Tuesday, December 21, 2010

NEW ARRIVALS: DVD - Boredoms, Sublime Frequencies, Edan's Echo Party Movie!

v/a MY FRIEND RAIN DVD/CD
*** "My Friend Rain is an abstract homage to the endless monsoon cycles of rebirth and destruction. Dreamy musical segments, fleeting glimpses, odd sounds, temple shrines, tropical backdrops, decay, death, languid afternoon rains, and mysterious celebratory events take the viewer from soaked mornings in the lowlands of the Irrawaddy Delta to humid nights on the streets of Isan province. Includes a bonus CD with the film's soundtrack of traditional and popular music culled from live performance, cassette and LP archives." On SUBLIME FREQUENCIES.

BOREDOMS 77 Boa Drum DVD
*** "On July 7th, 2007 at 7:07 PM, Japanese group Boredoms, orchestrated a performance by 77 drummers at the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park in Brooklyn, NY. Nearly three years later, the experience is finally making its way to DVD."

EDAN Echo Party Movie DVD
*** "Edan's Echo Party Movie is a fast-paced, retro conglomeration of unrelated video clips from the 60's, 70's and 80's that prove to be like a Sour Patch Kid for the eye. Cut in perfect harmony with Edan's music, the movie is an ideal synch for Echo Party's multi-elemental vibe -- an eclectic blend of psychedlia and beats."

NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl - Stellar OM Source, Emeralds, Arp, Rune Grammofon, Psych Funk & more!

v/a 20 CENTURIES OF STONY SLEEP 2xLP
*** "Rune Grammofon celebrates release number 100 with this quite excellent and suitable collection of tracks from 13 of their esteemed artists, old and new. By far the best compilation album they have done w/ twelve tracks exclusive to this release."

v/a IMAGINATIONAL ANTHEM Vol. 4 LP / CD
*** RECOMMENDED "The fourth volume of the acclaimed guitar series focusing on the present generation of pickers, representing American and English musical traditions. Feat. C. Joynes, Tyler Ramsey (Band of Horses), William Tyler (Silver Jews) and more."

v/a MESSAGE FROM THE TRIBE An Anthology Of Tribe Records: 1972-1976 2xLP+BOOK
*** RECOMMENDED "After Motown, the boom of the car industry and the advances of civil rights in the 1960s, came a decade of governmental abandonment, high unemployment and inner-city violence and urban decay. Tribe (Phil Ranelin, Wendell Harrison, Harold McKinney, Marcus Belgrave) was a collective brought together to fight these negative forces, producing seminal deep jazz and funk albums & more. This album features the best of the seminal music produced by this legendary Detroit collective." On SOUL JAZZ.

v/a PSYCH FUNK SA-RE-GA! Aesthetic Expressions of Psychedelic Funk Music In India 1970-1983 2xLP
*** "Much of the music on this compilation experiments in the fusion of India's classical traditions of Hindustani and Carnatic music, folk music such as bhangra and dandiya; that Western psychedelia and funk music would occur at some point is only natural. Also included are off the beaten path Indian experiments in psych funk."

v/a SHANGAAN ELECTRO 2xLP / CD
*** "An astounding compilation of the breakneck Shangaan dance output of the Nozinja studio in Soweto recorded between 2006 and 2009. This is hyper‐local music, all of it still considered traditional, all of it marketed through Shangaan radio and newspapers to a relatively small set of people who live between Johannesburg, Limpopo and Mozambique."

ARP The Soft Wave LP
*** "The Soft Wave is expansive in scope, unfolding like a collection of short stories or filmic vignettes, each piece building upon the other. The Soft Wave incorporates guitars, piano, flute, and Ebows to create a dense brocade of sound. Recalls Cluster, John Cale & Brian Eno."

AWESOME COLOR Massa Hypnos LP
*** NOW ON VINYL!

CHORD Progression 2xLP / CD
*** This band play chords. BIG chords. You're supposed to buy the LP & CD to play at the same time & achieve a big, nasty six-chord wall. Feat. members of PELICAN & X-Bax. Read more here: http://bit.ly/dHIftd

DUCKTAILS Hamilton Road 7"
*** "3-song home recorded teaser for the upcoming Ducktails full-length Ducktails 3: Arcade Dynamics."

EMERALDS Does It Look Like I'm Here? 2xLP / CD
EMERALDS What Happened 2xLP

*** BACK IN STOCK! NOW ON VINYL! INSANE!

JD EMMANUEL Wizards LP
*** RECOMMENDED "With so much being made of current practitioners of the kosmische/New Age vibe, here's your opportunity to hear an original deep trance electronic music album. This straight analog pressing sounds as close to the original master tapes as you can get."

EXPLODE INTO COLORS Paper b/w Heat 7"
*** BACK IN STOCK!

FUTURE ISLANDS In Evening Air LP+MP3 / CD
*** BACK IN STOCK!

GROUP DOUEH Beatte Harab LP
*** RECOMMENDED "Group Doueh have been playing in the Western Sahara for over 27 years. Doueh's guitar heroics and wife Halima Jakani and Bashiri Touballi's soaring vocal interplay are an arsenal of sounds. The songs represented on this album adhere to the roots of Saharoui music & Group Doueh manage to attain heights of spiritual poetry that this music aspires to convey: blissful and exalted realms." On SUBLIME FREQUENCIES.

DANIEL A.I.U. HIGGS Say God 2xLP / 2xCD
*** "Say God is an album of gospel songs and poems as presently received by Daniel "LUNGFISH" Higgs recorded with the help and enthusiasm of David Andrew Sitek. Clairaudient fellowship,y'all!"

BASIL KIRCHEN Primitive London LP
*** "Two Basil Kirchin soundtracks (1965 & 1971) & it's music for strippers, wife-swapping, death, birth, crime and chicken factories. The music has touches of jazz, drones and oddness for the images of abattoirs, strip joints, alcoholism, beatniks and peculiar supermarkets."

MARK MCGUIRE Living With Yourself LP
*** "Mark McGuire operates chiefly as guitarist in the legendary Emeralds. The opening track is a fine example of McGuire's magical technique of taking a lone acoustic guitar then transforming the track into bliss-out electro wash looping off into the distance."

JON MUELLER The Whole LP / CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Through a rolling, unamplified snare drum, booming low toms, hammered dulcimer and his own voice, Mueller creates a sound that is original and totally beguiling."

OFEGE Try & Love LP / CD
*** "Legendary heavy psych afro-rock debut LP by Nigerian wonder kids Ofege recorded while the band was still in high school. Try & Love is overflowing with great songs, sweet harmonies, and relentless psychedelic guitars."

OVAL O 2xLP+MP3 / 2xCD
*** BACK IN STOCK! The longest Oval album ever. And you won't be disappointed.

PANTHA DU PRINCE Diamond Daze 2xLP
*** "Pantha Du Prince captures wounded textures and cryptic pop unfold their mysteries in a pumping, crystalline mobile of sound. Shivering noise-pop-drones, pulsing patterns of bass-drum-bass, filigreed clicks, bursting diamonds."

THEO PARRISH Traffic 12"
*** "Limited single-sided white label of an exclusive Theo & I.G track, 'Traffic'!! You'll have heard this one if you've been paying attention to Mr Parrish's DJ sets over the past year or so."

SCORCH TRIO Melaza LP
*** "Fourth album from the free-spirited power trio that should need no long introduction by now, apart from the significant fact that Frank Rosaly has taken over the drum stool from Paal Nilssen-Love."

STELLAR OM SOURCE Trilogy LP+MP3
*** "Trilogy Select is Netherlands-based Christelle Gualdi's compilation of tracks from her CD-R trilogy released in 2009, re-edited and meticulously sequenced. Also includes an mp3 download coupon."

WILLIAM TYLER Behold The Spirit LP
*** "Excellent instrumental guitar album by William Tyler of Silver Jews and Lambchop among others. Tyler is an ace arranger, augmenting complex textures and various instrumentation with his lyrical compositions. A stunning, beautiful and varied guitar album for the ages." LIMITED TO 500.

RICARDO VILLALOBOS Zero Set II 12"
*** "Remix of the legendary '80s Krautrock record Zero Set from Moebius, Plank, Neumeier."

GERT WILDEN Schulmädchen Report LP
*** "German sexploitation soundtrack music from the 1960s and 1970s as scored by softcore sound-specialist Gert Wilden & Orchestra that swipes from Led Zeppelin, acid rock, smoky jazz, R&B, crazily-mangled surf music & more."

DUSTIN WONG Infinite Love 2xLP+MP3+DVD / 2xCD+DVD
*** BACK IN STOCK!

NEW ARRIVALS: CDs - Sun City Girls, ESG, Emeralds, R&B Hipshakers & more

v/a FLIPPER PSYCHOUT: Original Italian Library Music From The Vaults CD
*** "Dig into the historical library music catalog of Italy's Flipper Music -- a brilliant blend of obscure early '70s tracks: cinematic sound landscapes, space-age bachelor pad music (Italian style) and atmospheric, fuzzy psych-grooves."

v/a IMAGINATIONAL ANTHEM Vol. 4 LP / CD
*** RECOMMENDED "The fourth volume of the acclaimed guitar series focusing on the present generation of pickers, representing American and English musical traditions. Feat. C. Joynes, Tyler Ramsey (Band of Horses), William Tyler (Silver Jews) and more."

v/a R&B HIPSHAKERS Vol 1: Teach Me To Monkey CD
*** RECOMMENDED "A raucous and potentially life-changing comp of '60s R&B compiled by DJ Mr. Fine Wine (WFMU) encompassing crazy dances, intense guitar instrumentals, inspired forays into mind-altering whimsy, timeless odes to male horniness, and hook-filled, honest-to-goodness love songs."

v/a SHANGAAN ELECTRO 2xLP / CD
*** "An astounding compilation of the breakneck Shangaan dance output of the Nozinja studio in Soweto recorded between 2006 and 2009. This is hyper‐local music, all of it still considered traditional, all of it marketed through Shangaan radio and newspapers to a relatively small set of people who live between Johannesburg, Limpopo and Mozambique."

v/a SOUND OF SIAM: Leftfield Luk Thung, Jazz & Molam In Thailand 1964-1975 CD
*** "The 19 tracks reflect the outcome of a 20th century journey from Thai classical to Luk Krung and Luk Thung -- music that incorporated Western influences such as jazz, surf guitar, ballroom and even Latin and African."

RYAN ADAMS & THE CARDINALS III / IV 2xCD
*** Ryan Adams! Perhaps you heard of him!

CHORD Progression 2xLP / CD
*** This band play chords. BIG chords. You're supposed to buy the LP & CD to play at the same time & achieve a big, nasty six-chord wall. Feat. members of PELICAN & X-Bax. Read more here: http://bit.ly/dHIftd

EMERALDS Emeralds CD
EMERALDS Does It Look Like I'm Here? 2xLP / CD

*** BACK IN STOCK!

ESG Dance To The Best Of... 2xCD
*** "Finally! All in one place! The first comprehensive best of compilation for the iconic ESG!"

THE FUGS Tenderness Junction / It Crawled Into My Hand, Honest CD
*** Two albums on one disc!

FREELANCE WHALES Weathervanes CD
*** "Swirling with organic and synthetic textures, interlocking rhythmic patterns, and light harmonic vocals, Weathervanes works to tell a simple, pre-adolescent love story." Mm-hmm!

BORIS GARDINER Every Nigger Is A Star CD
*** "The long-lost soundtrack is a dose of the finest conscious Jamaican music, generously laced with blaxploitation-style heavy funk. Gardiner's original soundtrack has eluded any official or unofficial re-release since 1974."

HAR-YOU PERCUSSION Sounds Of The Ghetto Youth CD
*** RECOMMENDED "This Latin soul group was part of the Harlem Youth program of the 60s & is a fantastic mix of funky bass, heavy drums, burning horn lines and soulful vocals. Quite simply one of the great Latin releases of all-time."

DANIEL A.I.U. HIGGS Say God 2xLP / 2xCD
*** "Say God is an album of gospel songs and poems as presently received by Daniel "LUNGFISH" Higgs recorded with the help and enthusiasm of David Andrew Sitek. Clairaudient fellowship,y'all!"

