreat to a recording studio in Woodstock, NY, and toil in solitude, Maclean brought along Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel (also known as Holy Ghost!) to lay down parts for The Future Will Come. 'The next guideline was revisiting the Human League,' reveals Maclean."

MEDESKI, MARTIN & WOOD Radiolarians II CD
*** "The Radiolarians Series, designed to challenge the traditional format of touring after a record¹s release, has found Medeski Martin & Wood thriving and making some of their most creative and innovative music in years."

MOUNTAINS Choral CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Mountains is often compared to artists such as Brian Eno and Fennesz, citing their extended melodies and their unique broad guitar work. Mountains seamlessly blend pastoral electronic sounds with both field recordings and a plethora of acoustic instruments. The resulting soundscapes are broad in scope and rich in detail. The effect is incredibly sublime and hypnotic as the sounds slowly wrap themselves around each other and alter themselves in the mind of the listener. Choral is a uniquely soothing and addicting listening experience and an aural crazy quilt: warm and inviting with many details to discover and explore."

PELE A Scuttled Bender In A Watery Closet 2xCD
*** "A celebration of the seven years, 13 releases, experimentation, and insanity. This set collects a legacy of work that was often limited edition, always hard to find, and highly collectible. The core members are now COLLECTIONS OF COLONIES OF BEES."

PONTIAK Maker CD
*** "Pontiak's studio in rural Virginia is about 12'x12' and largely responsible for the saturated sound on their new album Maker. Preferring the energy of a mostly live recording and understanding how to capture their sound, Pontiak generally kept the first take as the final take."

ANNI ROSSI Rockwell CD
*** DROWNED IN SOUND said, "Anni Rossi is one of these quirky-but-endearing Americana alt-folk prodigies that seem to crawl out of the woodwork every so often." Rossi toured with The Ting Tings and Electrelane.

TELEKINESIS Telekinesis CD
*** "Telekinesis is influenced by both the carefully constructed timeless pop of the 60s and 70s, and the nonchalance and brevity of classic indie rock. Recorded with producer Chris Walla (Death Cab For Cutie, The Decemberists)."

THANK YOU World City CD
*** "Dank, skittering tracks filled with light and dark, a breathless chaos that results in one hell of a musical fight. The basics of drums, organ, and guitar are augmented by whistles, cowbell, hobo harmonica, snappy loops, car horns, and whatever else might be at hand."

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) Eccentric Soul, Thrill Jockey, Radiohead EPs, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs

v/a LOCAL CUSTOMS: Downriver Revival 2xLP+DVD
*** "Between 1967 and 1981 in Ecorse, Michigan, Felton Williams chronicled gospel, group soul, garage-punk, northern, jazz, and funk and issued them on the Solid Rock, Compose, and Revival labels. Compiled here are 24 recordings and a DVD of the over 200 sound recordings pulled from his archives and a 30 minute featurette on the making of Downriver Revival."

v/a RECORDS TOREISM LP+zines
*** Thrill Jockey contribution featuring five tracks from TJ bands, including an exclusive MOUNTAINS track and a jam from the forthcoming TORTOISE album. Two zines included!

RADIOHEAD Fake Plastic Trees 12"
RADIOHEAD No Suprises EP 1 12"
RADIOHEAD High & Dry / Planet Telex 12"
RADIOHEAD Creep 12"
RADIOHEAD Street Spirit (Fade Out) 12"
RADIOHEAD Karma Police EP 1 12"
RADIOHEAD Paranoid Android EP 1 12"
RADIOHEAD Just 12"
RADIOHEAD Pyramid Song 12"
*** EMI persists! Here's a whole bunch of 12"s in "limited edition special packaging," on vinyl for the first time, 180g and 45RPM audiophile vinyl.

YEAH YEAH YEAHS It's Blitz! LP+MP3
*** Believe it - at least for now, the vinyl version of Yeah Yeah Yeahs new album is a Record Store Day exclusive.

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Eccentric Soul, Wooden Shjips, Extra Golden, etc. etc.

v/a ECCENTRIC SOUL: SMART'S PALACE CD
*** "Between 1963-1975, Smart's Palace held court for the entire Wichita, Kansas soul scene. At its heart was DICK SMART, bassist, club owner, DJ, record store owner, promoter, and sole proprietor of the Solo label. Collected here for the first time is the story and songs that came out of this thriving, if not totally unknown scene."

v/a SHITKATAPULT: STRIKE 100 2xCD
*** The Shitkatapult label celebrates their 100th release with a killer compilation, taking the label back to its dreamy vision, a spiky, feverish, beautiful thicket, and throws together 25 "listening/electronica/ambient" highlights not a million miles away from, say, a Weimarian or Leningrad master class of electronic music."

