Tuesday, December 15, 2009

((( EVENTS ))) Give coats to poor kids, willya'!?

ROTARACT WINTER - Saturday, Dec. 19 @ Park Bar
*** Help Wayne State's Rotary Club meet a goal of 200 coats for kids in Detroit this winter. CHRIS BATHGATE, AL SCHEURMAN, and THE MOURNING VOICES play.
Park Bar / 2040 Park Ave, Detroit / 8:30PM

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: DVD ))))) Final Flesh!

FINAL FLESH by Vernon Chatman DVD
*** "NEW from Vernon Chatman, a co-creator of some of this millennium's most outre cable television programming (Wonder Showzen, Xavier: Renegade Angel) is a DVD destined to change the way we look at entertainment, pornography and probably the legal system. The resulting film is an epic narrative for our time -- a surreal, apocalyptic My Dinner With Andre. Existential, sublime and ridiculous, featuring unmistakeably porno production values and shudderingly unseasoned porno actors and actresses -- but no actual sex! If your spirit is willing -- the Flesh will freak you!"

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) Animal Collective, John Fahey, Benoit Pioulard, Vampire Weekend, Broadcast & more

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE Fall Be Kind EP+MP3 / CD
*** "The Fall Be Kind EP features 5 brand new studio tracks that are every bit as lush and beautiful as those found on Merriweather. The year of Animal Collective continues.

BIG BLACK Songs About F*cking LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

BROADCAST & THE FOCUS GROUP Investigate Witch Cults... LP / CD
*** NOW ON VINYL! "BROADCAST and graphic artist JULIAN HOUSE (aka THE FOCUS GROUP) present a psychedelic album pulling in a unique sense of melody and love of library music, film scores, electronics and psych-pop colour."

CLUSTER Curiosum LP
*** "Cluster's 6th album, released on Sky Records in 1981, was to mark a departure to pastures new. A decidedly tranquil, almost melancholy album, this is Cluster music at its most serene, a sense of profound humility, stripped down and keenly focused on perfect shapes. This is Cluster's swan-song to the past."

DELTA 5 Mind Your Own Business 7"
*** "A post-punk classic first released in 1979, Delta 5's debut single, backed with a remix by post-punk hero Peter Hook, best known as the bass player for Joy Division and New Order."

JOHN FAHEY America 2xLP
*** "The complete America double album, released on vinyl for the first time ever. Originally released in 1971, America is one of the artistic high points of John Fahey's career. And yet, for nearly 30 years it was not heard in its entirety, as what was originally intended as a double album was pared down to a single LP. Limited edition of 3,000 numbered copies." 180 gram vinyl.

JAVELIN Lindsay Brohan EP
*** "Sounds range from broken dance jams to relaxed instrumental cut-ups, created with love on their MPCs. Long forgotten samples are chopped and re-assembled with drums, wooden recorders, old keyboards, handmade thumb pianos or whatever instruments are readily at hand. The result is a kind of mix tape fantasy where R&B impresarios, amateur booty bass producers and Andean flautists hold equal sway."

NICO Desertshore LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

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.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND Cousins 7"
*** "Vampire Weekend is back with the first single from the new album."

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Animal Collective, Jon Mueller, Julianna Barwick & many EXCELLENT int'l comps!

v/a 5 YEARS OF HYPERDUB 2xCD
*** "Honoring past, present and future in equal measure, 5 is comprised of one disc of prior highlights, and one of freshly-composed material contributed by Hyperdub artists and close friends. Including an exclusive track by Burial especially for this compilation."

v/a AFRICA BOOGALOO: The Latinization Of West Africa 2xLP / CD
*** "Rocking the party and ramming the dancefloor is the first priority of this review of Latin styles in classic West African dance music, as it emerged with 1950s anti-colonialism, and ran on gloriously into the 70s."

v/a THE BYG DEAL CD
*** "Between 1968 and 1974, BYG might not have been the surefire code to financial fulfillment but the indelible contribution to experimental pop, free jazz, spiritual prog rock and total space music would continue to send positive vibrations through future generations of progressive pop." For more info, see:
http://www.finderskeepersrecords.com/discog_fkr025.html

v/a FREEDOM, RHYTHM & SOUND: Revolutionary Jazz & The Civil Rights Movement 1963-82 2xCD
*** RECOMMENDED "Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and the civil rights movement of the 1960s loom large as self-determination, economic power and musical freedom led to revolutionary jazz artists finding new paths -- both musical and economic. Concurrent with the emergence of the counter culture and underground rock movement in the 1960s and years before the D-I-Y cultural revolution of punk in the 1970s, Sun Ra, John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Don Cherry, Ornette Coleman, the Art Ensemble of Chicago and others 'took control' of their own work by recording, releasing and distributing their own music themselves. This album features major artists as well as many hidden gems of records made on very small run cottage-industry jazz labels from this period -- the original DIY records!" Includes a 28-page booklet. For more info, see:
http://www.souljazzrecords.co.uk/releases/?id=17577

v/a PSYCH-FUNK 101 2xLP / CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Funky fuzzy psychedelic tracks from '60s and '70s Nigeria, Iran, Turkey, Russia, South Korean and other exotic countries. But these bands added their own, unique cultural flourishes. The result is mind-bending. Inspiring new investigations into shapes of rhythm."

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE Fall Be Kind EP+MP3 / CD
*** "The Fall Be Kind EP features 5 brand new studio tracks that are every bit as lush and beautiful as those found on Merriweather. The year of Animal Collective continues.

JULIANNA BARWICK Florine CD
*** "Admired by Pitchfork & Dusted, Julianna Barwick's melodic vocal arrangements, layers and textures are fascinating and dizzying -- 'warm sunlight rendered into sound'."

CARL CRAIG The Album Formerly Known As... CD
*** "A completely remastered and reworked version of Detroit techno legend Carl Craig's seminal 1995 record Landcruising. Here, Craig reveals his old skool techno side, and features new track 'Sparkle,' as well as new ambient versions of 'Technology' and 'Home Entertainment.'"

JON MUELLER Physical Changes LP+CD+DVD
*** RECOMMENDED "Jon Mueller's mammoth new solo percussion work, Physical Changes, drives the idea of 'pummeling rhythms and frequencies' into oblivion over an elaborate, all-inclusive three format (LP/CD/DVD), as the sounds here are something to be felt as much as heard. Joined by the intense propulsion of James Plotkin (KHANATE), the textural chaos of FRED LONBERG-HOLM (Wilco, Brotzmann, Vandermark), Marcus Schmickler (Pluramon), Dan Burke (Illusion of Safety), Jim Schoenecker (COLLECTIONS OF COLOIES OF BEES) and the stunning landscape film work of DAVID DINNELL, Physical Changes reveals how complex and diverse heavy rhythm can be."

PAULINE OLIVEROS Four Electronic Pieces CD
*** "Sub Rosa presents Pauline Oliveros' early and definitive tape and electronic music of the late fifties and sixties -- all released for the first time ever! Tape pieces, sound as noise, variations on silence, systematic exploration of electronic sounds & more."

ORCHESTRE POLY-RHYTMO DE COTONOU Vol.2: Echos Hypnotiques CD+BOOK
*** Subtitled: From The Vaults Of Albarika Store 1969-1979. "Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo de Cotonou was one of Africa's most innovative groups, capable of playing any style of music, from traditional Vodoun rhythms to funk, sato, Latin, sakpata, psychedelia and Afro-Beat seamlessly. Those astonishing combinations can be heard here, all mixed into a heavy hypnotic sound -- Les Echos Hypnotiques."

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) J Dilla, Tom Waits, Mayer Hawthorne, Dam Funk & more

BR GUNNA & J DILLA Dirty District Vol. 2 12"
*** "A MUST for any Dilla collector! J Dilla's "Do Ya Thang," where Dil offers a few of his most murderous verses over a neck breaking beat from then-unknown producer Black Milk. Plus 5 more tracks from BR Gunna's underrated release, with guest appearances from ELZHI, T3, MC BREED, FAT RAY, and THE DRAMATICS!"