NOAH HOWARD The Black Ark CD
*** RECOMMENDED An incredible & attractive reissue of an absolute brainburner out of the spiritual jazz era feat ARTHUR DOYLE's recording debut and tripped out percussion from JUMA who played Woodstock with Jimi Hendrix the same year Black Ark was released.

JON MUELLER The Whole LP+CD / CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Through a rolling, unamplified snare drum, booming low toms, hammered dulcimer and his own voice, Mueller creates a sound that is original and totally beguiling."

OFEGE Try & Love LP / CD
*** "Legendary heavy psych afro-rock debut LP by Nigerian wonder kids Ofege recorded while the band was still in high school. Try & Love is overflowing with great songs, sweet harmonies, and relentless psychedelic guitars."

OVAL O 2xLP+MP3 / 2xCD
*** BACK IN STOCK! The longest Oval album ever. And you won't be disappointed.

SAM PREKOP Old Punch Card CD
*** BACK IN STOCK!

SPACEMEN 3 Perfect Prescription LP / CD
*** BACK IN STOCK!

SUN CITY GIRLS Funeral Mariachi CD
*** "Sun City Girls' final studio record is comprised of gorgeous folk & vocal styles, a heavy retro Italian cinema influence, Arabic and Indonesian references, and a ghostly psychedelic moodiness throughout." RIP Charles Gocher.

SUPERSILENT 10 CD
*** "Known as being heavy on the electronics, Supersilent have moved towards a more acoustic landscape with Steinway piano and some of their most beautiful and lyrical moments side-by-side with some of their most eerie soundscapes."

WITCH Introduction CD
*** "The stellar first album from Zambian psych-rockers Witch with crazy and wild fuzz guitars all over and chanting. An incredibly cool and stoned album from Africa originally released in 1973.

Friday, December 10, 2010

EVENTS - The Whip!

THE WHIP! - Friday, December 10 @ Elks Lodge - TONIGHT!
*** PSYCH ROCK & SOUL! R&B STOMPERS & INSTRUMENTAL KLANG! BLUES BUMPS & GIRL GROUP BOUNCE! A brand new dance party from DJs Forest Juziuk (HOTT LAVA) & Richie Wohlfeil (CONTACT). Bruise the balls of your feets dancing, stomping & screaming at the Detroit-meets-Ann Arbor-meets-Detroit party THE WHIP!!
Elks Lodge / 220 W Sunset / 10PM / $5 / FBOOK: http://on.fb.me/h8YHyh

NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl - Sufjan Stevens, Tallest Man On Earth, Eric Copeland & more

THE BOOKS The Way Out 2xLP+MP3 / CD
*** BACK IN STOCK!

ERIC COPELAND Puerto Rican 7"
*** "Eric Copeland is an experimental musician based in New York. He is a core member of Black Dice. This 7" is a departure of sorts and is easily gonna twist your brain! Fantastic fun!"

ENVY Recitation 2xLP
*** NOW ON VINYL!

EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY Those Who Tell The Truth... LP
EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place 2xLP

*** BACK IN STOCK!

THE HIVE DWELLERS Get In 12"
*** "BEAT HAPPENING's Calvin Johnson hooked up with MAHJONGG to "play band" and all sorts of bleeps and bloops ensue. Wires and buttons come alive to the beat of a drum machine never tamed." Remixes by STRATEGY and SHAWN PARKE.

INFINITE BODY Carve Out The Face Of My God LP+MP3
*** BACK IN STOCK!

SUFJAN STEVENS All Delighted People 2xLP+MP3 / CD
*** "The EP, All Delighted People, is built around two different versions of Sufjan's long-form epic ballad All Delighted People, a dramatic homage to the Apocalypse, existential ennui, and Paul Simon's 'Sounds of Silence.'"

SUFJAN STEVENS The Age Of Adz 2xLP+MP3 / CD
SUFJAN STEVENS Illinois 2xLP

*** BACK IN STOCK!

THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird EP+MP3
*** BACK IN STOCK! Vinyl includes MP3s.

NEW ARRIVALS: CDs - Sufjan Stevens, Daft Punk, The Books, Eluvium & more!

THE BOOKS The Way Out 2xLP+MP3 / CD
*** BACK IN STOCK!

DAFT PUNK Tron: Legacy CD
*** "Daft Punk scored TRON: Legacy with a symphony of one hundred world class musicians in London and recorded the orchestra at AIR Lyndhurst Studios, Britain's premier scoring facility."

DUFFY Endlessly CD
*** "Endlessly represents the next chapter of an already astounding career, co-written and co-produced by Duffy and acclaimed songwriter/ producer Albert Hammond."

ELUVIUM The Motion Makes Me Last CD
*** "In addition to the stately ambient pop title track, The Motion Makes Me Last EP features three brand new, previously unreleased non-album tracks. Strictly limited to 2,000 copies."

LIZ JANES Say Goodbye CD
*** "The first Liz Janes music in five years & she's teamed up with Asthmatic Kitty artist and über producer Rafter Roberts to give us her own version of a soul record."

SUFJAN STEVENS Songs For Christmas 5xCD
*** BACK IN STOCK! And right on time!

SUFJAN STEVENS All Delighted People 2xLP+MP3 / CD
*** "The EP, All Delighted People, is built around two different versions of Sufjan's long-form epic ballad All Delighted People, a dramatic homage to the Apocalypse, existential ennui, and Paul Simon's 'Sounds of Silence.'"

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

EVENTS - 4 Years of Ann Arbor Soul Club! and THE WHIP!

ANN ARBOR SOUL CLUB - Friday, December 3 @ Blind Pig
*** 4 YEARS OF SOUL CLUB, if you can believe it! Along with WFMU/Daptone DJ MR. FINE WINE, Robert Wells, Brad Hales, Breck Bunce & Aaron Anderson will spin the finest Northern Soul, r&b, modern, Motown, etc.
Blind Pig / 208 S. First, A2 / 9:30PM / $5 / F'BOOK: http://on.fb.me/hyKfXJ

THE WHIP! - Friday, December 10 @ Elks Lodge
*** PSYCH ROCK & SOUL! R&B STOMPERS & INSTRUMENTAL KLANG! BLUES BUMPS & GIRL GROUP BOUNCE! A brand new dance party from DJs Forest Juziuk (HOTT LAVA) & Richie Wohlfeil (CONTACT). Bruise the balls of your feets dancing, stomping & screaming at the Detroit-meets-Ann Arbor-meets-Detroit party THE WHIP!!
Elks Lodge / 220 W Sunset / 10PM / $5 / FBOOK: http://on.fb.me/h8YHyh

NEW ARRIVALS: Record Store Day Leftovers!

BLACK CROWES Willin' 7"
*** Jams by Little Feat and Ry Cooder.

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS The Thanksgiving Filter 10"
*** Two cuts from their forthcoming album (February release).

BOB DYLAN The Times They Are A-Changin' 7"
*** Two tunes from The Wittmark Demos and The Original Mono Recordings.

MGMT Congratulations 7"+BOOK
*** Feat. an EROL ALKAN remix. Produced by SONIC BOOM.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Save My Love 7"
*** Two jams taken from The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story.

NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl - Spine Scavenger, Black Keys crazy edition, The Bug & more

3 Dark Days Coming LP+MP3
*** REISSUED! A few homies from Gray Matter and Jeff of MINOR THREAT almost broke up before this album even came out. But here it is!

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

BLACK KEYS Brothers 2xLP+10"+POSTER+CD
*** Whoa nelly! The album plus a 10" feat. six (6) tracks, a GIANT poster, and a CD of the album. Limited to who knows how many & we could only get our hands on one copy!

THE BUG Infected 2x12"
*** "‘Infected’ is a double 12” and is a bridge between the acclaimed ‘London Zoo’ album and The Bug’s forthcoming dub battle with legendary producer Adrian Sherwood. Feat. Hitomi, Justin Broadrick, Roots Manuva, Autechre and Scratcha DVA."

GIRLS Broken Dreams Club EP+MP3 / CD
*** "Introducing a massive sonic shift for the band, Broken Dreams Club finds Girls emerging with a more massive, lusher sound with horns, pedal steel and psychedelic effects dappled throughout. 6 new songs at 35 minutes."

SPINE SCAVENGER Shackles Of Man / Measured Time 12"
*** "Modular synth hypnosis from Aaron Dilloway of Wolf Eyes, Couch and Galen. Sounds like being trapped in some terrifying Nintendo game that keeps glitching you away from the exit." Edition of 400.

NEW ARRIVALS: CDs - Zorn meets Burroughs, Girls, Earth, Next Stop...Soweto! Also: more.

v/a NEXT STOP . . . SOWETO 3xCD
*** "The Next Stop ... Soweto is one of the widest-ranging compilation projects ever undertaken on South African music during the '60s and '70s. Vol. 1: mbaqanga and township jive. Vol. 2: 'Soultown'. Vol. 3 is a long overdue retrospective of the rich jazz scene happening in South Africa from the early '60s to mid-'SOs."

EARTH A Bureaucratic Desire for Extra Capsular Extraction CD
*** "The debut recording of Earth are available in one concise, beautifully documented capsule including the Extra Capsular Extractions EP and Sunn Amps and Smashed Guitars. This essential collection contains every note from the infamous first Earth recording sessions."

GIRLS Broken Dreams Club EP+MP3 / CD
*** "Introducing a massive sonic shift for the band, Broken Dreams Club finds Girls emerging with a more massive, lusher sound with horns, pedal steel and psychedelic effects dappled throughout. 6 new songs at 35 minutes."

NINE INCH NAILS Pretty Hate Machine: 2010 Remaster CD
*** "Reznor oversaw the digital remastering of Pretty Hate Machine from the newly unearthed original tapes with engineer Tom Baker including an eleventh track (Queen's "Get Down Make Love" produced by Al Jourgensen). Fans rejoice!"

ROYKSOPP Senior CD
*** "The counterpart to last year's critically acclaimed Junior album. More introspective and freeform than its poppier partner and fully instrumental, Senior finds Royksopp in fine form."

REGINA SPEKTOR Live In London CD+DVD
*** "The first live recording & concert film from Spektor. 23 remarkable performances that span Spektor's brilliant catalog of music, including three new songs that have only been performed live."

JOHN ZORN Interzone CD
*** "ZORN'S LONG AWAITED TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM BURROUGHS! Stopping along the way in seedy bars, Moroccan streets, mind control offices, carnival side shows and science fiction fantasies the music develops from moment to moment with the inevitability and power of Zorn's finest work."

Thursday, November 18, 2010

EVENTS - The Whip! & JURY DUTY!

THE WHIP - Wednesday, November 24 @ Painted Lady
*** A brand new dance party from DJs Forest J. & Richie W. It'll be a frenzy of psych, surf, garage, glam, R&B, blues stompers & int’l jams. More info & a FREE mix here: http://bit.ly/96uxFK
Elks Lodge / 220 W Sunset / 10PM / $5 / FBOOK: http://on.fb.me/99l4OV

JURY DUTY - Friday, November 26 @ Elks Lodge
*** A brand spanking new dance night featuring disc jocks FOREST J. (HOTT LAVA), GEOFF P. (Mystery Party) but no ROBERT W. (Ann Arbor Soul Club) this time out. Do the pony & watusi with us, baby. Soul, R&B, boogie, int'l psych & more. Only $3!
Elks Lodge / 220 Sunset, A2 / $5 / 10:30PM

NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl - Ween, Tobacco, Spacemen 3, Boris & much more

v/a FANAJANA: A Collection Of Recordings And Photography From Madigasikara LP
*** "Over a three year period in the late 1990s, CHARLIE BROOKS embarked on two long field recording trips in the remote north Madagasikara. This single LP collection compiles seventeen tracks and adds a twelve page booklet of photography and notes." On MISSISSIPPI.

