Tuesday, February 19, 2008

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) Stones Throw vinyl, Vampire Weekend, Thom Yorke

v/a DROPPIN' SCIENCE: Greatest Samples From The Blue Note Lab 2xLP
*** "After years of mixtapes by artists such as Kon & Amir, Blue Note realized that heads really do want to hear these songs their favorite Hip Hop songs sampled. Dope collection of songs sampled by J DILLA, BRAND NUBIAN, A TRIBE CALLED QUEST, B.I.G., & more."

v/a LOVE'S A REAL THING: The Funky, Fuzzy Sounds Of West Africa 2xLP
*** BACK IN PRINT! "Wow. Who knows what made afrobeat so damn trendy, but whatever it was, it wasn't a moment too soon. Stones Throw teams up with David Byrne's powerhouse Luaka Bop for an incredible compilation highlighting psychadelic obscurities from 'The Gold Coast to Cameroon'."

DEAD MEADOW Old Growth 2xLP
*** NOW ON VINYL!

GROWING Lateral 12" / CD
*** RECOMMENDED! "Lateral finds the band reflecting on their past two (may we add highly underrated) albums while gazing to the future with newfound rhythmic motifs and otherworldly heights to their sound sculptures. The textures are warm and inviting, tempting the listener to focus on stunning minimalist changes within Growing's dense aural fog."

GUILTY SIMPSON Gettin' B*tches / She Won't Stay Home 12"
*** From being featured on various Stones Throw projects, and a dope mixtape out now, Guilty Simpson is ready to hold his own with his first official single "Getting Bitches".

HELIOCENTRICS Out There LP / CD
*** NOW ON VINYL!

MICHAEL LIGGINS Loaded To... 12"
*** "More psychedelic funk rock flavor from Stones Throw subsidiary label Now Again. Nasty guitars and funky breaks."

MADLIB The Beat Conductor 2x7"
*** "The original Beat Conductor, before he started traveling."

MADLIB Remixes Vol. 2 2xEP
*** A popular MADLIB tour item was so popular it got the vinyl treatment. Madlib tones down the experimentation and throws NAS, RAEKWON, GHOSTFACE, MF DOOM and more over samples from 1977-1982.

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS Heretic Pride LP / CD
*** "For his new album, Darnielle has once more retreated into his imagination to conjure a suite of songs about mythical creatures, imaginary cults, slasher films and pulp fiction novelists. He's also come up with some of the most anthemic, impassioned and downright catchy songs of his career."

TROPICANA STEEL BAND / FATBACK BAND Spanish Hustle 12"
*** RECOMMENDED! "Two recordings of 'Spanish Hustle' are featured on this one, with Kon's re-edit of the Original Tropicana Steel Drum Band's rendition backed with the impossible-to-find 12-inch version from the Fatback Band."

VAMPIRE WEEKEND Vampire Weekend LP
*** NOW ON VINYL!

YESTERDAYS NEW QUINTET The Bomb Shelter 7"
*** "One of the early YNQ joints still sounds fresh."

THOM YORKE And It Rained All Last Night 12"
*** New 12" single from RADIOHEAD's frontman with a mix by BURIAL.

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Bon Iver, J Dilla, Growing, Nick Lowe, Mountain Goats, Percee P

v/a BEAT AT CINECITTA CD
*** "A sensual homage to the most raunchy, erotic filmmusic from the vaults of Italian 60s & 70s cinema. Featuring music by RIZ ORTOLANI, BRUNO NICOLAI, PIERO PICCIONI, FRANCESCO DE MASI, and more."

v/a REALISTIC PATTERNS: Orchestrated Psychedelia From The USA CD
*** "20 rare gems compiled by The Bevis Frond."

AKROBATIK Absolute Value LP / CD
*** "Akrobatik's first solo album in years does not disappoint. Ak sounds hungrier than ever over beats by J DILLA, 9th WONDER, ILLMIND, DA BEATMINERZ, J-ZONE, THERAPY & more. Guests include LITTLE BROTHER, MR. LIF, TALIB KWELI, CHUCK D & more."

AMERICAN MUSIC CLUB The Golden Age CD
*** The uni-brow is back!

BON IVER For Emma, Forever Ago CD
*** The exceptional debut full-length of a songwriter working, perhaps, in the vein of Grizzly Bear, Band Of Horses, and Iron & Wine. At times, the album is a bit more stripped down than those referenced above but For Emma, Forever Ago flows in such a way that there's a very distinct arc at work. Recommended.

RAY DAVIES Working Man's Cafe CD
*** "As good as anything Ray has written in decades." - Mojo. Featuring 3 bonus tracks.

DJ ECLIPSE Donut District: Tribute to J DILLA 2xCD
*** An insane two-disc mix of J DILLA productions and appearances. Totally insane.

MIKE DOUGHTY Golden Delicious CD
*** Soul Coughing frontman loves apples and has gotta' sing about it. "Effin' delicious!"

GROWING Lateral 12" / CD
*** RECOMMENDED! "Lateral finds the band reflecting on their past two (may we add highly underrated) albums while gazing to the future with newfound rhythmic motifs and otherworldly heights to their sound sculptures. The textures are warm and inviting, tempting the listener to focus on stunning minimalist changes within Growing's dense aural fog."