DAM FUNK Burgandy City 12"
DAM FUNK Let's Take Off 12"

*** BACK IN STOCK!

EGON Curse Of The Evil Badger LP
*** "Re-issue of the classic break LP by world renowned DJ & Stones Throw's own Egon."

EL MICHELS AFFAIR Tribute To Black Moses LP
*** "Another exciting tribute / cover release, this time in recognition of the work of the lush arrangements of the late Black Moses, Mr. Isaac Hayes."

MAYER HAWTHORNE A Strange Arrangement 2xLP
MAYER HAWTHORNE Maybe So, Maybe No 12"

*** NOW ON VINYL!

J DILLA Wild 12"
J DILLA + FRANK & DANK Everybody Get Up 12"
J DILLA Fuck The Police 12"
J DILLA Welcome 2 Detroit 2xLP
J DILLA Ruff Draft 2xLP
J DILLA Donuts 2xLP

*** BACK IN STOCK!

MI AMI Cut Men / Out At Night 12"
*** RECOMMENDED "Mi Ami's Thrill Jockey debut is a brand new 12” comprised of two new tracks. Their most dynamic track to date, "Cut Men" is a blazing & even joyous raucous commentary on the alienation with American male/"dude" culture. The B-side is a heavy, deep, and oblique dub re-visioning of the A-side." Limited to 750.

JAMES PANTS Seven Seals LP / CD
*** "Seven Seals was made while reading mystical books and the book of Revelations, and inspired by being in the mood to start a cult. This is the cult's soundtrack."

JAMES PANTS All The Hits LP
*** "When not out touring the globe with his band, DJing nights in the Pacific Northwest, or running through the streets with Peanut Butter Wolf, James Pants has put together a journey into the genre-les domain typically classified as library music, made specifically for the visual medium."

JAMES PANTS We're Through 12"
*** "Peanut Butter Wolf's synth funk protege drops a jam from his debut plus three "Other Songs (Not on the Album)"!

TOM WAITS Glitter & Doom Live 2xLP+MP3 / 2xCD
*** NOW ON VINYL!

TOM WAITS Orphans 7xLP
*** HOLY SMOKES! The 7xLP, 180g ea. collection of Brawlers, Bawlers, and Bastards has dropped! 7 full length LPs, including 6 additional bonus tracks not on the CD, and a deluxe 12" booklet with lyrics. Too sweet to be ignored.

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Neil Young, Clipse, Dam Funk, James Pants & more

BLAQ POET The Blaqprint 2xCD
*** "Rugged Queensbridge lyricism over an entire album's worth of DJ PREMIER beats, certain to be the defining moment. The bonus instrumental disc gives listeners an extra opportunity to soak in more legendary beats."

CLIPSE Til The Casket Drops CD
*** "Malice and Pusha T reunited with Pharrell Williams on Till the Casket Drops." Feat. KANYE WEST.

DAM FUNK Toeachizown 2xCD
*** "Toeachizown is a modern funk album, created in five distinct parts: LAtrik, Fly, Life, Hood, Sky, citing Juan Atkins, Prince & Dam himself as influences."

EL MICHELS AFFAIR Enter The 37th Chamber LP / CD
*** BACK IN STOCK! "As a part of the same Brooklyn funk/soul revival led by groups like the Dap Kings, Budos Band, and Menahan Street Band, El Michels Affair delivers full instrumental reinterpretations of classic tracks by the Wu-Tang Clan."

J.ROCC Taster's Choice 1 CD
J.ROCC Taster's Choice 2 CD

*** "A vintage mix of hip hop, funk, and breaks from the funky president J.Rocc of the World's Famous Beat Junkies. The art of the DJ is elevated every time he graces a set of turntables."

JAMES PANTS Seven Seals LP / CD
*** "Seven Seals was made while reading mystical books and the book of Revelations, and inspired by being in the mood to start a cult. This is the cult's soundtrack."

PEANUT BUTTER WOLF 45 Live: A Classic Rap Mix CD
*** "Peanut Butter Wolf put together this PB Wolf personally hand picked the 18 classic Hip Hop cuts and blended them together for an insane mix of rap 45’s."

NEIL YOUNG Dreamin' Man Live '92 CD
*** "The complete live performance of Harvest Moon drawn from various solo acoustic shows he performed in 1992 before the album release."

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) Nite Jewel, Michael Hurley, Andrew Bird, Pains of Being Pure at Heart & more

ANDREW BIRD Anonanimal 7"
*** "On the heels of Noble Beast, ANDREW BIRD delivers a collector’s edition 7-inch for the track “Anonanimal” featuring two alternative takes. Features the B-side cut “See the Enemy.”

BLAKROC Blakroc LP / CD
*** Wikipedia sez: "Blakroc is an upcoming rap rock collaboration album by Ohio-based blues rock band The Black Keys and several hip hop and R&B artists."

BRACKLES Rawkus 12"
*** two adventurous, Day-Glo tracks shamelessly built to drive people mad on the dancefloor. This new single recalls the eclectic nature of Brackles' DJ sets and his love of two-step garage.

BURNKANE You Know 12"
*** "Burnkane is a recent Planet Mu signing and a new artist morphing the dubstep template beyond recognition. Burnkane treats a typical pop format it until it's dubbed out into something strange and narcotic."

NEKO CASE Blacklisted LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

FALTY DL Bravery 2xLP / CD
*** "An impressive combination of melodic synths, glitzy garage samples, and complex programmed beats and effects. Plaintive synths, hiccupped vocals, big bass, jazzy chords, chicken-scratch guitar, dubbed-out vocals and sassy disco."

MICHAEL HURLEY Ida Con Snock LP / CD
*** "A new album of recordings sung and played by one of the last remaining ramblin' American folk troubadours, backed by IDA, recorded at Levon Helms' studio in Woodstock, NY. Seven originals and five loving covers of '50s rock 'n' roll, C&W, and vintage folk."

NITE JEWEL Want You Back 12"
*** "NITE JEWEL is a remarkable combination of revisionist Bronx pop and hazy musical impressionism." Deep bass, 1980s-style synth jams, warped ala ARIEL PINK.

PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART Come Saturday 7"
PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART Higher Than The Stars 7"
PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART Higher Than The Stars 12"

*** Can't stop! Won't stop!

THEM CROOKED VULTURES Them Crooked Vultures 2xLP / CD
*** NOW ON VINYL!

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

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Radian, Blakroc, Black Devil Disco Club, Sean Patrick & more

THE ALIENS Luna CD
*** "Comprised of ex-Beta Band personnel and armed with a bottomless bag of psychedelically inclined rock and acid-dipped electronics, inspired by Sergio Leone and Serge Gainsbourg, Brian Eno and Brian Wilson, Larry David and Ol' Dirty Bastard."

BLACK DEVIL DISCO CLUB Strange New World Of Bernard Fevre CD
*** "In 1975, Bernard Fevre released The Strange World of Bernard Fevre: an album so far ahead of its time that people struggle to believe it was really recorded over 30 years ago. Fevre has once again unlocked his magical cabinet and made available new mixes of the original tracks, along with previously unheard compositions."

BLAKROC Blakroc LP / CD
*** Wikipedia sez: "Blakroc is an upcoming rap rock collaboration album by Ohio-based blues rock band The Black Keys and several hip hop and R&B artists."

FALTY DL Bravery 2xLP / CD
*** "An impressive combination of melodic synths, glitzy garage samples, and complex programmed beats and effects. Plaintive synths, hiccupped vocals, big bass, jazzy chords, chicken-scratch guitar, dubbed-out vocals and sassy disco."

MICHAEL HURLEY Ida Con Snock LP / CD
*** "A new album of recordings sung and played by one of the last remaining ramblin' American folk troubadours, backed by IDA, recorded at Levon Helms' studio in Woodstock, NY. Seven originals and five loving covers of '50s rock 'n' roll, C&W, and vintage folk."