JAMES BLACKSHAW All Is Falling LP+MP3
*** "The ultra savant of 12-string mantra cycles expands further into cinematic, orchestral glory--an orgy of pathways to the sublime replete with swirling string cycles and wind instruments augmenting his extended pointillist flurries."

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY I See A Darkness LP / CD
BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Ease Down The Road LP / CD
BONNIE PRINCE BILLY & MATT SWEENEY Superwolf LP

*** BACK IN STOCK!

THE BOOKS The Way Out 2xLP+MP3
*** BACK IN STOCK!

BORIS Absolutego 2xLP
*** NOW ON VINYL!

BOSTON SPACESHIPS Our Cubehouse Still Rocks LP / CD
*** "Our Cubehouse Still Rocks is a breakthrough album from Robert Pollard (Guided By Voices), Chris Slusarenko (Guided By Voices) and John Moen (Decemberists). There's no denying a classic-rock flag flying high overhead but now there are echoes of Devo and Wire!"

DEMON'S CLAWS Defrosting Of... LP
*** "Part Gun Club, part Back from the Grave, part lo-fi distorted crunch, part young Mick Jagger with a mouth full of pills, all delivered with a weird, backwoods creepiness. Americana-tinged blues-punk death trip."

THE FORGETTERS Forgetters 2x7"+MP3
*** "Forgetters is a three-piece Brooklyn formed in 2009 by Blake Schwarzenbach (JAWBREAKER), Caroline Paquita (Bitchin'), and Kevin Mahon (Against Me!) to explore the parameters of the power trio as a vehicle to convey sonic and verbal ideas. Expect comedy, tragedy, tea and sympathy."

GALAXIE 500 On Fire LP
GALAXIE 500 This Is Our Music LP

*** BACK IN STOCK!

NEIL HAMBURGER Hot February Night LP
*** "Mix a couple drinks and listen to America’s Funnyman, Neil Hamburger, as he lives and dies the comedy life that all the greats have lived, too. Hot February Night is truly a brush with greatness."

HAWKWIND Hawkwind LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

INTELLIGENCE Males LP+MP3
*** "As powerful as a punch in the face by Mike Tyson but with the velvet touch of a dandy fop. Marrying buzzsaw punk, DIY post-punk, ramshackle garage (as in played by The Fall -- not the Chesterfield Kings), and pop hooks aplenty."

L’ORCHESTRE NATIONAL A DE LA REPUBLIQUE DU MALI L’orchestre National A De La Republique Du Mali LP
*** "An album of incredible Malian music reissued for the first time since the 1970s. Eight tracks with beautiful vocals and guitar work. This is the second in a series of six Mali music LPs Mississippi will be reissuing from Sterns."

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM s/t LP
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM Sound Of Silver 2xLP
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM This Is Happening 2xLP

*** BACK IN STOCK!

LUNGFISH Pass & Stow LP+MP3
*** BACK IN PRINT!

DAN MELCHIOR UND DAS MENACE Visionary Pangs LP
*** “On Visionary Pangs, Dan presents four short songs and two long song-cycles in proud tradition of English underground tune smiths which includes Mark E. Smith and Syd Barrett.” Limited to 500 copies!

NDF Since We Last Met 12"
*** "NDF offer music almost perfectly summed up in their own words as 'dance music twilit by…melancholy.' Handclaps, keys and a sparse, bassy percussive loops. Side-B is a remix of the title track from superstar RICARDO VILLALOBOS."

OCTOPUS PROJECT Hexadecagon 2xLP+MORE
*** NOW ON VINYL! New album by OP is ca-razy! The vinyl includes a veritable cornucopia of bonus thingamajigs compared to the lame & tame CD. It's a monster!

THEE OH SEES Master’s Bedroom Is Worth Spending A Night In LP
*** "The Mamas & The Papas run through a seriously bent garage blender went out of print and is now re-released on vinyl. AMAZING cover art!"

PALACE BROTHERS Days In The Wake LP / CD
PALACE BROTHERS There Is No One What Will LP / CD

*** BACK IN STOCK!

BENOIT PIOULARD Lasted LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

IGGY POP Idiot LP
IGGY POP Lust For Life LP

*** BACK IN STOCK!

FRANKIE ROSE & THE OUTS Frankie Rose & The Outs LP
*** "Drummist in Crystal Stilts, Dum Dum Girls and Vivian Girls heads deeper into the clouds with a seriously ghostly golden-oldie groove. Cocteau Twins meets Shangri-Las?"

TY SEGALL & MIKAL CRONIN Reverse Shark Attack LP
*** RECOMMENDED BACK IN STOCK! "TY SEGALL and MIKAL CRONIN bust out a ten-track delight of psychedelic danceable garage rock and effects-ridden psychedelia -- loud guitars, pounding rhythms and vocal harmonies. The B-side is simply insane." Limited to 1,000 copies.

MIKE SIMONETTI That Look 12"
*** "MIKE SIMONETTI, head of ITALIANS DO IT BETTER, digs deep for super obscure house tracks from the early 1990s and edits them into insane, explosive gems few have heard." See also: PERSEO EDITS on CD!

SPACEMEN 3 Performance LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

STEREOLAB Not Music 2xLP / CD
*** ”Not Music features 11 songs cut from the Chemical Chords material but more varied, brimming with drums, classic O’Hagan pop-brass and string arrangements and a diversity of strong lead and background performances from Laetitia Sadier.”

SUFJAN STEVENS The Age Of Adz 2xLP+MP3 / CD
*** NOW ON VINYL! Super heavy vinyl & sleeve plus mp3s. Gorgeous.

STRANGE BOYS Be Brave LP+MP3
*** BACK IN STOCK!

TOBACCO Fucked Up Friends LP / CD
TOBACCO Maniac Meat 2xLP / CD

*** BACK IN STOCK!

TYVEK Nothing Fits LP+MP3 / CD
*** "A scalding collection of amped-up and thrust-out songs that cranks up the energy level far beyond their previous releases and decimates the detractors into the abyss. It's Tyvek at their fiery, screaming best!"

VENETIAN SNARES My So-Called Life 2xLP
*** NOW ON VINYL!

WEEN God Ween Satan 2xLP
WEEN Mollusk LP

*** BACK IN STOCK!

NEW ARRIVALS: CDs - Jimi, Lo Borges, Stereolab, Tyvek, Congotronics, Apple

v/a COME & GET IT: The Best Of Apple Records CD
*** "The first commercially issued multi-artist compilation in the APPLE label’s history. This 21-track compilation of singles ranges from the folk-rooted tunes of Mary Hopkin and James Taylor, and the energetic rock of Badfinger and Jackie Lomax, to the deep soul of Doris Troy and Billy Preston."

v/a PERSEO EDITS Vol. 1 CD
*** "Collecting the first three 12-inches on the new Perseo label (a spin-off of ITALIANS DO IT BETTER) on one CD, plus a bonus MIKE SIMONETTI track not available anywhere else. Features cuts by BOTTIN, M. VOGEL and Mike Simonetti. Eight tracks in all.

v/a TRADI-MODS VS. ROCKERS: Alternative Takes On Congotronics 2xCD
*** "A diverse range of artists to commit their enthusiasm for CONGOTRONICS to tape to tape, on a double CD." Feat. ANIMAL COLLECTIVE, DEERHOOF, JUANA MOLINA, ANDREW BIRD, MARK ERNESTUS, MICACHU & THE SHAPES, ONEIDA, OPTIMO, JOLIE HOLLAND, GLENN KOTCHE and more.

LO BORGES Lo Borges CD
*** RECOMMENDED "LO BORGES’ '72 solo debut is a stunning piece of post-bossa nova Brazilian pop music. Combining influences ranging from soul, jazz, pop, psychedelic, and bossa nova with brilliant musicianship and wild arrangements, Lo Borges, is one of the finest Brazilian records of the 1970s, if not ever."

BOSTON SPACESHIPS Our Cubehouse Still Rocks LP / CD
*** "Our Cubehouse Still Rocks is a breakthrough album from Robert Pollard (Guided By Voices), Chris Slusarenko (Guided By Voices) and John Moen (Decemberists). There's no denying a classic-rock flag flying high overhead but now there are echoes of Devo and Wire!"

DIPLO Chasing The Dragon CD
*** ”Take a sixty-minute psychedelic journey into the mind of Diplo with a new mix consisting of mostly 60’s and 70's garage rock and soul from all across the globe. Only the most dedicated of crate diggers could put this all together. No track list.”

EFTERKLANG Tripper CD
*** "Efterklang's music whispers like thunder, combining glacial strings, febrile electronic rhythms, hushed male-female vocals and a Greenlandic choir. Tripper captures the intricate majesty of the best film soundtracks and most evocative classical works."

JIMI HENDRIX West Coast Seattle Boy CD
*** "WCSB tracks Jimi's incredible journey from R&B sideman to international acclaim presenting the most sought after of Jimi's pre-Experience recordings as a sideman for The Isley Brothers, Don Covay, Little Richard and others."

BRIAN MCBRIDE Effective Disconnect CD
*** From BRIAN MCBRIDE (one-half of the STARS OF THE LID): “I purposely distanced myself from the more continuous architecture employed in my previous recordings in favor of several mini-suites, striving for a more overt hopeful quality.”

SEELAND How To Live CD
*** "Seeland is made up of heavyhitters in England's "Retro-Futurist Electronic Scene" having done time in BROADCAST and PLONE. Often mentioned alongside "hauntology" bands ala Ghostbox, Seeland plays chugging Neu grooves and soft-focus psychedelic electronics -- like Joe Meek meets Kraftwerk, or The Blue Nile produced by White Noise."

STEREOLAB Not Music 2xLP / CD
*** ”Not Music features 11 songs cut from the Chemical Chords material but more varied, brimming with drums, classic O’Hagan pop-brass and string arrangements and a diversity of strong lead and background performances from Laetitia Sadier.”

SUN ARAW Off Duty CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Flip the vision and make it all the way down, it's your party. Chilled exhalation, all cold sweat and steam vents. AM radio ghosts, whispering again of that heavier zone: pure secret sun-day, sacred rest."

TWIN SHADOW Forget CD
*** "Synth-swept soundscapes, glimmers of gossamer dance music, and full-on power balladry released & produced by GRIZZLY BEAR's Chris Taylor. A 40-minute waking dream where bedroom music meets B-movies."

TYVEK Nothing Fits LP+MP3 / CD
*** "A scalding collection of amped-up and thrust-out songs that cranks up the energy level far beyond their previous releases and decimates the detractors into the abyss. It's Tyvek at their fiery, screaming best!"

ROBERT WYATT / ATZMON / STEPHEN For The Ghosts Within CD
*** "The Ghosts Within is a new collaboration between Robert Wyatt, saxophonist/composer Gilad Atzmon and violinist/composer Ros Stephen featuring Wyatt originals & standards."

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

EVENTS - Jury Duty, my baby!

JURY DUTY - Friday, November 26 @ Elks Lodge
*** A brand spanking new dance night featuring disc jocks FOREST J. (HOTT LAVA), GEOFF P. (Mystery Party) but no ROBERT W. (Ann Arbor Soul Club) this time out. Do the pony & watusi with us, baby. Soul, R&B, boogie, int'l psych & more. Only $3!
Elks Lodge / 220 Sunset, A2 / $5 / 10:30PM

NEW ARRIVALS: DVD - ODDSAC!

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE Oddsac DVD
*** BACK IN STOCK! "ODDSAC is a feature film collaboration between Animal Collective and Danny Perez. Co-conceived by and stars Animal Collective, ODDSAC is a dense and surreal layering of audio and visual elements that eschews conventional narrative to create a visceral viewing experience."

NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl - Nico, Sufjan Stevens, Modest Mouse, Mulatu, Maserati & more!

THE BOOKS The Way Out 2xLP+MP3
*** BACK IN STOCK!

MASERATI Pyramid Of The Sun LP / CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Pyramid of the Sun is the most dynamic, melodic and tuneful Maserati album of the band's decade-long career. Driving momentum & kraut-y moments, light & dark sounds, powerful rhythms & tripped out guitars."