INSTRUMENTS OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Music For The Films Of R/Swift CD
*** "For the critical listener, Instruments of Science & Technology sounds like Brian Eno and Wendy Carlos had a love child in the 70's and subsequently marooned him/her/it on an Oort Cloud. Swift has resurrected the earliest forms of electronic music, thrown in a few dashes of dub, hip-hop, kraut-rock, and Motown--and created a new hybrid dish."

THE IPANEMAS Samba Is Our Gift CD
*** "The nearest thing to a Brazilian equivalent of the Buena Vista Social Club."

J.ROCC Thank You Jay Dee CD
*** "There is probably not a DJ more capable of making a Dilla tribute than J.Rocc. Not only did he tour with Dilla through the last years of his life, but J.Rocc consistently makes the best DJ mixes. Not one to be missed."

J.ROCC Sex Machine Today CD
*** "Everyone agrees, J.Rocc is one of the smoothest mix DJ's ever to touch turntables. Here is with a live mix of some of the best songs ever recorded. Ever." Nice!

NICK LOWE Jesus Of Cool CD
*** "30th anniversary resurrection! The definitive version of this undisputed pop masterpiece." Featuring 7 bonus tracks.

MONADE Monstre Cosmic LP / CD
*** Ms. STEREOLAB herself steps out behind the Tim Gane-curtain for a jazzier and more french (!) take on that modern krautrock-inspired sound. Always great.

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS Heretic Pride LP / CD
*** "For his new album, Darnielle has once more retreated into his imagination to conjure a suite of songs about mythical creatures, imaginary cults, slasher films and pulp fiction novelists. He's also come up with some of the most anthemic, impassioned and downright catchy songs of his career."

NICOLAY & KAY Timeline LP / CD
*** Fantastic! Perfect production and great songs. Nicolay doesn't cease to amaze.

PEANUT BUTTER WOLF Ladies First CD
*** "Expertly crafted Female Only Rap CD by none other than Stones Throw CEO, Peanut Butter Wolf."

PERCEE P Perseverance: The Madlib Remixes CD
*** "Only Madlib would remix a four month old album that he entirely produced. Some heads are saying that it's better than the original."

Monday, February 18, 2008

(( RECOMMENDED: NEW RELEASES )) Growing, Instruments Of Science & Technology

GROWING Lateral 12" / CDEP
"A kaleidosope of prismatic tones and juddering electronics forming a series of mesmeric constellations."

With albums on Kranky and Troubleman Unlimited, this Brooklyn duo has jumped to The Social Registry for an EP of stuttering light and minimalist beauty. The thick drone that characterized their albums on Kranky has subsided and made way for the choppy but delicate electronic manipulations.

INSTRUMENTS OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Music From The Films Of R/Swift CD
"For the critical listener, INST sounds like Brian Eno and Wendy Carlos had a love child in the 70's and subsequently marooned him/her/it on an Oort Cloud.

"With Instruments of Science and Technology, Swift has resurrected the earliest forms of electronic music, thrown in a few dashes of dub, hip-hop, kraut-rock, and Motown--and created a new hybrid dish."

A peculiar album completely removed from the last few decades. This could easily fit alongside Broadcast albums, BBC Radiophonic recordings, and library records if you wanted something a little darker in your diet.

Monday, February 4, 2008

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: DVD ))))) Roxy Music

ROXY MUSIC The Thrill Of It All 2xDVD
*** "A visual history of Roxy Music 1972-1982. Includes live footage, TV performances and music videos." 36 performances and videos in all with two bonus promotional videos.

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Hot Chip, Can, Omar Rodriguez Lopez

ANN ARBOR SOUL CLUB Mix No. 1 CD
ANN ARBOR SOUL CLUB Mix No. 3 CD
*** Two compilations of danceable rare soul 45s curated by AASC DJ Robert Wells. You will never hear these songs other than on CD and at the Soul Club. Mix No. 1 contains 23 tracks, Mix No. 3 contains 26. Only $6 each!

CAN Ege Bamyasi CD
CAN Tago Mago CD
*** Two of CAN's finest albums back in print on standard CD format at a new low price. Highly recommended by all members of Wazoo staff.

DEAD MEADOW Old Growth CD
*** "DEAD MEADOW's first studio album to match the power of one of the best live shows on the planet. Darlings of both the stoner rock and the modern psychedelia worlds, DEAD MEADOW belong to the pantheon of the great guitar bands of our time."

HOT CHIP Made In The Dark CD
HOT CHIP Made In The Dark CD+DVD
*** "The long awaited new album featuring "Shake A Fist", "Ready For The Floor", "One Pure Thought" and more. Deluxe edition includes bonus live DVD."

JACK JOHNSON Sleep Through The Static CD
*** "The new studio album. Recorded with 100% pure solar energy." (No, really.)

KD LANG Watershed CD
*** 11 new songs from the powerhouse vocalist, performer, and Patsy Cline-enthusiast.

NADA SURF Lucky 2xCD
*** New album from "Popular" band (nyuk nyuk!), Nada Surf, on Barsuk featuring a bonus disc and a guest appearance from Ms. Juliana Hatfield.

OMAR RODRIGUEZ LOPEZ Calibration CD
*** "The Mars Volta's leader Omar Rodriguez Lopez' debut electronic/rock solo project w/ JOHN FRUSCIANTE of Red Hot Chili Peppers, MONEY MARK of the Beastie Boys, and Cedric & The Mars Volta family!"