NURSE WITH WOUND Space Music CD
*** "The sounds you are hearing are NOT marmots eating your tweeters, though you are best advised to apply volume lightly at first. STEVEN STAPLETON’s astral weeks have been spent distilling sounds into sipping moonshine. Celebrate the space escapade with chilled cocktails and green friends!"

SEAN PATRICK Yellowcake CD / DELUXE ED. CD
*** "An instinctual examination of pure sound... the simplicity of the human voice... a wordless evocation of mood, relying primarily on looped bells & whistles, as if demonstrating that a certain transcendence is possible through the deceptively simple act of repetition."

RADIAN Chimeric CD
*** "Radian's first album in years is not a polished album. It is raw, broken, dark at times, and much more free. Steady, multiple rhythms, layered on top of each other disappear into chaos and turn back into discreet structures in the next moment, with rock references executed with the precision of a sequencer; mutated, restructured."

DAVE SHARP'S SECRET SEVEN 7 CD
*** Secret Seven brings Jazz, World Music and Rock together with a grooving sound for all ears. Inspired by the Meters, Galactic, Zawinul Syndicate and the music of India and Africa, Secret Seven brings jazz and world music together for the masses.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: DVD ))))) William S. Burroughs... and it's a mindbender!!

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: Vinyl ))))) Sunn0))), Faust, Nation of Ulysses, Void

BRILLIANT COLORS Introducing LP / CD
*** "Brilliant Colors' debut album is as an undeniable contender for best pop record of 2009. Ten tracks of sharp, subtly catchy indie pop that finds struck between the crunch and drive of punk and the spiky DIY melodicism of early Rough Trade and Flying Nun bands."

BROTHER ALI Us 2xLP / CD
*** NOW ON VINYL!

FAITH / VOID Split LP+MP3 / CD
*** RECOMMENDED Yeah!! Remastered & reissued on vinyl with a complete album download included. One of the best albums ever made?!? You bet!! Really tho', around these parts it's a VOID / FAITH split.

FAUST IV LP
*** BACK IN STOCK! Reissued & really fancy.

GIRLS Album LP
*** NOW ON VINYL!

NEIL LANDSTRUMM Bambaataa Eats His Breakfast 2xLP / CD
*** "Neil Landstrumm's minimal, psychedelic eight-song full-length Bambaataa Eats His Breakfast wires together dubstep and grime's modes and effects with a penchant for 8-bit melodies, bric-a-brac percussion, and a touch of rave's rude energy."

NATION OF ULYSSES Plays Pretty For Baby LP+MP3
*** RECOMMENDED Yeah!! Remastered & reissued on vinyl with a complete album download included. One of the best albums ever made?!? You bet!!

NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL In The Aeroplane Over The Sea LP+MP3
NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL On Avery Island LP+MP3

*** BACK IN STOCK! Now on 180g vinyl + full album download.

OM God Is Good LP / CD
*** "Om albums are rituals, personal convictions transcripted into verse. With careful microscopic increase, the energy grows through the four songs, leading towards moments that one could interpret…revelation? Oblivion? Awakening?"

SUNN0))) Monoliths & Dimensions 2xLP
*** NOW ON VINYL!! And dang, it's beautiful!

TERROR DANJAH Industry Standard Pt. 4 12"
*** "Industry Standard Part 4 is a big EP from one of grime's foremost talents.
Brilliant synth-funk, grime meets trance in a computer game, & dubstep."

THEMSELVES Crowns Down 2xLP / CD
*** "A careful and vicious exhibition of mastered rap tactics and sampling ethics, Themselves' third album is a return to form and a honing of what's come before (Subtle, cLOUDDEAD) -- both the opus that these two were always meant to make, and the album that their hip-hop-obsessed teenaged selves always hoped to hear."

VLADISLAV DELAY Tummaa 2xLP / CD
*** "Tummaa marks a far more organic and live-sounding shift in this acclaimed musician's work, reflecting a renewed interest in jazz and acoustic performance. The results are jaw-dropping."

WHITE RAINBOW New Clouds 2xLP / CD
*** NOW ON VINYL!

WHITE SHIT Sculpted Beef 12"
*** RECOMMENDED "White Shit is the mastermind of Andy Coronado (MONORCHID, WRANGLER BRUTES) along with Jared Warren (KARP, BIG BUSINESS, MELVINS), Cody Willis (MURDER CITY DEVILS, BIG BUSINESS, MELVINS), and TITS on bass. An absolute hardcore crossover faster than sludge piece of work."

WHY? Eskimo Snow LP
*** NOW ON VINYL!

YACHT See Mystery Lights LP
*** NOW ON VINYL!

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Tom Waits, Neon Indian, LCD Sounsystem, Warp20 & more

v/a WARP20 (Unheard) CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Unreleased treasures from the Warp Records' vaults, songs by BOARDS OF CANADA, BROADCAST, AUTECHRE, FLYING LOTUS & more."

BRILLIANT COLORS Introducing LP / CD
*** "Brilliant Colors' debut album is as an undeniable contender for best pop record of 2009. Ten tracks of sharp, subtly catchy indie pop that finds struck between the crunch and drive of punk and the spiky DIY melodicism of early Rough Trade and Flying Nun bands."

DJ/RUPTURE & MATT SHADETEK Solar Life Raft CD
*** "A rich blend of bass, beats, and space, rocked by a tropical wind out of the west, the album is an arresting testament to the fruit that grows at the margins, free from genre orthodoxy and pulsing with gentle mutant energy."

FALTY DL Bravery 2xLP / CD
*** "An impressive combination of melodic synths, glitzy garage samples, and complex programmed beats and effects. Plaintive synths, hiccupped vocals, big bass, jazzy chords, chicken-scratch guitar, dubbed-out vocals and sassy disco."

HEAVY TRASH Midnight Soul Serenade CD
*** "JON SPENCER and MATT VERTA-RAY deliver a stunning, slightly darker, barrel-fermented and brilliantly matured portrait of love and devotion gone good, gone wrong and just gone. Guitars pulsate, ooze and percolate; Spencer croons and twangs, shakes and shudders with raw power and passion."

NEIL LANDSTRUMM Bambaataa Eats His Breakfast 2xLP / CD
*** "Neil Landstrumm's minimal, psychedelic eight-song full-length Bambaataa Eats His Breakfast wires together dubstep and grime's modes and effects with a penchant for 8-bit melodies, bric-a-brac percussion, and a touch of rave's rude energy."

LARGE PROFESSOR The LP CD
*** "LARGE PROFESSOR unleashes his highly anticipated solo debut originally shelved by Geffen Records in 1995/1996."

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM 45:33 Remixes CD
*** "LCD Soundsystem's one-off Nike/iTunes collabo is lovingly & respectfully reinterpreted by some of dance music's most innovative players: Runaway, Prins Thomas, Riley Reinhold, Pilooski, and Theo Parrish."

NEON INDIAN Psychic Chasm CD
*** "Synthetic nostalgia, Dreampop lullabies, and grinding guitar noise orbiting around the themes of drug induced heartbreak, weary afternoons, and lost chances. A lush soundtrack to the deadbeat exploits of teenage ennui." 8.6 on Pitchfork.

OM God Is Good LP / CD
*** "Om albums are rituals, personal convictions transcripted into verse. With careful microscopic increase, the energy grows through the four songs, leading towards moments that one could interpret…revelation? Oblivion? Awakening?"

SHRINEBUILDER Shrinebuilder CD
*** "The first chapter in what promises to be an epic narrative. Shrinebuilder is the Justice League of underground heaviness: WINO of Saint Vitus & The Obsessed; AL CISNEROS of Om & Sleep; DALE CROVER of Melvins; SCOTT KELLY of Neurosis on guitar. And all four of them on vocals."