MODEST MOUSE Sad Sappy Sucker LP+MP3 / CD
MODEST MOUSE The Fruit That Ate Itself LP+MP3 / CD

*** BACK IN PRINT! Believe it. Long, long out of print gems out now on ISAAC BROCK's new label. Includes MP3s!

MULATU ASTATKE Timeless 2xLP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

NICO The Marble Index LP
*** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED "Like a bolt from heaven, Nico cast off the understated pace of her work as chanteuse of the Velvet Underground for the relentlessly bleak and cobalt-blue cool avant-garde stylings of The Marble Index employing the harmonium as a lead instrument."

NIGHTLANDS Forget The Mantra LP
*** "Delicate, chiming strings and bubbling synths beneath a blanket of choral vocal arrangements, dreamy jams dealing with themes of anxiety, fear and the limits of concentration."

SUFJAN STEVENS The BQE 2xLP+BOOKS+FLAC
SUFJAN STEVENS Illinois 2xLP

*** BACK IN STOCK!

SUFJAN STEVENS The Age Of Adz 2xLP+MP3 / CD
*** NOW ON VINYL! Super heavy vinyl & sleeve plus mp3s. Gorgeous.

THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird EP+MP3 / CD
*** An EP to hold the dogs at bay, there are many an exclusive cut to be found here.

NEW ARRIVALS: CDs - Tallest Man on Earth, Shigeto, Modest Mouse, Madlib & more

v/a BROKEN HEARTS & DIRTY WINDOWS CD
*** "Today's avant-roots renaissance owes a great debt to John Prine. 12 newly-recorded versions of classic Prine songs by My Morning Jacket, The Avett Brothers, Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band, Old Crow Medicine Show, and more."

THE AUTUMN DEFENSE Once Around CD
*** "Wilco side homies go AM 1970s, their melodies unfurling effortlessly while also unmistakably setting the hook, not to be easily shaken. Thinking man's easy listening."

CEE-LO GREEN The Lady Killer CD
*** "Cee-Lo Green's first solo work in more than six years, sees the endlessly inventive singer/writer/rapper/producer continuing to push hip-hop and soul's creative envelope."

HOW TO DRESS WELL Love Remains CD
*** "A true pioneer of genre-bending, How to Dress Well has been garnering endless crossover support from both the indie rock and hip-hop worlds. His style has been dubbed 'lo-fi R&B'."

KID CUDI Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager CD
*** Already sold out!

ALBERT KING & STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN In Session... CD+DVD
*** "On December 6, 1983, legendary blues guitarist Albert King joined his disciple Stevie Ray Vaughan on a Canadian sound stage for the live music television series In Session. Magic happened."

MADLIB Medicine Show No. 10: Black Soul CD
*** "The sweetest installation yet! With Black Soul, MADLIB is digging deep to give you a mix of 60s and 70s soul and funk unlike you've ever heard."

MASERATI Pyramid Of The Sun LP / CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Pyramid of the Sun is the most dynamic, melodic and tuneful Maserati album of the band's decade-long career. Driving momentum & kraut-y moments, light & dark sounds, powerful rhythms & tripped out guitars."

MODEST MOUSE Sad Sappy Sucker LP+MP3 / CD
MODEST MOUSE The Fruit That Ate Itself LP+MP3 / CD

*** BACK IN PRINT! Believe it. Long, long out of print gems out now on ISAAC BROCK's new label. Includes MP3s!

MUSE Hullabaloo Soundtrack 2xCD
*** Doods recorded themselves playing live & turned it into a release. If only it were always that easy!

N.E.R.D. Nothing CD
*** "The sound of NOTHING, through its 14 tracks, is decidedly stripped down - like their debut - but no less powerful. NOTHING is a rock `n roll soul album."

THE OCTOPUS PROJECT Hexadecagon CD
*** "In order to achieve their vision for a deeper, more enveloping sonic experience, The Octopus Project built the 'hexadecagon' - an eight-speaker, eight-screen live show. Then they figured out how to make it an album."

JONATHAN RICHMAN O Moon, Queen Of Night On Earth CD
*** "As the title suggests, this outing finds Richman looking up to the lonely night sky during the wee small hours - when time slows down and everything is as melancholy as it is beautiful."

SHIGETO Full Circle LP+CD / CD
*** RECOMMENDED It's too difficult to pull a couple lines from the press release; this album is a monster & people are freaking out. Read more here:
http://ghostly.com/releases/full-circle

ELLIOTT SMITH An Introduction To... CD
*** "14 tracks compiled from all seven of Elliott Smith's albums (including his albums on Geffen) -- an introduction to one of the greatest songwriters of our era."

SOFT CIRCLE Shore Obsessed LP+MP3 / CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Hisham Bharoocha was one of the founding members of Lightning Bolt, Black Dice, Pixeltan & now: epic adventure of rhythmic drums and looped-out guitars! One of a kind amazingness, much like Ravi Shankar meets ESG in space!"

THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird EP+MP3 / CD
*** An EP to hold the dogs at bay, there are many an exclusive cut to be found here.

VENETIAN SNARES My So-Called Life CD
*** "A lesson in mutant jungle, My So-Called Life rips up the taste and decency rulebook and mashes up 10 songs in the characteristic style of breakcore king Venetian Snares."

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

EVENTS - Outlier: Hauntings of the Avant-Garde

OUTLIER: HAUNTINGS OF THE AVANT-GARDE - Thursday, November 4 @ Former UMMA Off/Site
*** "Imagine a room overwhelmed with sound & vision - snatches of music, throbs & echoes, and sights previously unseen. Haunted by fever dreams of the avant-garde past, Outlier combines the heavy influence of 20th century composition with contemporary approaches to experimental music and performance art in a space filled with psychedelic majesty. Is it real? How will you explain it to others? How will you explain it to yourself? HOTT LAVA brings a stellar cast of musicians, composers, performance artists, and filmmakers (including Laurel Halo, Todd Osbourn, Sean Patrick, Tom Buckholz and more) to create a dynamic installation work that will delight, provoke, and overload the senses. OUTLIER is the culminating evening event for University Musical Society's (UMS) much anticipated three-day celebration of the 50th anniversary of the ONCE Festival.
Former UMMA Off/Site / 1301 S. University / 9PM / $5 / http://on.fb.me/cmTm9m

NEW ARRIVALS: DVD - Burroughs!

WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS Thee Films 1950s-1960s DVD
*** RECOMMENDED Thee Films compiles all the films made by Burroughs, BRION GYSIN, and ANTHONY BALCH at the onset of the 1960s, from "relatively straightforward attempt(s) to capture the essence of Burroughs writing on film" to the cinematic representation of the cut up method." 120 minutes; 5.1 Audio/5.1 Surround Sound.

NEW ARRIVALS: CASSETTE - Ou Où, Child & Swimsuit, Benoit Pioulard

CHILD First Set CS
*** "Two 9 1/2 minute versions of the first composition by Child, a.ka. Fred Thomas of City Center, Saturday Looks Good To Me, Billowing, et al. Different in form and execution, but recognizably the same piece. Way harsher and less ambient."

OU Où Baron Von Baron CS
*** "Debut from St. Louis drone/samplers/live loop/ambient outfit Ou Où. Recording took nearly a year, and the final album was whittled down from hours of tape, though the songs were all performed live with no overdubs. Hear it at: http://ouou.bandcamp.com/

BENOIT PIOULARD Valley CS
*** "This album is a trip into meditative, mind-altering vistas; though still as lush and pretty as his albums, there is a greater sense of foreboding, of travel into the outer limits. Or... the inner limits? Mostly instrumental + one track with vocals -- an impossibly beautiful psych JAMMER that will demand repeat listening for all of autumn, and beyond."

SWIMSUIT Demo CS
*** "Made up of Shelley (ex-Tyvek), Amber (Dos Hermanos), Fred (City Center) and Dina (Secret Twins), 'Demo' is mostly instrumental, super tapey underwater jam. All songs repeat on both sides, but side B has an extra layer of exorbitant reverb to up the Black Tambourine/early MBV faction."

NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl - Joshua Abrams, Grinderman, F'lips + more

JOSHUA ABRAMS Natural Information LP
*** RECOMMENDED "Combining solo, trio & quartet formats with adroit use of sampling techniques, Abrams creates intricate psychedelic environments that join the hypnotic, trance-like character of three-stringed Gnawa guimbri music to more contemporary musics & methodologies. Brown Rice-era Don Cherry, Sandy Bull's 'Blend' recordings & Can's 'Magic' albums are super-heavy but in this case earned & appropriate points of historical reference. HQ-180 gram vinyl by RTI. Limited to 550 copies. Vinyl only!"

BIG BOI as SIR LUSCIOUS LEFTFOOT The Son Of Chico Dusty 2xLP
*** NOW ON VINYL! Haha.

THE FLAMING LIPS Dark Side Of The Moon 2xLP
*** BACK IN STOCK! Custom seafoam green vinyl too.

GRINDERMAN Grinderman 2 2xLP+ CD
*** BACK IN STOCK!

KINGS OF LEON Come Around Sundown 2xLP
*** NOW ON VINYL!

NEW ARRIVALS: CDs - Eno, Weezer, Neu!, Elvis Costello, Diplo & more!

AFROCUBISM Afrocubism CD
*** "A grand cast of Mali's finest musicians collaborate with some of Cuba's most brilliant singers and instrumentalists for an album that throws the elements of Cuban and African music in the air and lets them fall in entrancing new patterns."

ELVIS COSTELLO National Ransom CD
*** "Elvis Costello + T Bone Burnett + the Imposters and Sugarcanes + Vince Gill, Marc Ribot, Buddy Miller and Leon Russell. All of these songs are newly composed by Costello."

DIPLO Presents Blow Your Head: Dubstep CD
*** We feature 16 tracks here, some brand new and unreleased, some classics, some overlooked sleepers - all hand selected by Diplo as his favorites from across the spectrum of this burgeoning, multi-faced genre.

BRIAN ENO Small Craft On A Milk Sea CD
*** ''A collaboration between Eno, Leo Abrahams and Jon Hopkins resulting from improvisation. There is no singer, no narrator, no guide as to what you ought to be feeling. They are the mirror-image of silent movies - sound-only movies.' On WARP.

NEU! Neu! 86 CD
*** RECOMMENDED NOW ON CD! "New version of the semi-legally 'Neu 4' album remixed, reworked and remastered from the original multi-track tapes by Michael Rother."

BENOIT PIOULARD Lasted LP / CD
*** BACK IN STOCK! "Third album by Thomas Meluch aka Benoit Pioulard. Thomas has a preternatural ability to weave disparate sound components into a cohesive sonic tapestry, mixing a varied palette of field recordings and percussive elements along with melancholy melodies to create songs that recall -- and are akin to -- vespers of long-buried memories."

WEEZER Pinkerton Deluxxxe 2xCD
*** "Though tagged a disappointment upon its 1996 release, Pinkerton has enjoyed a complete critical & commercial turnaround. Here is the original Weezer-produced album remastered w/ 25 contemporaneous bonus tracks, including every official B-side and 16 previously unreleased recordings."

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

EVENTS - Outlier: Hauntings of the Avant-Garde

OUTLIER: HAUNTINGS OF THE AVANT-GARDE - Thursday, November 4 @ Former UMMA Off/Site
*** "Imagine a room overwhelmed with sound & vision - snatches of music, throbs & echoes, sights unseen until this night that somehow seem familiar. Haunted by fever dreams of the avant-garde past, Outlier combines the heavy influence of 20th century composition with contemporary approaches to experimental music and performance art in a space filled with psychedelic majesty. Is it real? How will you explain it to others? How will you explain it to yourself? HOTT LAVA brings a stellar cast of musicians, composers, performance artists, and filmmakers (including Laurel Halo, Todd Osbourn, Sean Patrick, Tom Buckholz and Ted Kennedy) to create a dynamic installation work that will delight, provoke, and overload the senses. OUTLIER is the culminating evening event for University Musical Society's (UMS) much anticipated three-day celebration of the 50th anniversary of the ONCE Festival.
Former UMMA Off/Site / 1301 S. University / 9PM / $5 / http://on.fb.me/cmTm9m

NEW ARRIVALS: DVD - The Stoned Rollers!