ART BRUT Vs. Satan CD
*** "Produced by BLACK FRANCIS over 12 days last December -- this is the album Brut-o-philes have been waiting for since Art Brut's debut single back in 2004."

CAMERA OBSCURA My Maudlin Career CD
*** "C.O.'s new album shares an affectionate wit and a melancholy tendency towards life's daily routines and relationships. Yet it also boasts and expands on the affected pop elements explored on their last album."

DEPECHE MODE Sounds Of The Universe CD
*** New album with three singles and a whole bunch of other songs!

EXTRA GOLDEN Thank You Very Quickly LP / CD
*** RECOMMENDED "A six-song wonder of a record whose joyous danceable anthems were crafted in the wake of political and economic upheaval in Kenya. Thank You Very Quickly showcases a new level of artistry that could only be referred to as synthesis -- the Benga grooves of Kenya with the psychedelic rock of America."

VENETIAN SNARES Filth CD
*** "This is the best acid record ever made! Venetian Snares actually made sweet love to his 303s while watching Top Gun on repeat. The end result is something that Goose would have been proud to die listening to."

WOODEN SHJIPS Dos CD
*** "Dos sounds off as the inauguration speech of a group accepting the minimalist psych bop crown that once adorned the likes of Neu! and Loop. If possible, their brand of whipping fuzz hooks have gotten groovier."

Friday, April 17, 2009

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: RECORD STORE DAY )))))

v/a MERGE - 20 YEARS CD
*** 21 tracks from the Merge catalog - FREE UPON REQUEST WHILE SUPPLIES LAST.

v/a RECORD STORE DAY - THE RECORD LP
*** 11 track compilation featuring both Franz Ferdinand AND Charles Mingus!! What?? I don't know. it says there's a Blender "free subscription" offer but that might be a joke. FREE with a purchase over $50.

v/a RECORDS TOREISM LP+zines
*** Thrill Jockey contribution featuring five exclusive tracks from TJ bands, including a jam from the forthcoming TORTOISE album. Two zines included!

COLD WAR KIDS At Fingerprints CD
*** It's a live one!

JESUS LIZARD Inch 7x7"
*** Whaaaaaat?? UNREAL. Very limited -- sorry, no holds.

LYKKE LI b/w EL PERRO DEL MAR After Laughter (Comes Tears) b/w (At Your Best) You Are Love 7"
*** One talented, lovely lady per side.

MC5 Kick Out The Jams b/w Motor City Is Burning 7"
*** Very limited -- sorry, no holds.

MY MORNING JACKET Celebracion De La Ciudad Natal 2x10"xCD / CD
*** I believe this is a live record. The CD comes with the vinyl or is available separately.

PAVEMENT Live In Germany LP
*** NOT the bonus live LP that accompanied the Pavement 'Buy Early Get Now' thingamajig, this is a new Pavement live album.

JAY REATARD / SONIC YOUTH Hang Them All / No Garage 7"
*** Two of Matador's most recent signees cover each other.

ARTHUR RUSSELL Love Is Overtaking Me 2xLP
*** We've had so many requests for this album on vinyl and it's a limited edition Record Store Day vinyl -- crazy crazy.

SONIC YOUTH / BECK Pay No Mind / Green Light 7"
*** It sounds insane but these jokers are covering each other.

THE STOOGES 1969 b/w Real Cool Time 7"
*** Very limited -- sorry, no holds.

THE THERMALS / THAO WITH THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN Split 7"
*** Limited edition split 7" with a jam each.

BRIAN WILSON That Lucky Old Sun LP
*** Brian Wilson's latest album is FREE with a purchase over $50.

YEAH YEAH YEAHS It's Blitz! LP+MP3
*** Believe it - at least for now, the vinyl version of Yeah Yeah Yeahs new album is a Record Store Day exclusive.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl )))))

BLACK DICE Repo LP / CD
*** NOW ON VINYL! Go where new experiences await you! The new Black Dice album, that is! Dang! Included are many mindblowing new jams and a 20-page booklet with exclusive art by the band.

CHARIZMA & PEANUT BUTTER WOLF My World Premiere b/w Methods 12"
*** BACK IN PRINT!

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Prefuse 73, Cluster, Marion Brown, Beck and more!

AMON DUUL II Phallus Dei CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Impossible to describe, the classic and incredible debut by Krautrock legends Amon Düül II is a complex conglomeration of psychedelic rock, jazzy, folk-inspired, fuzzed out, organized chaos. Their most 60s sounding recording retains all it’s magic in this present day, not sounding a bit dated."

BECK One Foot In The Grave CD
*** REISSUED! "Out of print for over four years, the 15th anniversary edition includes 16 bonus tracks (13 of them previously unreleased)."

THE BOY LEAST LIKELY TO The Law Of The Playground CD
*** "Darlings of the blog world, national media and college radio alike, anticipation for the return of The Boy Least Likely To is high." Hm.