THEMSELVES Crowns Down 2xLP / CD
*** "A careful and vicious exhibition of mastered rap tactics and sampling ethics, Themselves' third album is a return to form and a honing of what's come before (Subtle, cLOUDDEAD) -- both the opus that these two were always meant to make, and the album that their hip-hop-obsessed teenaged selves always hoped to hear."

VLADISLAV DELAY Tummaa 2xLP / CD
*** "Tummaa marks a far more organic and live-sounding shift in this acclaimed musician's work, reflecting a renewed interest in jazz and acoustic performance. The results are jaw-dropping."

TOM WAITS Glitter & Doom Live 2xCD
*** "The best live show of 2008 distilled into 17 performances hand-picked by Waits. While Waits does dig into the vaults, G&D leans heavily on songs from his ANTI releases. Glitter and Doom Live will reside in the Waits catalog alongside earlier live albums like Nighthawks at the Diner and Big Time, both discs held on par with his classic studio releases by fans."

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

((( EVENTS ))) Markus Guentner, Ann Arbor Soul Club, Yo La Tengo

MARKUS GUENTNER + NOSPECTACE + FOREST JUZIUK - Friday, Nov. 20 @ SAVA'S
*** A rare U.S. appearance by MARKUS GUENTNER (Kompakt), supported by Detroit's NOSPECTACLE and FOREST JUZIUK (Dark Matter). An evening of "kosmiche disco" -- cosmic space vibrations of cosmic jazz, krautrock, dub, shoegaze & more at Sava's following Collapsing Borders - Einstürzende Grenze at University of Michigan's Duderstadt Center. For more info, consult:
http://bit.ly/Ro5NQ
Sava's / 216 S. State, A2 / 9PM / $5

ANN ARBOR SOUL CLUB - Friday, Dec. 3 @ BLIND PIG
*** 3 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 a super-fine selection of the rare & beautiful.
Blind Pig / 208 S. First, A2 / 9:30PM / $5

YO LA TENGO - Friday, Jan. 22 @ CROFOOT

*** "Yo La Tengo returns to Michigan supporting their 12th (or 14th, depending on what and how you count) album. An AWESOME live show, to be sure, methinks the top notch sound system at Crofoot will make it all worth it.
http://www.thecrofoot.com/events/879.html
Magic Stick / 1 South Saginaw, Pontiac, MI / Doors at 7:30PM / $17 (no fees!)

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) Wolf Eyes, Trunk Records, Kompakt, Annie & more

v/a KOMPAKT TOTAL 10 3xLP / 2xCD
*** The Kompakt label's most-anticipated compilation release of the year reaches the double-digits with number 10. This diverse collection of solid-gold hit favorites is still standing and stronger than ever, coinciding with the Kompakt Total event.

v/a TUMBELE: Biguine, Afro & Latin Sounds From The French Caribbean, 1963-74 2xLP
*** "The scattering drums and soaring clarinets of the biguine ruled the airwaves and dancefloors of Martinique and Guadeloupe in the 1960s. This album showcases the vibrancy of the scene on the islands in the '60s and '70s -- a scene that would go on to develop the all-conquering sound of zouk in the '80s."

ANNIE Don't Stop LP / CD
*** "Both immediately listenable and utterly beguiling, this 'pop with strange edges' is mainstream and underground, all at once. Sometimes expressive, sometimes funny, but always totally fresh and utterly human, it's a twelve-course feast for the modern musical connoisseur -- a frenzied, but undeniably solid proposition, an effortless and organic blend with Annie center stage."

JIMMY EDGAR Funktion Of Your Love 12"
*** "Sweet chord stabs and laid-back laser sweep, dark acid tones, dirty vocals posturing over a sparse, razor-sharp 808 groove." Remixes by Edgar and SETH TROXLER.

TLAHOUN GESSESSE Ethiopian Urban Modern Music Vol. 4 LP
*** "Although he is still completely unknown to Western audiences, for Ethiopians, Tlahoun Gèssèssè is THE VOICE. The first-ever pan-Ethiopian star, he has embodied such nonstop unanimity since the end of the 1950s that is a role-model and a point of reference."

MISSISSIPPI FRED MCDOWELL Fred McDowell LP
*** "Reissue of the Arhoolie LP originally titled Fred McDowell - Volume 2. A beautiful set by the Mississippi blues legend. One of Fred's best. Intense Delta blues."

SIGUR ROS Gobbledigook 12"
*** "The spectacular opener on Sigur Rós' Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust remixed by fellow Icelanders Stephen Stephenson aka President Bongo (Gus Gus) and Jack Schidt, transforming the complex, polyrhythmic original into an exceptionally ethereal club track. Add'l remix by Thomas Fehlmann."

EDWARD WILLIAMS Life On Earth: Music From The 1979 BBC TV Series LP / CD
*** "This is the first-ever release of the beautiful music composed for the groundbreaking natural history program Life On Earth. The magical, twinkling ambient sounds of science, nature and music for jellyfish -- soundtrack music, hinting at classical & library music, touching on the avant-garde, with a strong ambient feel and an unusual timeless quality."

WOLF EYES Always Wrong LP
*** NOW ON VINYL! "Coming forth from the piles of tape loops and effects, the bulk of tables reeling with electronics have been shed. This clarity never sacrifices intensity as paradoxically this is the most organic of the full lengths but also the harshest and most dissonant."

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) New releases from Trunk Records, Sublime Frequencies, kompakt & more

v/a KOMPAKT TOTAL 10 3xLP / 2xCD
*** The Kompakt label's most-anticipated compilation release of the year reaches the double-digits with number 10. This diverse collection of solid-gold hit favorites is still standing and stronger than ever, coinciding with the Kompakt Total event.

v/a PANAMA! 3: Calypso Panameño, Guajira Jazz & Cumbia Típica On The Isthmus 1960-75 2xLP / CD
*** "From bilingual calypsos to guajira jazz, from tropical guarachas to cumbia tamboreras, this collection presents more of the golden age of Panamanian music and the music of the combos nacionales on rare recordings that have never been released outside the isthmus until now."

v/a SINGAPORE A-GO-GO CD
*** RECOMMENDED "22 supercharged Singaporean '60s beat, pop and "off-beat cha-cha" classics compiled from original vinyl 45s. The vocals are sung in the dialects of Mandarin and Hokkien and they soar, with catchy hooks atop groovy, clever beats. There's plenty of electric guitar, organ and crazy percussion rocking and twisting behind it all, at times reaching quite a mad and freaky state of affairs." On SUBLIME FREQUENCIES.

ANNIE Don't Stop LP / CD
*** "Both immediately listenable and utterly beguiling, this 'pop with strange edges' is mainstream and underground, all at once. Sometimes expressive, sometimes funny, but always totally fresh and utterly human, it's a twelve-course feast for the modern musical connoisseur -- a frenzied, but undeniably solid proposition, an effortless and organic blend with Annie center stage."

BEAK Recordings 05/01/09 > 17/01/09 CD
*** "2009 debut album by PORTISHEAD producer and multi-instrumentalist Geoff Barrow. The band wrote their entire album over the course of one 12-day session." This is supposed to be CAN-like. Also, good.

DAVID BOWIE Space Oddity: 40th Anniversary Ed. 2xCD
*** "Special 40th Anniversary two CD edition of David Bowie's classic 1969 album released in a digipak with an extensive booklet featuring rare photographs, memorabilia, and sleeve notes."

RAY DAVIES The Kinks Choral Collection CD
*** "Often referred to as 'almost indisputably rock's most literate, witty and insightful songwriter,' Davies had the ambitious idea to collaborate with the 65-strong Crouch End Festival Chorus to create The Kinks Choral Collection.

EDAN Echo Party CD
*** "From the detail-obsessed mind of EDAN comes an astounding pastiche of dance, rapp, and funk that utilizes everything from turntables to tape echo, glockenspiel, to guitar, moog to kazoo."