THE ROLLING STONES Ladies & Gentlemen... DVD
*** "Ladies and Gentlemen… The Rolling Stones finally comes to DVD. This legendary Rolling Stones concert film, shot during the 'Exile On Main Street' tour in 1972, released for limited engagements in 1974 and has remained largely unseen."

NEW ARRIVALS: CASSETTE - Ou Où, Child & Swimsuit, Benoit Pioulard

CHILD First Set CS
*** "Two 9 1/2 minute versions of the first composition by Child, a.ka. Fred Thomas of City Center, Saturday Looks Good To Me, Billowing, et al. Different in form and execution, but recognizably the same piece. Way harsher and less ambient."

OU Où Baron Von Baron CS
*** "Debut from St. Louis drone/samplers/live loop/ambient outfit Ou Où. Recording took nearly a year, and the final album was whittled down from hours of tape, though the songs were all performed live with no overdubs. Hear it at: http://ouou.bandcamp.com/

BENOIT PIOULARD Valley CS
*** "This album is a trip into meditative, mind-altering vistas; though still as lush and pretty as his albums, there is a greater sense of foreboding, of travel into the outer limits. Or... the inner limits? Mostly instrumental + one track with vocals -- an impossibly beautiful psych JAMMER that will demand repeat listening for all of autumn, and beyond."

SWIMSUIT Demo CD
*** "Made up of Shelley (ex-Tyvek), Amber (Dos Hermanos), Fred (City Center) and Dina (Secret Twins), 'Demo' is mostly instrumental, super tapey underwater jam. All songs repeat on both sides, but side B has an extra layer of exorbitant reverb to up the Black Tambourine/early MBV faction."

NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl - Joshua Abrams, The Rolling Stones, Benoit Pioulard

JOSHUA ABRAMS Natural Information LP
*** RECOMMENDED "At the heart of Natural Information is the guimbri, a three-stringed animal hide bass traditionally used by the Gnawa of North Africa in healing ceremonies. Combining solo, trio & quartet formats with adroit use of sampling techniques, Abrams creates intricate psychedelic environments that join the hypnotic, trance-like character of Gnawa guimbri music to more contemporary musics & methodologies. Brown Rice-era Don Cherry, Sandy Bull's 'Blend' recordings & Can's 'Magic' albums are super-heavy but in this case earned & appropriate points of historical reference. HQ-180 gram vinyl by RTI. Limited to 550 copies. Vinyl only!"

BENOIT PIOULARD Lasted LP / CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Third album by Thomas Meluch aka Benoit Pioulard. Thomas has a preternatural ability to weave disparate sound components into a cohesive sonic tapestry, mixing a varied palette of field recordings and percussive elements along with melancholy melodies to create songs that recall -- and are akin to -- vespers of long-buried memories."

REMINDER Continuum 2xLP
*** "Reminder is the moniker of Joshua Abrams who has played with Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Prefuse 73, Sam Prekop, Tortoise and Town & Country. Abrams has crafted an album of hugely enjoyable instrumental hiphop, taking a lo-fi sound you might expect to hear on a Bully release, adding a compositional charm that works a treat."

THE ROLLING STONES Aftermath LP
*** BACK IN STOCK! Fancy reissue.

NEW ARRIVALS: CDs - Pioulard, Ferry, Bird, Extra Lens + 1

ANDREW BIRD Useless Creatures CD
*** "Instrumental album previously only available with the deluxe edition of Noble Beast, feat. Glenn Kotche of Wilco and Todd Sickafoose."

THE EXTRA LENS Undercard CD

*** "John Darnielle (the Mountain Goats) and Franklin Bruno (Nothing Painted Blue, the Human Hearts) feat. songs John wrote that had a) more than three chords or b) a bridge that Franklin might find clever or amusing."

BRYAN FERRY Olympia CD
*** "The legendary Bryan Ferry returns with his suave and sophisticated debut on Astralwerks Feat. Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, Groove Armada, Scissor Sisters, Flea, Mani (Primal Scream, ex-Stone Roses), Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead & members of Roxy Music!"

BENOIT PIOULARD Lasted LP / CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Third album by Thomas Meluch aka Benoit Pioulard. Thomas has a preternatural ability to weave disparate sound components into a cohesive sonic tapestry, mixing a varied palette of field recordings and percussive elements along with melancholy melodies to create songs that recall -- and are akin to -- vespers of long-buried memories."

TRUBROT Trúbrot CD
*** "Trúbrot was the first super-group ever founded in Iceland. Really cool underground album full of musical ideas and well-crafted music, including beautiful male & female vocals. RIYL: Blossom Toes and Billy Nichols -- totally catchy underground with a touch of pop."

Thursday, October 21, 2010

EVENTS - Jury Duty w/ Josh Abrams & HOTT LAVA presents Benoit Pioulard!

JURY DUTY w/ JOSH ABRAMS - Friday, October 22 @ Elks Lodge
*** A man of impeccable pedigree, Josh Abrams (Town & Country, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Prefuse 73, etc) joins resident Jury Duty DJs for a long night of music at the best venue in Ann Arbor. "Brown Rice-era Don Cherry, Sandy Bull's 'Blend' recordings & Can's 'Magic' albums
Elks Lodge / 220 W Sunset / 10PM / $5 / http://on.fb.me/aPEHY0

BENOIT PIOULARD wsgs WINDY & CARL & HITOKO + MAN THE HUNTER - Saturday, October 23 @ Yellow Barn
*** HOTT LAVA proudly presents Benoit Pioulard wsgs Windy & Carl & Hitoko and Man The Hunter. Oh, how the drones will be singin' & tingling! It's gonna' be a red wine night!
Yellow Barn / 416 W Huron, A2 / 9PM / $8 / http://on.fb.me/aDkqgV

NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl - Beach Boys, The Rationals, Black Flag & more

MULATU ASTATKE Timeless 2xLP
*** "Mulatu Astatke is a giant in African music & inventor of Ethio-jazz. On February 1st he blessed the sold out Luckmann Theatre, sharing the stage with veterans of the Los Angeles jazz scene Bennie Maupin, Azar Lawrence and Phil Ranelin."

ATMOSPHERE God Loves Ugly 2xLP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

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

BLACK FLAG Nervous Breakdown 7"
*** One of the finest singles ever released.

MR. BUNGLE Disco Volante LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

THE RATIONALS Out On The Floor LP
*** "Collecting the best material from the Rationals' mid-60s garage-soul heyday, including signature tunes, unreleased music and more."

SQUAREPUSHER Shobaleader One: d’Demonstrator 2xLP / CD
*** "This is by far the most accessible record Squarepusher (aka Tom Jenkinson) has ever made. Vocals? R&B rhythms? Heavy synths? This could even be described as 'baby makin' music'."

NEW ARRIVALS: CDs - Squarepusher, Corin Tucker, Zach Hill & more

v/a BOSSA NOVA GUITAR CD
*** RECOMMENDED Choice comp of bossa nova guitar. "BADEN POWELL, JOAO GILBERTO, LUIZ BONFA, LAURINDO ALMEIDA and GARÔTO combined samba, choro and Afro-Bahian ritual music with Bach, bebop, swing to forge the style that seduced the world and changed the course of musical history." On EL RECORDS.

PETER GORDON Love Of Life Orchestra CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Featuring avant-experimentalists and downtown legends David Byrne and Arto Lindsay, Peter Gordon's compositions are underpinned with disco and gilded with noisy guitar bursts, hanging piano chords and saxophone wails."

ZACH HILL Face Tat CD
*** "Massively talented and incessantly collaborative drummer Zach Hill has a second solo album feat. contributors Devendra Banhart, No Age, Prefuse 73, Greg Saunier (Deerhoof) and more."

SLOWDIVE Pygmalion 2xCD
*** BACK IN STOCK!

SOFT BOYS Underwater Moonlight CD
*** BACK IN PRINT! Includes download of album + 30 bonus tracks!

SOFT BOYS A Can Of Bees CD
*** BACK IN PRINT! Includes download of album + 9 bonus tracks!

SQUAREPUSHER Shobaleader One: d’Demonstrator 2xLP / CD
*** "This is by far the most accessible record Squarepusher (aka Tom Jenkinson) has ever made. Vocals? R&B rhythms? Heavy synths? This could even be described as 'baby makin' music'."

CORIN TUCKER 1,000 Years CD
*** "The hard edges of SLEATER-KINNEY's music come nestled in lush weaves of acoustic guitars, keyboards,interlocking percussion, even cellos and violins, which places 1,000 Years deep into Tucker's creative headwaters."

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

EVENTS - Jury Duty w/ Josh Abrams & HOTT LAVA presents Benoit Pioulard!

JURY DUTY w/ JOSH ABRAMS - Friday, October 22 @ Elks Lodge
*** A man of impeccable pedigree, Josh Abrams (Town & Country, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Prefuse 73, etc) joins resident Jury Duty DJs for a long night of music at the best venue in Ann Arbor. "Brown Rice-era Don Cherry, Sandy Bull's 'Blend' recordings & Can's 'Magic' albums
Elks Lodge / 220 W Sunset / 10PM / $5 / http://on.fb.me/aPEHY0

BENOIT PIOULARD wsgs WINDY & CARL & HITOKO + MAN THE HUNTER - Saturday, October 23 @ Yellow Barn
*** HOTT LAVA proudly presents Benoit Pioulard wsgs Windy & Carl & Hitoko and Man The Hunter. Oh, how the drones will be singin' & tingling! It's gonna' be a red wine night!
Yellow Barn / 416 W Huron, A2 / 9PM / $8 / http://on.fb.me/aDkqgV

FREE STUFF - They call it swag!

SUFJAN STEVENS The Age Of Adz CD + poster!
ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS Swanlights CD + poster!
WOMEN Public Strain LP + 7"!
SALEM King Night CD + 7"!
BELLE & SEBASTIAN Write About Love LP / CD + poster AND 7"!!

NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl - Daft Punk, The Clash, The Cure, The Specials, Dungen & 1 more!

THE CLASH London Calling 2xLP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

THE CURE Disintegration 2xLP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

DAFT PUNK Discovery 2xLP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

DUNGEN Skit I Altt LP+MP3
*** BACK IN STOCK! Limited edition vinyl!

KINGS OF LEON Come Around Sundown 2xLP / CD
*** "Another bold and expansive statement by the Nashville, Tennessee-based quartet."

THE SPECIALS The Specials LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

NEW ARRIVALS: CDs - Bob Dylan, Kings of Leon, and Bob Dylan!

BOB DYLAN The Witmark Demos 1962-1964 2xCD
*** "47 previously unreeased Bob Dylan songs recorded in January 1962, tracing Dylan’s dramatic growth as a songwriter from early traditionally-styled songs to social commentary and groundbreaking lyrical genius – all recorded before Bob Dylan turned 24.”

BOB DYLAN The Best Of The Original Mono Recordings CD
*** "This release compiles the best of Dylan's early recordings as they were originally meant to be heard: in mono."

KINGS OF LEON Come Around Sundown 2xLP / CD
*** "Another bold and expansive statement by the Nashville, Tennessee-based quartet."

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

EVENTS - Jury Duty w/ Josh Abrams & HOTT LAVA presents Benoit Pioulard!

JURY DUTY w/ JOSH ABRAMS - Friday, October 22 @ Elks Lodge
*** A man of impeccable pedigree, Josh Abrams (Town & Country, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Prefuse 73, etc) joins resident Jury Duty DJs for a long night of music at the best venue in Ann Arbor. "Brown Rice-era Don Cherry, Sandy Bull's 'Blend' recordings & Can's 'Magic' albums
Elks Lodge / 220 W Sunset / 9PM / $7 / http://on.fb.me/aPEHY0

BENOIT PIOULARD wsgs WINDY & CARL & HITOKO + MAN THE HUNTER - Saturday, October 23 @ Yellow Barn
*** HOTT LAVA proudly presents Benoit Pioulard wsgs Windy & Carl & Hitoko and Man The Hunter. More info TBA.
Yellow Barn / 416 W Huron, A2 / 9:30PM / $8

NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl - Chain & The Gang, Women, Zola Jesus, Maserati, Abe Vigoda & more

ABE VIGODA Throwing Shade b/w Vivid 7"
ABE VIGODA Crush LP / CD

*** NOW ON VINYL!

AIDS WOLF Cities Of Glass LP
*** "Remember when punk was weird and weird was punk? Destroy genre straitjackets and move out of the comfortable."

ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS Swanlights LP / CD
*** "Antony and the Johnsons' new album, containing a duet with Bjork and exploring environmental issues and his connection to the natural world."

ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS Thank You For Your Love 12" / CD
*** First EP in anticipation of the new Antony album featuring 4 additional non-album tracks including covers of Dylan and Lennon (Basinski collabo! HEY-O)."

CHAIN & THE GANG I've Got Privilege b/w Detroit Music 7"
*** "Young and old alike love the beat, the cranked riffs, just the overall vibe! Ian Svenonius and chums have really come up with a winner of a dance task master, a real double-A side plate."

GAYNGS Relayted 2LP+7" / CD
*** NOW ON VINYL!

HALF-HANDED CLOUD As Stowaways in Cabinets of Surf, We Live-out in Our Members a Kind of Rebirth LP+MP3 / CD
*** "Connected with the lyrical tradition of 19th Century American hymns, these tunes splash about in cavernous spaces opened up by irregularly measured rhythms and pocket-orchestra arrangements integrated with creaky pianos, sound-loops, a tugboat of a church organ, guitars and billowing banjos."

MASERATI Pyramid Of The Moon 12"
*** "'Pyramid of the Moon' was born as a scribbled idea in drummer Gerhardt Fuch's journal & hatched in the studio as an extended jam captured while recording the forthcoming album, Pyramid of the Sun. Another brilliant Maserati jam."

WOMEN Public Strain LP+7"
*** NOW ON VINYL! Bonus 7" while supplies last.

ZOLA JESUS Valusia LP / CD
*** "Gone are the morose, gothic lo-vibes and in their place is an airy almost dance track that still sounds as true to form as other endeavor Danilova has ever undertaken. Old hits & recent show-stoppers included!"

NEW ARRIVALS: CDs - Antony & The Johnsons, Belle & Sebastian, Salem, Sufjan Stevens, Zola Jesus

ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS Swanlights LP / CD
*** "Antony and the Johnsons' new album, containing a duet with Bjork and exploring environmental issues and his connection to the natural world."

ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS Thank You For Your Love 12" / CD
*** First EP in anticipation of the new Antony album featuring 4 additional non-album tracks including covers of Dylan and Lennon (Basinski collabo! HEY-O)."

ATMOSPHERE To All My Friends Blood Makes... CD
*** "Originally conceived as EP's for sale only on the Fall tour, Atmosphere has decided to make a limited edition physical CD available to retail."

BELLE & SEBASTIAN Write About Love LP+7" / CD+7"
*** "Back after a 5-year hiatus doing solo projects, soundtracks and more, Glasgow's beloved Belle and Sebastian have returned with one of their finest albums, marrying the intimacy of early works like Sinister and Tigermilk with the production values of their more recent work."

BLACK HEART PROCESSION Blood Bunny/Black Rabbit CD
*** "Befitting of The Black Heart Procession, Blood Bunny / Black Rabbit takes the experimentation hinted at on Six and expands upon it in bizarre and brilliant ways, sounding every bit like an LSD-influenced DJ set."

RHYS CHATHAM An Angel Moves Too Fast... CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Chatham composed a masterpiece for one hundred electric guitars, electric bass and drum -- one of the most extraordinary works in the minimalist canon demonstrating the majesty inherent in Chatham's amplified imagination. Raucous and ecstatic, this sound prefigured the No Wave movement."

DIE ANTWOORD $O$ CD
*** "2010 release from the Cape Town, South Africa Rap trio (Ninja, Yo-Landi Vi$$er and DJ Hi-Tek). The band mixes several different cultures and styles into one unique whole."

ENVY Recitation 2xLP / CD
*** "It's no surprise that Envy have increasingly found inspiration in instrumental rock and experimental ambient music - genres that historically circumvent cultural trappings. Ergo, a new album!"

HALF-HANDED CLOUD As Stowaways in Cabinets of Surf, We Live-out in Our Members a Kind of Rebirth LP+MP3 / CD
*** "Connected with the lyrical tradition of 19th Century American hymns, these tunes splash about in cavernous spaces opened up by irregularly measured rhythms and pocket-orchestra arrangements integrated with creaky pianos, sound-loops, a tugboat of a church organ, guitars and billowing banjos."

MEGAFAUN Heretofore CD
*** "Heretofore is another articulation of the bands evolved Americana vernacular pairing concise, communicative, challenging, compelling experiments w/ a radiant and redemptive 13-minute instrumental called 'Comprovisation for Connor Pass.'"

SALEM King Night CD+7"
*** "The debut album from Michigan/Chicago-based trio Salem, who's been pegged as the creators of their own genre of music, drag (aka witch house) -- elements of ethereal shoegaze, withdrawn Houston Screw and production qualities akin to the frenetic delivery of contemporary Southern rap and Chicago footwork."

SUFJAN STEVENS The Age Of Adz CD
*** "The Age of Adz (pronounced Odds) is Sufjan Stevens' first full-length of original songs since Illinois. While the sounds on this record are distinctly 'artificial' (drum machines and analog synths reign supreme), the proclamations of the songs are unabashedly visceral, sung loudly, with a backdrop of insistent orchestration."

THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH The Tallest Man On Earth EP CD
*** Reissue of The Tallest Man on Earth's early Swedish-only EP.

THREE MILE PILOT The Inevitable Past Is The Future Forgotten CD
*** "The first new Three Mile Pilot album since the 1997 release of what was thought to be their swan song, the enormously influential Another Desert, Another Sea."

ZOLA JESUS Valusia LP / CD
*** "Gone are the morose, gothic lo-vibes and in their place is an airy almost dance track that still sounds as true to form as other endeavor Danilova has ever undertaken. Old hits & recent show-stoppers included!"

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

EVENTS - The Whip w/ Dan Kroha (THE GORIES), Jury Duty w/ Josh Abrams, & HOTT LAVA presents Benoit Pioulard!

THE WHIP - Thursday, October 7 @ Elks Lodge
*** A brand new dance party from DJs Forest J. & Richie W. It'll be a frenzy of psych, surf, garage, glam, R&B, blues stompers & int’l jams. Special guest: Dan Kroha of THE GORIES who will DJ & play live(!) in the Elks Lodge Rumpus Room. More info & FREE MIX here: http://bit.ly/8XtxND
Elks Lodge / 220 W Sunset / 10PM / $5 / FBOOK: http://bit.ly/bDQ27T

JURY DUTY w/ JOSH ABRAMS - Friday, October 22 @ Elks Lodge
*** A man of impeccable pedigree, Josh Abrams (Chicago improv wizard, Prefuse 73 bass player, etc) joins resident Jury Duty DJs for a long night of music at the best venue in Ann Arbor.
Elks Lodge / 220 W Sunset / 9PM / $?

BENOIT PIOULARD wsgs - Saturday, October 23 @ Yellow Barn
*** HOTT LAVA proudly presents Benoit Pioulard wsgs Windy & Carl & Hitoko and Man The Hunter. More info TBA.
Yellow Barn / 416 W Huron, A2 / 9:30PM / $8

NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl - It's 7" season, y'all!

v/a BODDIE RECORDING CO. ACETATE BOX 3x45
*** BACK IN STOCK! "Culled from the Boddie Recording Co. tape archive, this 3x45 set captures three unknown groups from the late 60s/early 70s." Limited to 1000. On NUMERO.

AH HOLLY FAM'LY Reservoir LP+MP3 / CD
*** "At once fragile and overwhelming, the sophisticated avant folk chamber pop of Ah Holly Fam'ly hearkens back to the rural Appalachian folk of yesterday, and the avant folk experimentalism of today."

BLACK FLAG Nervous Breakdown 7"
*** One of the finest singles ever released.

DAFT PUNK Discovery 2xLP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

DEAD WEATHER Hang You From The Heavens 7"
DEAD WEATHER Treat Me Like Your Mother 7"

*** Feat. members of The Strokes and Vampire Weekend.

DISAPPEARS Old Friend / Magics 7"
*** BACK IN STOCK! Killer single from KRANKY band Disappears.

DUNGEN Skit I Allt LP
*** NOW ON VINYL! "Sweden's Dungen sweetly return with a collection of gorgeous rippers and graceful jazz filled polyrhythms at ease with effervescent pop, third-eye popping psychedelia, heavy rock, spider-web folk and breezy jazz."

FISTFUL OF MERCY As I Call You Down LP / CD
*** "The trio of Ben Harper, Dhani Harrison (George's son) & Joseph Arthur play songs complete with soulful harmonies and blues-infused folk guitar seamlessly blended with an indie rock backbone."

FUGAZI Furniture 7"
*** Three tunes from STEVE ALBINI's favorite band.

GIRLS Oh Boy 7"
*** Oh Boy b/w Laura.

NO AGE Everything In Between LP+BOOK / CD
*** NOW ON VINYL! "It's their best record yet."

ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER w/ ANTONY & FENNESZ Returnal 7"
*** BACK IN STOCK! "Hot on the heels of the acclaimed Oneohtrix Point Never Returnal album come these fabulous versions of the title track from ANTONY and FENNESZ packaged in dazzling artwork by Stephen O'Malley."

BENOIT PIOULARD Lee 7"
*** "A two-song tribute to Lee Hazlewood & The Ink-Spots from Kranky artist Benoit Pioulard. Gorgeous & otherworldly, pairing rich, uncanny atmosphere with solid songwriting, these tunes are marked by a directness & clarity not found in his original compositions." Limited to 300 copies.

BENOIT PIOULARD Flocks 7"
*** Two long and gorgeous exclusive tracks from KRANKY RECORDS' Benoit Pioulard, released on yellow vinyl by Windy & Carl. Limited! Don't sleep on this beautiful release.

ARTHUR RUSSELL / CANT Split 7"
*** RECOMMENDED Cant is the alias of GRIZZLY BEAR's bass player & ARTHUR RUSSELL is the man. Exclusive tracks.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND Holiday 7"
*** Holiday b/w Ottoman.

THE WALKMEN Lisbon LP+MP3
*** NOW ON VINYL!

NEW ARRIVALS: CDs - Madlib, Women, Laetitia Sadier, John Lennon, Abe Vigoda & more

v/a WATCH HOW THE PEOPLE DANCING: Unity Sounds From The London Dancehall, 1986-1989 2xLP / CD
*** BACK IN STOCK! "Staggering, exhilarating Jamaican avant‐gardism, inspired by Jammy's Sleng Teng explosion made by soundmen on a Casio and a drum machine, and facing down techno, hip-hop, breakbeat and rave. A Jamaican secession from London mastered by Moritz von Oswald from Basic Channel." On HONEST JON'S.

ABE VIGODA Crush CD
*** RECOMMENDED "To 'Skeleton''s hot-hot-hot template, Abe Vigoda now add glassy shards of 'cold wave' pop, with synthesisers, sequencers and altogether broodier beats. Scorching temperatures, icy cur­rents - Crush is a thermal column of vertiginous brilliance!"

AH HOLLY FAM'LY Reservoir LP+MP3 / CD
*** "At once fragile and overwhelming, the sophisticated avant folk chamber pop of Ah Holly Fam'ly hearkens back to the rural Appalachian folk of yesterday, and the avant folk experimentalism of today."

BREATHE OWL BREATHE Magic Central CD
*** "Rural Michigan's Breathe Owl Breathe crafted a pop album like no other, a timeless aural cartogram of feeling, soul, skill, and story. You could have found it in the attic. It could have dropped from space."

FISTFUL OF MERCY As I Call You Down LP / CD
*** "The trio of Ben Harper, Dhani Harrison (George's son) & Joseph Arthur play songs complete with soulful harmonies and blues-infused folk guitar seamlessly blended with an indie rock backbone."