MARION BROWN Afternoon Of A Georgia Faun CD
*** Whoa! Brainbender alert! This import-only KILLER features Anthony Braxton, Chick Corea, Andrew Cyrille, Jeanne Lee, and Bennie Maupin. So good it must be illegal!

CLUSTER Cluster II CD
*** "Moebius and Roedelius essentially create ambient electronic soundscapes that ebb and flow, droning on in a suspended world of anti-gravity where machine has conquered man."

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE The Open Door Ep CD
***"Four new tracks and one unreleased demo. Although the four new tracks are a little different from those on Narrow Stairs, The Open Door can be considered a companion piece."

JOHN DOE & THE SADIES Country Club CD
*** "Here, the Countrypolitan sound of late 1960s Nashville is filtered through the telecaster-based honky tonk of Bakersfield, CA. John Doe and The Sadies find the perfect blend of the reverent and the experimental, resulting in a slightly psychedelic brew."

EASY STAR ALL-STARS Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band CD
*** "Following the critical success of 2003's Dub Side Of The Moon and 2006's Radiodread, this is a reworking of The Beatles' classic 1967 Sgt. Pepper album."

PREFUSE 73 Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian CD
*** "This time, Herren rejected the idea of digital recording and instead recorded with analog tape, giving the album the sound of a lost tape of exploratory studio musicians from the not-too-distant past. From drum machine prog to driving noise jams, at times Everything sounds as if broadcast from from a pirate radio station equally enamored with Animal Collective and J Dilla."

SILVERSUN PICKUPS Swoon CD
*** Second album!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Monks, Neil Young, Black Dice and so much more, geeeeez....

BAT FOR LASHES Two Suns CD
*** Apparently it's a concept record! Includes the single "Daniel," the cover art of which (single version) must be seen.

BEASTIE BOYS Check Your Head 2xCD
*** Reissued with a bonus disc of b-sides and instrumentals plus a fold-out thingamajig.

BLACK DICE Repo CD
*** Go where new experiences await you! The new Black Dice album, that is! Dang! Included are many mindblowing new jams and a 20-page booklet with exclusive art by the band.

THE COOKIES Chains/The Dimention Links 1962-1964 CD
*** "Classic Brill Building era girl group who were covered by THE BEATLES and backed Little Eva, Tony Orlando, Neil Sedaka(!), and many others."

CRYSTAL ANTLERS Tentacles CD
*** "Debut full-length on TOUCH & GO - 13 original songs.'

DOVES Kingdom Of Rust CD
*** "The critically acclaimed British trio return with their new album. Contains three singles!"

BOB DYLAN & THE BAND Basement Tapes 2xCD
*** "Remastered in limited edition collector's digipak packaging!" Haha. It actually says that.

ELZHI Witness My Growth: The Mixtape 97-04 2xCD
*** "Early solo recordings from eLZhi of SLUM VILLAGE. Beats by J DILLA, BLACK MILK, WAAJEED, KAREEM RIGGINS, and more."

THE HOLD STEADY A Positive Rage CD+DVD
*** "17-track live album recorded at The Metro in 'Chi-boogie' AND The Hold Steady documentary. 5 bonus tracks are to be had by those that do not sleep on this platter!"

MOBY GRAPE The Place And The Time CD
*** "TPATT is a collection of originally unissued material recorded from 1967 to 1968 -- audition recordings, album outtakes, alternate versions, live material and more."

MONKS Black Monk Time CD
*** "The definitive Monks reissue series - five American G.I.s stationed in Germany in the mid-60s creating some of the finest fuzz laden rock'n'roll ever committed to tape." Includes 6 bonus tracks.

RED RED MEAT Bunny Gets Paid 2xCD
*** What Pitchfork refers to as "one of the best pure rock records of the 1990s" gets the deluxe reissue treatment from Sub Pop. Hooray!

NEIL YOUNG Fork In The Road CD
*** It's just a bunch of youtube clips he messed around with on the road. Not really. It's something else.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

( NEWS ) Sonic Youth - Buy Early Get Now #7

BUY EARLY GET NOW #7
*** Sonic Youth's "The Eternal" will be released on June 9, 2009 and is the latest Matador release to get the BUY EARLY GET NOW treatment. The album can be pre-ordered from Wazoo starting on March 24. You must pay for the album when pre-ordering at the store.

Along with your pre-order of ‘The Eternal’ on LP or CD, you’ll get...
- pre-release stream of album on April 28
- bonus limited exclusive vinyl live LP on street date, either in your mailbox or your favorite record store (While supplies last)
- bonus limited-edition poster on street date
- bonus exclusive MP3 outtakes and live tracks

For more info, consult: http://buyearlygetnow.com/info/7/