FELT A Tribute To Rosie Perez CD
*** "Slug (Atmosphere) and Murs (Living Legends) reunite for their third release from moniker FELT. With the fresh addition of Aesop Rock (Def Jux) on production and unwavering love for those forgotten actresses who warmed their hearts."

GROUP DOUEH Treeg Salaam CD
*** "Group Doueh's new album blows hot and dusty from the infernal sand-swept dunes of the Western Sahara. Five tracks of brain-shifting, ecstatic brilliance. Salmou Baamar's (Doueh) guitar/tinidit runs explode in cosmic shrapnel, raining down on the temporal nodes of the listener's brain."

GROUP INERANE Guitars From Agadez (Music Of Niger) CD
*** BACK IN STOCK! "Group Inerane is the now sound of the Tuareg Guitar Revolution -- rebel musicians of the Sahara. These ten tracks are a combination of amplified roots rock, blues, and folk in the local Tuareg styles, at times entering into full-on electric guitar psychedelia."

NORAH JONES The Fall CD
*** "Norah has taken a new direction, experimenting with different sounds and a new set of collaborators, including Ryan Adams and Okkervil River's Will Sheff, as well as her frequent partners Jesse Harris & Richard Julian."

KID SISTER Ultraviolet CD
*** "Kid Sister, a highly anticipated new artist known for her genre defining Electro Club Rap, has a unique mixture of adorable feminism combined with edgy Chicago swagger supported by witty lyrics and unique beats."

JOHN MAYER Battle Studies CD
*** Perhaps you're heard of him!

SHACKLETON Three EPs CD
*** "Shackleton's maverick take on snaking, tribal percussion; hypnotic melodies against electronic screeeeeee; seriously deep bass-y low-end backing ring modulators and dubwise sensibilities doesn't fit into any easy categories. Three EPs is a milestone already."

SUPERSILENT 9 CD
*** "After the departure of drummer Jarle Vespestad, the remaining three members recorded two sessions with only Hammond organs. It's debatable whether anyone would figure out the instrumentation without prior knowledge. It's also fair to say that 9 as a whole goes a long way towards being the most avant-garde and otherworldly recording the band has done so far."

JONNY TRUNK Scrapbook LP / CD
*** "Second album from UK-based Trunk Records label-head, Jonny Trunk -- a curious, entertaining and quite bewildering mix of samples, piano, men with no throats, lesbians and a Japanese choir. It's kind of jazzy, hip-hoppy, filmic, and borders on novelty once in a while."

EDWARD WILLIAMS Life On Earth: Music From The 1979 BBC TV Series LP / CD
*** "This is the first-ever release of the beautiful music composed for the groundbreaking natural history program Life On Earth. The magical, twinkling ambient sounds of science, nature and music for jellyfish -- soundtrack music, hinting at classical & library music, touching on the avant-garde, with a strong ambient feel and an unusual timeless quality."

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

((( EVENTS ))) Markus Guentner (Kompakt) + nospectacle + Forest Juziuk (Dark Matter)

SONIC SUBLIMINAL - Friday, Nov. 20 @ SAVA'S
*** A rare U.S. appearance by MARKUS GUENTNER (Kompakt), supported by Detroit's NOSPECTACLE and FOREST JUZIUK (Dark Matter). An evening of "kosmiche disco" -- cosmic space vibrations of cosmic jazz, krautrock, dub, shoegaze & more at Sava's following Collapsing Borders - Einstürzende Grenze at University of Michigan's Duderstadt Center. For more info, consult:
http://bit.ly/nov20dude
Sava's / 216 S. State, A2 / 9PM / $5

(( TICKET GIVEAWAY )) The Big Pink!

THE BIG PINK * CRYSTAL ANTLERS * JAVELINS - Saturday, Nov. 28 @ MAGIC STICK
*** "This London duo use gritty beats, droning guitars, abstract effects and dreamy vocals to create a soundscape that is arty yet tuneful. They have previously supported TV On The Radio, Crystal Castles and Klaxons." Shoot us an e-mail (wazoorecords at hotmail dot com) with "MUSIC FROM THE BIG PINK" in the subject line and you're in! For more info, consult:
http://www.myspace.com/musicfromthebigpink
http://www.majesticdetroit.com
Magic Stick / 4140 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI / 8PM / email!

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) Light: On The South Side, King Khan & BBQ Show, Fuck Buttons & more

v/a LIGHT: On The South Side BOOK+2xLP
*** RECOMMENDED "Light: On The South Side gathers for the first time over 100 of Michael Abramson's photos taken on Chicago's south side in the late 70s. The 132-page hard back book features photos, an ephemera section, and an essay by Nick Hornby. Housed in a gorgeous slipcase with the 12X12 book is Pepper's Jukebox, a seventeen track compilation of the kind of funky Chicago blues heard from the stage and the Wurlitizer." Unreal packaging & we've got cheaper than anywhere else in town or online. For more info, consult: http://bit.ly/4Rthp

THE DOORS The Doors LP
THE DOORS Waiting For The Sun LP

*** BACK IN STOCK!

FUCK BUTTONS Tarot Sport LP
*** NOW ON VINYL!

THE KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW Invisible Girl LP / CD
*** "Doo-Wop-laced, anthemic Garage Rock, exhibiting the duo's effortless fluency in Rock 'n' Roll's tenets and traditions, but as Mark Sultan (otherwise known as BBQ) notes, it also includes a song so vile that it cannot even be mentioned."

KINGS OF CONVENIENCE Declaration Of Dependence LP / CD
*** NOW ON VINYL!

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Doom, King Khan & BBQ Show, King Crimson & more

TORI AMOS Midwinter Graces CD+DVD
*** "Midwinter Graces will find Tori reworking and expanding on classic carols as well as developing some of her very own seasonal tracks."

BLACK UHURU Black Sounds Of Freedom 2xCD
*** "Deluxe edition remastered Greensleeves classic PLUS the original 'Love Crisis' album AND Prince Jammy dub compilation

JULIAN CASABLANCAS Phrazes For The Young CD
*** Frontman of THE STROKES pens an album on the "arrogance and shortsightedness'' of humans -- a veritable modern day Oscar Wilde! Thanks for the scoop, Julian.

DEVO Q: Are We Not Men? CD
*** Remastered with bonus tracks! Essential! Produced by ENO.

DOOM Unexpected Guests CD
*** "Legendary hip-hop artist MF DOOM digs into his vast archives to mix together some of his all-time favorite productions, collaborations, guest appearances and rare tracks that have never been available before."

GIFT OF GAB Escape 2 Mars CD
*** "The Gift of Gab's second fully realized solo record including Brother Ali and Del The Funky Homosapien, and the record contains another progressive step in groundbreaking lyrical and structural delivery."

THE KILLERS Live From The Royal Albert Hall CD+DVD
*** "Now The Killers know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall." What does it mean!?! Buy this cd/dvd package & find out!!

KING CRIMSON In The Court Of The Crimson King CD+DVD
*** "40th Anniversary version with 5.1 surround sound mix, a new stereo mix, five previously unreleased tracks, and a DVD featuring both new mixes in high res stereo."

THE KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW Invisible Girl LP / CD
*** "Doo-Wop-laced, anthemic Garage Rock, exhibiting the duo's effortless fluency in Rock 'n' Roll's tenets and traditions, but as Mark Sultan (otherwise known as BBQ) notes, it also includes a song so vile that it cannot even be mentioned."

MELT-BANANA Lite Live Ver. 0.0 CD
*** This ain't your usual Melt-Banana!! Melt-Banana Lite has drums and vocals, but no guitars! Instead, the six string things have been replaced by samplers and synths!"

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

((( EVENTS ))) Ann Arbor Soul Club, Eraserhead, Numero Group Eccentric Soul Revue!!