GUSTER Easy Wonderful CD
*** Guster's favorite album of their career is 12 "great pop songs."

JOHN LENNON Double Fantasy 2xCD
JOHN LENNON Plastic Ono Band CD
JOHN LENNON Imagine CD

*** "Digitally remastered editions!"

MADLIB Medicine Show No. 8: Advanced Jazz CD
*** "Some of this music to the untrained ear might not seem to be jazz at all. But rest assured this is a jazz mix through and through, as exhilarating a ride as Madlib's Brain Wreck Show and Flight To Brazil."

MAHALA RAI BANDA Mahala Rai Banda CD
*** "This sensational new band from the Gypsy ghetto of Bucharest combines a staple Romanian diet of violins & accordions with a horn section consisting of army brass band veterans, powered by a funky rhythm section." On CRAMMED.

LAETITIA SADIER The Trip CD
*** "STEREOLAB vocalist Laetitia steps out & collaborates w/ Rebecca Gates (Spinanes), Richard Swift and April March for a sparse, gorgeous record."

WOMEN Public Strain CD
*** "Women has honed a sound truthful to reverb drenched noise while allowing pop sensibilities to surface into clear focus, a balance of delicate and dense reflecting the contradiction of the band's environment buried in urban sprawl framed by prairie landscape."

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

EVENTS - Ann Arbor Soul Club & Campfires/City Center/Skate Laws+Strange Brew/Ah Holly Fam'ly

ANN ARBOR SOUL CLUB - Friday, October 1 @ Blind Pig
*** Robert Wells, Brad Hales, Breck Bunce & Aaron Anderson play the finest Northern Soul, r&b, modern, Motown, etc. you will never hear on the radio or pretty much anywhere else.
Blind Pig / 208 S. First, A2 / 9:30PM / $5

CAMPFIRES, CITY CENTER, SKATE LAWS/STRANGE BREW - Saturday, October 2 @ Dreamland Theatre
*** Campfires (Mexican Summer) leave Pop Montreal to play with City Center (ex-Saturday Looks Good To Me), Strange Laws (Skate Laws + Strange Brew), and Ah Holly Fam'ly. ALL AGES
Dreamland Theatre / 26 N Washington, Ypsilanti / 9PM / $5 / FBOOK: http://bit.ly/9I0geQ

NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl - Matador @ 21, City Center, Deerhunter, Grinderman, Teengirl Fantasy

v/a MATADOR AT 21 2xLP / 6xCD
*** Budget 2 LP version of CD 5 from the Matador at 21 6 CD Box Set.

CITY CENTER Zen Kids 7"
*** "Zen Kids" [DBN117] splinters guitars and chillingly desolate drones until it forms as a soft summery pop song. As with all singles in the Dub Narcotic Disco Plate series, just ip the record and Selector Dub Narcotic scrambles and reforms it, "Version"

DEERHUNTER Halcyon Digest LP / CD
*** "Halcyon Digest is Deerhunter's fourth album and their first to be released on 4AD. The band self-produced w/ Ben Allen enlisted to mix it (Merriweather Post Pavillion)." Best new music.

GLASSER Ring LP / CD
*** RECOMMENDED "GLASSER is one woman, Cameron Mesirow, and Ring is her debut album. Her intimate, luxurious post-pop is laced with strings, woodwinds and simple, angelic vocal melodies. Ring has the universal lure of a lullaby and a hymn."

GRINDERMAN Grinderman 2 2xLP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

TEENGIRL FANTASY 7AM LP
*** "Nick Weiss & Logan Takahashi make 'some kind of dance music that wasn’t just emulating what (they) were hearing'. The duo’s music often forms out of melodies, samples or concepts that through jamming and improvisation organically materialize into full-fledged compositions."

NEW ARRIVALS: CDs - Neil Young, No Age, Deerhunter, Glasser & more

v/a MATADOR AT 21 2xLP / 6xCD
*** "Limited edition 6xCD linen-covered box set - 5 CDs of remastered tracks & 1 CD of unreleased tracks - with 36 custom poker chips in 3 values, 85-page perfect bound book with history of the label, photos, ephemera, emails, more."

DEERHUNTER Halcyon Digest LP / CD
*** "Halcyon Digest is Deerhunter's fourth album and their first to be released on 4AD. The band self-produced w/ Ben Allen enlisted to mix it (Merriweather Post Pavillion)." Best new music.

GLASSER Ring LP / CD
*** RECOMMENDED "GLASSER is one woman, Cameron Mesirow, and Ring is her debut album. Her intimate, luxurious post-pop is laced with strings, woodwinds and simple, angelic vocal melodies. Ring has the universal lure of a lullaby and a hymn."

NO AGE Everything In Between CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Everything in Between sees No Age expand on the emotional force at the core of their catchy song-writing through tone, structure, noise, and samples. They've pushed themselves in challenging and different directions, deconstructing their weird-out pop songs while still maintaining their original aesthetic and intent. And, it's their best record yet.

SOUNDGARDEN Telephantasm 2xCD+DVD
*** Deluxe edition of the first multi-label, career-spanning retrospective album including 12 additional tracks (5 previously unreleased), and Soundgarden's first-ever DVD, featuring 20 videos, 13 of which have never been released."

NEIL YOUNG Le Noise CD
*** "This eight-song album is a collaboration between the acclaimed rock icon and musician, songwriter, and producer Daniel Lanois ‘Le Noise’ features Young on acoustic and electric guitars with Lanois adding his trademark sonic textures. No band, no overdubs."

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

EVENTS - The Holy Mountain!!

THE HOLY MOUNTAIN - Friday, September 25 @ State Theatre
*** HOTT LAVA presents a "midnight special" -- Alejandro Jodorowsky's 1977 psychedelic epic film about seven powerful mortals attempting to ascend a mountain said to unite Heaven & Earth! You get prostitutes hangin' with apes, a dwarf with no hands, scenes of unexplainable beauty and gore, and a group of cloaked immortals (or are they?). "YOU ARE EXCREMENT! YOU CAN CHANGE YOURSELF INTO GOLD!"*
State Theatre / 220 S. State, A2 / $5 / MIDNIGHT / http://bit.ly/cAHmQC

NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl - Neu!, No Age, Miles Davis, Arrington de Dionyso

ARRINGTON de DIONYSO Malaikat dan Singa LP / CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Malaikat Dan Singa is a collection of throbbing, hallucinogenic, trance-inducing Indonesian-sung trans-utopian cosmic post-punk sounds from OLD TIME RELIJUN's Arrington de Dionyso. And you can dance to it."

ARRINGTON de DIONYSO I See Beyond The Black Sun LP
*** Climb the color spectrum with OLD TIME RELIJUN's Arrington (d) D! Rhythmic drones, deceptive gradient shifts, culminating cathartic conclusions, and propulsive mythical beasts are all yours to be had!

MILES DAVIS Bitches Brew 40th 2xLP+3xCD+DVD
*** Yow! Perhaps you've heard of Miles Davis! One of his craziest records gets some crazy reissue treatment in a big, fancy box. You won't believe it! On sale.

NEU! Neu! '86 LP
*** Whoa!! The lost Neu! album (a version of which was once bootlegged by Klaus Dinger as Neu! 4) has finally been released! Michael Rother spent a year tweaking the jams that are distinctly Neu! but with a completely different '80s flavor. Hard to explain exactly but you'll know it when you hear it.

NO AGE Glitter 7"
NO AGE Glitter 12"

*** New single from the forthcoming No Age album "Everything in Between." Different b-sides for each format!

OLD TIME RELIJUN Catharsis In Crisis LP / CD
*** RECOMMENDED "The ferocity of OTR draws listeners deep into a world where language, rhythm and unrepentant libido collide. This music is temperamental, unwieldy and unyielding; and it cuts you to the bone. And it's terrible background music!"

TOM WAITS Mule Variations 2xLP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

NEW ARRIVALS: CDs - Miles Davis, Gayngs, Swans, Les Savy Fav, Robyn et al

v/a PSYCH-FUNK 101 CD
*** RECOMMENDED An incredible compilation of late 1960s/early '70s obscure international psychedelic funk with an emphasis on the psychedelic, Psych-Funk 101 is a dark & awesome combo of fried organs, heavy bass, crack drummers, and mind-bending guitar.

LES BAXTER African Jazz / Jungle Jazz CD
*** "Digitally remastered two-fer containing a pair of albums from the Exotica/Lounge legend on one CD."

JACQUES BREL My Death CD
*** Import collection of smash tunes! "Jacques Brel was an earthquake for French culture, holding audiences spellbound by the sheer ferocity of his performances and by deep, dark lyrics."

CURRENT 93 Baalstrom, Sing Omega CD
*** "Their most raw, powerful and hallucinatory album yet. Thanks for glistening. We hallucinate on, and then we're gone."

MILES DAVIS Bitches Brew 40th 2xLP+3xCD+DVD
*** Yow! Perhaps you've heard of Miles Davis! One of his craziest records gets some crazy reissue treatment in a big, fancy box. You won't believe it! On sale.

GAYNGS Relayted CD
*** "Vocally, Gayngs is a triumph. Zack Coulter floats over the record with airy, haunting melodies. Bon Iver's familiar falsetto will flip wigs with Bone Thug's-style R&B, while P.O.S. abandons his genre entirely for a soul inspired tenor. Each song is 69 BPM's with tripped-out transitions from song to song."

INTERPOL Interpol LP+MP3 / CD
*** BACK IN STOCK! And we have free 45 adapters bearing the Interpol logo. Just ask for one!

JOHN LEGEND & THE ROOTS Wake Up! CD
*** "Musical powerhouses John Legend & The Roots present eleven profoundly evocative songs(!) pulled from the soulful music of the 60's and 70's all with an underlying theme of awareness, engagement and consciousness."

LES SAVY FAV Root For Ruin CD
*** Brand spanking new "disk" from Weird Beard & The Boys!

THE NAKED FUTURE Gigantomachia CD
*** World-shattering free jazz and well-reviewed too (just ask the internet!) and it's on ESP-Disk which is a fact both crazy & righteous. Ever heard of Albert Ayler? Pharoah Sanders? ESP, baby! Feat. ARRINGTON DE DIONYSO (Old Time Relijun), THOLLEM MCDONAS, JOHN NIEKRASZ and GREG SKLOFF.

OLD TIME RELIJUN Witchcraft Rebellion CD
OLD TIME RELIJUN Lost Light CD
OLD TIME RELIJUN Catharsis In Crisis LP / CD

*** BACK IN STOCK! "Modern American primitive deconstructionists with their frantic fusion of raw roots rock, latter 60's ecstatic jazz and aggressive punk mutations, and raging schizophrenic convulsions... it's great."

ROBYN Bodytalk Pt. 2 CD
*** "Robyn expands her pool of collaborators, bringing aboard Snoop Dogg and Savage Skulls for the second in a trilogy of albums she'll release this year."

EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS Up From Below CD
*** BACK IN STOCK!

SWANS My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope To The Sky CD
*** "After years of pursuing a lightly different path with his band Angels Of Light and recording and producing a diverse roster of artists for his Young God label, Michael Gira has reconvened his legendary group Swans."

TALLEST MAN ON EARTH Shallow Grave CD
*** Now available in North America for the first time: the Tallest Man on Earth's self-titled debut!

THE THERMALS Personal Life CD
*** BACK IN STOCK!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

EVENTS - Jury Duty & Arrington de Dionyso

JURY DUTY - Friday, September 17 @ Elks Lodge
*** A brand spanking new dance night featuring disc jocks FOREST J. (HOTT LAVA), ROBERT W. (Ann Arbor Soul Club) and GEOFF P. (Mystery Party). Do the pony & watusi with us, baby. Soul, R&B, boogie, int'l psych & more. Only $3!
Elks Lodge / 220 Sunset, A2 / $3 / http://bit.ly/aWKnP2

ARRINGTON DE DIONYSO - Monday, September 20 @ Arbor Vitae
*** Throbbing, hallucinogenic, trance-inducing Indonesian-sung trans-utopian cosmic post-punk sounds from OLD TIME RELIJUN's Arrington de Dionyso. And you can dance to it.
Arbor Vitae / 336 1/2 S. State (above Wazoo), A2 / $5 / http://bit.ly/c7sAYS

NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl - Pavement, Blonde Redhead, Deerhunter & more

BELLE & SEBASTIAN Tigermilk LP+MP3
BELLE & SEBASTIAN If You're Feeling Sinister LP+MP3

*** BACK IN STOCK!

BLONDE REDHEAD Penny Sparkle LP+MP3 / CD / DELUXE CD
*** "Penny Sparkle is the band's third album for 4AD marking another sonic twist in their already adventurous canon."