ANN ARBOR SOUL CLUB - Friday, Nov. 6 @ 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. Always, always a good time.
Blind Pig / 208 S. First, A2 / 9:30PM / $5

* Ann Arbor Soul Club on Facebook - www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-Arbor-Soul-Club/59084941493
* Ann Arbor Soul Club on MySpace - www.myspace.com/a2soulclub

ERASERHEAD - Saturday, Nov. 7 @ STATE THEATRE
*** HOTT LAVA is proud to present the return of the quintessential midnight movie -- ERASERHEAD!! Playing in Ann Arbor for the first time in years, David Lynch's epic first film is still unmatched in surrealist mindmelt.
State Theatre / 233 S. State, A2 / midnight / $6

* More info on Eraserhead & HOTT LAVA - www.hottlava.net

NUMERO GROUP ECCENTRIC SOUL REVUE - Sunday, Nov. 8 @ CROFOOT
*** A classic R&B cavalcade, Numero's Eccentric Soul Review hits the Crofoot Ballroom on Sunday, November 8th, with the totally explosive Syl Johnson, the silky smooth Notations, and the man with the voice like Domino sugar, Renaldo Domino, plus special guests Bobby Cook and Velma Perkins, a slide show, and an autograph line. JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound back all the acts.
Crofoot Ballroom / 1 S Saginaw St, Pontiac / 7PM / $20

* TICKETS AVAILABLE at WAZOO RECORDS! $20 + a chance to win a GIANT silkscreened poster!
* Crofoot info - www.thecrofoot.com/events/817.html

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) Sufjan, OOIOO, Michael Hurley, Lucky Dragons & more

DAVID DANIELL & DOUGLAS MCCOMBS Sycamore LP+MP3 / CD
*** "The first album from David Daniell (SAN AGUSTIN, RHYS CHATHAM) and Douglas McCombs (TORTOISE, BROKEBACK) is a delicate tapestry of spacious and ethereal guitar lines woven into abstract, slow-burning, richly faceted and thickly psychedelic passages."

FACTUMS Flowers LP
*** "Flowers is dark and disturbing, bleak and ominous, spread over 22 tracks that fluctuate from sound collage and soundtrack-esque moments with more structure songwriting and flashes of the abrasive electropunk that has garnered well deserved comparisons to Chrome, Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle, and much of the early Wax Trax catalog."

HEALTH Get Color LP / CD
*** NOW ON VINYL!

MICHAEL HURLEY Parsnip Snips LP
*** "Culled from MICHAEL HURLEY’s unreleased output between his First Songs LP from 1964 and Armchair Boogie in 1972. All tracks feature just Michael and guitar. Absolutely beautiful folk music and, in the label’s opinion, one of the greatest singer/songwriters of all time."

LUCKY DRAGONS Open Power LP+MP3
*** RECOMMENDED On white vinyl, with poster. "Ecstatic magic music that completely transcends genres. Challenging stereotypes that electronic music is cold and sterile, Lucky Dragons' live show is a truly great celebration of the human spirit."

OOIOO Armonico Hewa LP+MP3 / CD
*** "Armonico Hewa is mind-melting tribal psychedelia, oddly spiritual and alarmingly urgent. OOIOO is an all-female outfit headed by Yoshimi, a founding member of Japanese experimental psych innovators Boredoms."

PONTIAK Sea Voids LP+MP3
*** "They spent many long nights, amps blazing into the summer darkness, drums echoing off the surrounding hills. They tuned the bass and the guitar down to B, cranked their amps and let the air open up." Limited to 1000!

SUFJAN STEVENS Seven Swans LP+7"
*** BACK IN STOCK! Plus 7".

THREE MILE PILOT Planets / Grey Clouds 7"
*** "An unusually upbeat and infectious slice of weird pop perfection plus a darker, sprawling gem recalling the band's earlier days."

JASON URICK Husbands LP+MP3
*** "Those well-versed in the Baltimore or experimental electronic music scenes might be familiar with his band WZT HEARTS. Husbands finds Urick at a crossroads where his ideas are becoming more fully realized, and while still experimental in nature, the songs are envisioned as an honest attempt at 'pop'. Ghosted, fragmented melodies, distorted tones and so forth."

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Mulatu, Nirvana, OOIOO, Silk Flowers & more

ost YO GABBA GABBA! Music Is Awesome CD
*** "Hit songs from the hit show!" Feat. THE SHINS, BIZ MARKIE, CHROMEO, THE ROOTS, OF MONTREAL and more.\

MULATU ASTATKE New York - Addis - London CD
*** "Vibraphone & keyboard player, master arranger & bandleader, Mulatu Astatke is one of the all-time greats of Ethiopian music and the creator of his own original music form, Ethio jazz. This is the definitive Mulatu career retrospective covering his landmark 60s and 70s recordings."

BARONESS Blue Record CD
*** "Blue Record is an instant classic: gossamer melodies and striking, earnest riffs that have become the band's signature -- the most poignant moment in the BARONESS canon to date."

DAVID DANIELL & DOUGLAS MCCOMBS Sycamore LP+MP3 / CD
*** "The first album from David Daniell (SAN AGUSTIN, RHYS CHATHAM) and Douglas McCombs (TORTOISE, BROKEBACK) is a delicate tapestry of spacious and ethereal guitar lines woven into abstract, slow-burning, richly faceted and thickly psychedelic passages."

EL PERRO DEL MAR Love Is Not Pop CD
*** "El Perro Del Mar's third album is darker and the soundscape mysteriously groovy, recorded with Rasmus Hagg, one-half of the Swedish duo STUDIO."

ELECTRIC SIX Kill CD
*** "Electric Six wants big loud guitars and fuzz basses intertwined with the occasional r&b jam. They can go back to the skull-crushing guitars and disco grooves, but they will be cooked in an avant-garde reduction sauce."

KINGS OF CONVENIENCE Declaration Of Dependence CD
*** "The most adult, most mature, most gripping, most revealing album by The Whitest Boy Alive and his pal!"

LYLE LOVETT Natural Forces CD
*** "Lyle's unwavering songwriting alongside amazing songs from such Texas writers as Eric Taylor, Don Sanders,Tommy Elskes, David Ball, Vince Bell, Robert Earl Keen, and the legendary Townes Van Zandt."

MAHER SHALAL HASH BAZ C'est La Derniere 2xCD
*** "Tori Kudo, conductor and band leader, fuses stray elements of pop, folk, jazz, and experimental music into pieces of candid musical gestures -- 177 of 'em on this release -- at turns serene, dissonant, enchanting, crisp, spacious, and maddeningly catchy."

MOLINA & JOHNSON Molina & Johnson CD
*** "Two kindred songwriters cross paths unexpectedly one winter, gather a few friends, and commit the moment to tape."

NIRVANA Bleach: Deluxe Edition CD
*** "20th Anniversary! Nirvana's debut album remastered from the original tapes plus a never-before-release complete live performance from 2/9/90 & a 52-page booklet featuring many unseen photos."

NIRVANA Live At Reading CD
*** "For the first time! Experience the legendary concert - 24 tracks recorded August 30, 1992."

OOIOO Armonico Hewa LP+MP3 / CD
*** "Armonico Hewa is mind-melting tribal psychedelia, oddly spiritual and alarmingly urgent. OOIOO is an all-female outfit headed by Yoshimi, a founding member of Japanese experimental psych innovators Boredoms."

ROYCE DA 5'9" Street Hop CD
*** "Royce returns with Street Hop, his full-length rescue mission to show MCs how it is supposed to be done, executive produced by DJ PREMIER."

RUSSIAN CIRCLES Geneva CD
*** "Geneva is a linear, ruthlessly gorgeous album. There's barely a breath between tracks, but there's a rhyme and reason to its every nuance; no tangent is allowed to branch off without careful analysis of where it may lead...."

SILK FLOWERS Silk Flowers CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Silk Flowers play a percolating grid of swelling, anthemic keyboards, analog-heaven tap echo, crackling, sometimes dub-like rhythms, and carefully counterbalanced vocals that sounds like it was pressed from a worn out cassette."

WEEZER Raditude CD
*** Perhaps you've heard of them!

WHITE DENIM Fits 2xCD
*** Somebody on Amazon said, "White Denim does us all a favor and brings back RAWK and roll music."

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) Of Monteal reissues, Tortoise, Thank You & more

MOUNTAINS Etching LP
*** "Recorded in real time with no overdubs, the music on Etching parallels the live set the band performed on recent tours. To translate the recording to the vinyl format the band re-sequenced the recordings to fit more appropriately on the LP."

OF MONTREAL Coquelicot Asleep In The Poppies 2xLP+MP3
OF MONTREAL The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy LP+MP3
OF MONTREAL Aldhils Arboretum LP+MP3

*** NOW ON VINYL! Repressed & fancy! Includes a download card for the entire album.

THE STOOGES The Stooges LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

THANK YOU Pathetic Magic 12"
*** RECOMMENDED "After a year of touring, Thank You return with an EP featuring two new tracks & three remixes from DAN DEACON, Asa Osborne (LUNGFISH), and JOE WILLIAMS and JASON URICK (WZT HEARTS).”

TORTOISE Beacons Remixes 12"
*** Remixes by EYE of BOREDOMS and MARK ERNESTUS.

YEAH YEAH YEAHS It's Blitz LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Broadcast, Avett Bros, Richard Hawley, Devendra & more

AVETT BROTHERS Mignonette CD
AVETT BROTHERS Emotionalism CD
AVETT BROTHERS The Gleam CD
AVETT BROTHERS The Gleam II CD

*** BACK IN STOCK! And ain't they great.

DEVENDRA BANHART What Will We Be CD
*** "What Will We Be has a sunny, breezy feel, evoking warm, lazy afternoons spent with good friends. The album is dominated by powerfully melodic, mid-tempo numbers played with relaxed expertise and an ambitious stylistic range."

BROADCAST & THE FOCUS GROUP Investigate Witchcults of The Radio Age CD
*** RECOMMENDED "BROADCAST and graphic artist JULIAN HOUSE (aka THE FOCUS GROUP) present a psychedelic album pulling in a unique sense of melody and love of library music, film scores, electronics and psych-pop colour."

JERRY GARCIA & HOWARD WALES Hooteroll? CD
*** "On his first album release outside the Dead, Garcia seldom takes center stage, instead seasoning a diverse collection of instrumentals with spare, tasty trademark fills and some propulsive funk- and R&B-inspired rhythm work."

RICHARD HAWLEY Truelove's Gutter CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Thematically his darkest work to date, Truelove's Gutter explores the idea of people or things that are broken in some way. The album's lush production provides a haunting backdrop to Hawley's unique voice and guitar work."

JAMES HUSBAND A Parallax I 2xCD
*** "Debut solo album from OF MONTREAL multi-instrumentalist Jamey Huggins. Deluxe CD includes 6-song covers disc & 16-song Polyvinyl digital sampler."

JESU Opiate Sun CD
*** "New, heavy & melodious EP from Justin Broadrick of NAPALM DEATH and GODFLESH."

JACK JOHNSON En Concert CD
*** "A live album featuring some of Jack's biggest songs."

PELICAN What We All Come To Need CD
*** "This is Pelican at their most inspired and sonically adept, straddling the fine line between adherence to roots and the mining of the unexplored, as punishing as it is calming. 50 minutes of weighty riffs and textured progressions in momentous succession."

THE SWELL SEASON Strict Joy CD
*** "The Swell Season is Oscar-winning duo Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglove - the follow'up to their ONCE film & soundtrack."

HENRY THREADGILL ZOOID This Bring Us To Volume 1 CD
*** "Threadgill first release since 2001, he has spent those eight years creating and perfecting a new system of improvisation in a group setting based on a series of interval blocks comprised of three notes, improvising melodies and creating counterpoint to one another."

THE TWILIGHT SAD Forget The Night Ahead CD
*** "The Twilight Sad's much-anticipated follow-up is a dark and tumultuous listen, retaining the guitar-washed drama of their previous effort, with an added complexity both sonic and thematic."

WOLF MOTHER Cosmic Egg CD
*** "Wolfmother is back with Cosmic Egg, delivering their aggressive and classic sound laced with crunching guitars, muscular rhythms and soaring vocals. Cosmic Egg is bound to take fans into another sonic dimension."

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) Sufjan, Butthole Surfers, Boredoms, Mi Ami & Antony

ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS Aeon 7"
*** The b-side is "Crazy In Love" and everybody's crazy about it!

BOREDOMS Super Roots 10 2xLP+POSTER
*** "One looong Boredoms track -- that combination of amazing technical skills and limitless imagination -- plus three remixes from LINDSTROM, ALTZ, and DJ FINGER HAT." Includes poster.

BUTTHOLE SURFERS Live Pcppep 12"
*** "Finally back in print! This is where it all began for the Butthole Surfers. Their second release on vintage thick wax; still as crazed and lysergic as ever!"

MI AMI Towers Fall 12"
*** "Using Shackleton's now-seminal 'Blood On My Hands' as a source/jumping-off point, Mi Ami take a lateral step away from the visceral punch of their live show, marrying slowly unfolding polyrhythmic grooves and washes of oceanic bass to a long-form synth-and-drum machines workout."

SUFJAN STEVENS The BQE LP+COMIC+BOOK / CD+DVD+COMIC+BOOK
*** "The BQE is a cinematic suite inspired by the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway commissioned by Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). The BQE is available as a double-disc format (CD/DVD), which includes the original 16mm/8mm film (widescreen), the original motion picture soundtrack, a 40-page booklet (with extensive liner notes and photographs), and the stereoscopic image reel (playable in all View-Master® viewers)."

SUFJAN STEVENS & OSSO Run Rabbit Run LP / CD
*** "Sufjan re-arranged the entirety of his 2001 album Enjoy Your Rabbit for OSSO, a string quartet that had previously contributed strings to Sufjan’s Illinois."

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Sufjan, Antony, Lightning Bolt, Slits, White Rainbow, Yusef Lateef & more!

ATLAS SOUND Logos LP / CD
*** "The prolific Bradford Cox delivers yet again -- 11 delectable pop delights served up to tantalize and tickle your taste buds. This is the second solo album from the frontman of DEERHUNTER."

LESTER BOWIE All The Numbers 2xCD
*** "These first recordings under Lester Bowie's name were made in 1967 with his compatriots from the Roscoe Mitchell Art Ensemble -- the first documentation of the quartet soon recognized as the Art Ensemble of Chicago."

BETTY DAVIS Nasty Gal CD
*** "Betty Davis' unapologetically uncompromising, self-referential 1975 album Nasty Gal is Hendrix and Sly Stone inspired funk-rock at its finest. From the title track's mutant groove and grunt to her onetime husband and jazz legend Miles Davis co-written ballad ('You and I'), this lady will tear your heart out!"

DO MAKE SAY THINK Other Truths CD
*** RECOMMENDED "More than ever, Do Make Say Think are creating wonderful multi-movement instrumental works (with the occasional mantric or wordless vocal passage, courtesy The Akron Family and Lullabye Arkestra), overflowing with attention to tone and timbre, animated by unfussy yet ornate harmony, melody and polyrhythm, shot through with ineffable soul."

JAY FARRAR & BENJAMIN GIBBARD One Fast Move Or I'm Gone CD
*** "Music from Kerouac's Big Sur. Includes 12 original songs."

FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS I Told You I Was Freaky CD
*** I Told You I Was Freaky is, among a great many other things, a genre-tripping tour de force and includes songs from the second series of their popular and award-winning/nominated HBO TV show.

FUCK BUTTONS Tarot Sport CD
*** "Tarot Sport is one of unbound possibility and lucid cohesion; a cerebral pilgrimage that refines, crafts, explores and develops the experimental aesthetic of last year's critically acclaimed debut, Street Horrrsing."