DEERHUNTER Revival 7"
*** First single for their forthcoming 4AD album.

INTERPOL Interpol LP / 2x12" / CD
*** NOW ON VINYL! There's a regular edition & a 45rpm edition w/ big ol' 45 holes.

MAGIC KIDS Memphis LP+MP3 / CD
*** New!

MISSION OF BURMA Signals, Calls & Marches LP
MISSION OF BURMA vs. LP

*** NOW ON VINYL!

MY TEENAGE STRIDE Creep Academy 7"
*** This thing has been blowing up & ain't nobody even know who they is!

MYSTERY JETS Serotonin LP / CD
*** New!

THE NATIONAL Alligator LP
THE NATIONAL Boxer LP
THE NATIONAL High Violet 2xLP

*** BACK IN STOCK!

PAVEMENT Slanted & Enchanted LP+MP3
PAVEMENT Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain LP+MP3

*** BACK IN STOCK!

TOM WAITS Mule Variations 2xLP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

NEW ARRIVALS: CDs - Rhys Chatham, of Montreal, Walkmen, Grinderman, Blonde Redhead & more

THE BLACK ANGELS Phosphene Dream CD
*** "The Black Angels third album is a fresh take on the neo-Psychedelic movement they've been at the forefront of for years."

BLACK MILK Album Of The Year CD
*** "Black Milk's AKAI MPC-2000 XL is joined by a team of studio musicians and session players. A broad range of influence shines through in the tracks, with tinges of Rock, Reggae, and Afro-Beat joining his trademark Hip Hop bangers."

BLACK MOUNTAIN Wilderness Heart CD
*** "This is arguably the band's tightest, most concentrated venture, but there's still plenty of raw rock energy at work, their 'most metal and most folk' record so far."

BLONDE REDHEAD Penny Sparkle LP+MP3 / CD / DELUXE CD
*** "Penny Sparkle is the band's third album for 4AD marking another sonic twist in their already adventurous canon."

BORIS & IAN ASTBURY Bxi CD
*** "Astbury's iconic Rock vocals are a perfect match for Boris' straightforward and laid back but still raw and imaginative songwriting."

RHYS CHATHAM A Crimson Grail CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Following its Paris debut, 'A Crimson Grail' had been re-imagined for the Lincoln Center Out of Doors festival and featured an astonishing 200 electric guitars, 16 electric basses, five conductors and one percussionist. For the thousands who witnessed this event, it was an earth-shaking visual and sonic spectacle. On this live document, 'A Crimson Grail' becomes something else yet again: a hypnotic, album-length piece that's visceral, soul stirring, and at times surprisingly intimate. Its thunderous passages give way to meditative interludes and the music builds to a kind of musical and spiritual ecstasy."

CHROMEO Business Casual CD
*** "'Business Casual' is party-rocking, club-banging, and heart-thrilling electrofunk. Where does a group go after mastering their craft? Do they rest on their laurels? Do they retreat into self-parody? Neighbor, please."

EL GUINCHO Pop Negro CD
*** "Pop Negro is a blend of afro-beat percussion, psych tropicalia, trance repetition, steel drums, and more, transporting the listener to an island paradise no one has ever been to."

GRINDERMAN Grinderman 2 CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Grinderman 2 bears the hallmark of its rapturously received predecessor, yet is more open ended in its structure, more far reaching in its scope, and gloriously lost in its own transports of noise and rhythm."

LINKIN PARK A Thousand Suns CD
*** "On the eve of its completion, this body of work, assembled through unconscious inspiration and unmitigated exertion, has revealed to us notions both stirring and surprising."

MAGIC KIDS Memphis LP+MP3 / CD
*** New!

MYSTERY JETS Serotonin LP / CD
*** New!

OF MONTREAL False Priest CD
*** "Teaming up with Grammy-nominated producer JON BRION, False Priest is speaker-rattling heavy on the low end and features appearances by Janelle Monáe and Solange Knowles."

ROBERT PLANT Band Of Joy CD
*** "Not satisfied with his stature as one of the great innovators and heroes of pop music, Plant continues to let his curiosity guide him to unexplored territory building on the roots-imbued sound he achieved with Alison Krauss."

MAVIS STAPLES You Are Not Alone CD
*** "Produced by fellow Chicagoan Jeff Tweedy at Wilco's studio The Loft, 'You Are Not Alone' showcases the iconic singer at her most powerful and fervent. The album mixes traditional gospel numbers with two new songs written for Mavis by Tweedy among others."

THE WALKMEN Lisbon CD
*** "Featuring the band'ssignature vintage instrument-sound, Lisbon will showcase 'A lot of stuff that's Elvis-sounding, like early Elvis and Sun Records kind of sounds,' says frontman Hamilton Leithauser."

WEEZER Hurley CD
*** "'Hurley' finds the band making some of the most powerful and adventuresome music of their storied career." I bet!

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

EVENTS - AASC, Cinema BBQ, Jon Mueller

ANN ARBOR SOUL CLUB - Friday, September 3 @ Blind Pig
*** Robert Wells, Brad Hales, Breck Bunce & Aaron Anderson play the finest Northern Soul, r&b, modern, Motown, etc. you will never hear on the radio or pretty much anywhere else. Not only that but MR. FINE WINE himself will be guest DJ'n!!
Blind Pig / 208 S. First, A2 / 9:30PM / $5

CINEMA BBQ IV: VHS METAL PIZZA - Saturday, September 4 @ Burton Theatre
*** HOTT LAVA and Burton Theatre team-up for the outdoor Burton event of the summer -- an all-VHS double feature! Heavy Metal and Decline of Western Civilization Pt. II: The Metal Years + shorts by HOTT LAVA on VHS + Forest Juziuk DJs + Supino Pizzeria provides the food.
Burton Theatre / 3420 Cass Avenue, Detroit / 9PM / $5 / FBOOK: http://bit.ly/cYXfDC

JON MUELLER - Monday, September 6 @ Canterbury House
*** Powerful experimental percussionist Jon Mueller of COLLECTIONS OF COLONIES OF BEES and VOLCANO CHOIR (with Bon Iver) brings a righteous new piece of music to town in support of his upcoming Type Records release. His last album, Physical Changes, was an amazingly well-received CD/LP/DVD mammoth that received accolades from Pitchfork among others.
Canterbury House / 721 E Huron, A2 / 8PM / $5 / FBOOK: http://bit.ly/9iio4d

NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl - Nigeria Specials, Tropicalia, Matthew Dear and more!

v/a MESSAGE FROM THE TRIBE 2xLP+BOOK / CD+BOOK
*** BACK IN STOCK!

v/a NIGERIA DISCO FUNK SPECIAL 2xLP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

v/a TROPICALIA BRASILIAN 2xLP
*** RECOMMENDED "Mixing Psychedelic Rock, avant-garde musique concrete , Samba, Funk and Soul, the late 1960s revolutionary Tropicalia movement is distinguished by amazing work from Os Mutantes, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Tom Ze, Gal Costa and more." This comp is crucial! On SOUL JAZZ.

MATTHEW DEAR Black City LP+CD / CD
*** "Black City is Matthew Dear’s third album on Ghostly International, and it’s his darkest and most engrossing work to date."

JESUS & MARY CHAIN Darklands LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

ORCHESTRE MOPTI Les Meilleurs Souvenirs De La 1ere Biennale Artistique... LP
*** "Recorded in 1970, The Regional Orchestra of Mopti was a hypnotic band featuring electric guitars & a large horn section. A serene and droning record that is both sorrowful & celebratory."

NEW ARRIVALS: CDs - Group Bombino, Eels, Gainsbourg & Birkin, Nigeria Specials, !!! and more

v/a BRAZILIAN GUITAR FUZZ BANANAS 2xLP / CD
*** BACK IN STOCK!

v/a HORSE MEAT DISCO 2xLP / 2xCD
*** "Following the label's acclaimed 'disco not disco' and 'disco italia' releases during 2008- 9, strut teams up with one of london's leading disco collectives, horse meat disco, for their debut comp.

v/a MESSAGE FROM THE TRIBE 2xLP+BOOK / CD+BOOK
*** BACK IN STOCK!

v/a NIGERIA AFROBEAT SPECIAL CD
*** BACK IN STOCK!

v/a NIGERIA ROCK SPECIAL CD
*** BACK IN STOCK!

v/a PSYCH-FUNK 101 CD
*** RECOMMENDED An incredible compilation of late 1960s/early '70s obscure international psychedelic funk with an emphasis on the psychedelic, Psych-Funk 101 is a dark & awesome combo of fried organs, heavy bass, crack drummers, and mind-bending guitar.

v/a R&B HIPSHAKERS Vol 1: Teach Me To Monkey CD
*** RECOMMENDED "A raucous and potentially life-changing comp of '60s R&B compiled by renowned DJ Mr. Fine Wine ("Downtown Soulville," WFMU) encompassing crazy dances, intense guitar instrumentals, inspired forays into mind-altering whimsy, timeless odes to male horniness, and hook-filled, honest-to-goodness love songs."

v/a WATCH HOW THE PEOPLE DANCING: Unity Sounds From The London Dancehall, 1986-1989 2xLP / CD
*** "Staggering, exhilarating Jamaican avant‐gardism, inspired by Jammy's Sleng Teng explosion made by soundmen on a Casio and a drum machine, and facing down techno, hip-hop, breakbeat and rave. A Jamaican secession from London mastered by Moritz von Oswald from Basic Channel." On HONEST JON'S.

!!! (CHK CHK CHK) Strange Weather, Isn't It? CD
*** "!!!'s brooding yet somehow poppiest, most immediate record yet, texturally rich and filled with deep, galvanizing grooves with a dark undercurrent running through the record that acts as a counterpoint to the glittering surfaces."

COTTON JONES Tall Hours In The Glowstream CD
*** "Tall Hours finds Cotton Jones reigning in the songs, for a more succinct pop feel. The resulting sounds are rich and charmingly lo-fi, full of vivid imagery and gorgeous vocal harmonies."

MATTHEW DEAR Black City LP+CD / CD
*** "Black City is Matthew Dear’s third album on Ghostly International, and it’s his darkest and most engrossing work to date."

EELS Tomorrow Morning CD
*** "A bright and reflective piece conflicted by using the cold sound of electronic melodies and an array of loops and drum machines yet still positive and uplifting." Okay!

FENN O'BERG In Stereo CD
*** BACK IN STOCK!

SERGE GAINSBOURG & JANE BIRKIN Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg CD
*** "Digitally remastered edition of this 1969 sexually exaggerated classic from French singer, songwriter and entertainer Serge Gainsbourg and his muse, British vocalist and actress Jane Birkin."

GROUP BOMBINO Guitars From Agadez (Music of Niger) Vol. 2 CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Group Bombino is the latest salvo from the revolutionary Agadez music scene. One half of the album is an unplugged selection of songs sung among the dunes, camels and stars of the Tenere desert. The last five tracks demonstrate the electric fury of the full band, a melding of heavy, psychedelic guitar heroics with a raw, garage sound, back beat percussion, all swirling in extended trance rock moves."

PRINS THOMAS Prins Thomas 2xLP+MP3 / CD
*** RECOMMENDED BACK IN STOCK! "Seven sprawling, ever-evolving, head-nodding, navel-gazing, body-moving, kraut-rocky, mind-mushing tracks, perfectly assembled for an hour-long trip, almost all of it played by the man himself."