YUSEF LATEEF At Cranbrook And Elsewhere CD
*** RECOMMENDED "At Cranbrook is Lateef's rarest album (never before on CD!), augmented by brilliantly adventurous repertoire from sessions recorded in 1957. These selections are those that founded his reputation as a pioneer for World Music, the unusual timbres and colors of which would have come as a huge shock to the listener back in the '50s."

LIGHTNING BOLT Earthly Delights CD
*** "Taking the lessons of extreme metal, blood-brother marrying them to expansive & explosive song form, using electric stimulus to shock smile technology to worldwide domes. This is what 2000 years of evolution & the invention of electric instrumentation introduced into the tank of hook force can do to you."

NOUVELLE VAGUE 3 CD
*** "Nouvelle Vague's third and strongest album from the French band that conquered the world with Bossa Nova covers of Punk and New Wave classics. This time around, the songs are inspired by American Country music and Bluegrass."

THE SLITS Trapped Animal CD
*** "The first full-length release from The Slits in over 25 years!! With Trapped Animal, The Slits remain the same genre bending band they were in their inception, still standing out from the rest of the pack."

SUFJAN STEVENS The BQE LP+COMIC+BOOK / CD+DVD+COMIC+BOOK
*** "The BQE is a cinematic suite inspired by the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway commissioned by Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). The BQE is available as a double-disc format (CD/DVD), which includes the original 16mm/8mm film (widescreen), the original motion picture soundtrack, a 40-page booklet (with extensive liner notes and photographs), and the stereoscopic image reel (playable in all View-Master® viewers)."

SUFJAN STEVENS & OSSO Run Rabbit Run LP / CD
*** "Sufjan re-arranged the entirety of his 2001 album Enjoy Your Rabbit for OSSO, a string quartet that had previously contributed strings to Sufjan’s Illinois."

WHITE RAINBOW New Clouds CD
*** "New Clouds is a dense, lengthy exploration of the relationship between hypnotic, circular, fourth-world drum rhythms, acid-boogie guitar, and drifting sheets of fuzzy psychedelic drone. Slowly melting fluorescent sunsets morph into drapes of psychedelic fog, rumbling over cacophonous rhythms."

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) Blues Control, Califone, Tortoise & Volcano Choir

BIBIO Handcranked LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

BLUES CONTROL Blues Control LP / CD
*** "Blues Control might just be the missing link between Van Halen and legendary experimentalist Henry Flynt. It’s a hazy, spaced world that exists between fuzzed distortion, jabbering electronics, and a lazy, stay-in-bed psychedelic glaze, with rhythmic keyboards pulsating below. Oh yeah, I gotta mention the humid bikini-vibe that permeates the entire album."

BLUES CONTROL Local Flavor LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

CALIFONE All My Friends Are Funeral Singers LP+MP3
*** NOW ON VINYL! Includes an entire LP side of EXTRA MUSIC plus download.

TORTOISE Beacons Of Ancestorship 2xLP+MP3
*** REPRESSED! Includes download of album.

VOLCANO CHOIR Unmap LP+MP3
*** NOW ON VINYL! Includes download of album.

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Blues Control, Bob Dylan, F'Lips, Mountains, PUTS & more

BLUES CONTROL Puff LP / CD
*** "Blues Control via a postmodern portal; gorgeous sheens of rust that fissure throughout, harmonicas smoke in the distance, guitars splatter, keyboards ooze white hot neo psychedelic lava. Blues Control seem beget from the prominent clang & snarl of Dead C, who was beget by This Heat, who was beget by Faust."

BLUES CONTROL Blues Control LP / CD
*** "Blues Control might just be the missing link between Van Halen and legendary experimentalist Henry Flynt. It’s a hazy, spaced world that exists between fuzzed distortion, jabbering electronics, and a lazy, stay-in-bed psychedelic glaze, with rhythmic keyboards pulsating below. Oh yeah, I gotta mention the humid bikini-vibe that permeates the entire album."

BOB DYLAN Christmas In The Heart CD
*** "The first Christmas album from the legendaryFolk/Rock singer/songwriter -- Dylan's 47th album!"

THE FLAMING LIPS Embryonic CD
THE FLAMING LIPS Embryonic 2xCD+DVD
*** New! Apparently it's a return to form -- no B.S.!

LIGHTNING DUST Infinite Light CD
*** "Amber Webber and Joshua Wells (both of Black Mountain) call upon the powers of classic pop arrangements to deliver a cosmic record, reminding us of the glory days of musical theatre, with touches of Hair, Rocky Horror Picture Show and Tommy."

MOUNTAINS Mountains CD
*** "Four lengthy pieces composed around acoustic instrumentation, field recordings, subtle electronics and live sampling to create an epic suite of sychedelia, Americana and classical minimalism."

MOUNTAINS Sewn CD
*** "Eight tracks that combine live instrumentation (guitar, piano, accordion, harmonica etc..), binaural field recordings and resonant electronic processing to create a beautiful combination of clean crisp texture and warm pulsating harmony."

MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO Devil's Halo CD
*** "The highly anticipated new album from the 10 time Grammy Award nominee."

PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS Carried Away CD
*** "Upbeat, crazy, balls to the wall and ridiculous, Carried Away was recorded entirely on reel to reel with tons of Rock samples, distorted vocals, lots of cussing, drum machines, delays, yelling, the works."

THE VERY BEST Warm Heart Of Africa CD
*** "European production duo Radioclit and Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya concoct new global pop that lands somewhere between a Michael Jackson break-beat and a dancier version of Paul Simon's Graceland."

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

((( EVENTS ))) Blues Control + Tyvek + Mean Mugger



A show on Sunday night?? Yeah, but it's going to be a doozy, my friend. If this show was a vinyl record, you'd play it into unplayability. If it was a CD, it would melt in your discman. If it was an iPod, well, fuck iPods!!! Three killer performances seemingly from the center of the earth, ready & able to melt your mind & your face, here's the spiel...


BLUES CONTROL -
With albums on Holy Mountain, Fusetron & Siltbreeze, their underground pedigree cannot be touched. Their music has been described as "beauteous extrapolations into the miasmic core of psychedelia and billowing fog of ambient space" but hey, there's a little boogie rock in their these days too. Unlike anything else, you just have to taste this.
http://www.myspace.com/bluescontrol

TYVEK -
Do you know Tyvek? Come now -- you KNOW Tyvek. Ramshackle brilliance, threatening to fall apart at any moment but just about the most solid thing on earth too. It's like punk, but it's not -- it's TYVEK. Strange, I know.
http://www.myspace.com/tyvekmusic

MEAN MUGGER -
This guy did/does serious time in Detroit's YOUU., which is/was one of the most exciting things to play behind BMX stunt footage. It was all bottles of wine littering the stage as they did their dark-jams-in-muddy-mudwater jams. But this isn't YOUU., and it isn't me; it's MEAN MUGGER. And he doesn't even have a MySpace, but check this out anyway:
http://www.myspace.com/32164411


This is a HOTT LAVA production, meaning there'll be plenty of psychedelic visuals & possibly a short film. Forest Juziuk of DARK MATTER will play records in between acts. Join us, won't you?

Dreamland Theater
26 N. Washington St.
Ypsilanti MI 48197
8PM
$5

ATTN: FACEBOOK PEOPLE

Print by: S. Patrick @ andrasklang.com [view large]

((( EVENTS ))) John Porcellino + Blues Control

JOHN PORCELLINO - Friday, October 9 @ VAULT OF MIDNIGHT
*** Cartoonist & author of the long-running comic/zine King-Cat Comics celebrates 20 years of King-Cat and a new book with a signing at Ann Arbor's Vault Of Midnight. For more information, visit:
http://www.vaultofmidnight.com/pages/index.php?cat=10
Vault Of Midnight Comics / 219 S Main, A2 / 9PM / free

BLUES CONTROL wsg TYVEK and MEAN MUGGER - Sunday, October 11 @ DREAMLAND THEATER
*** A show on Sunday night?? Yeah, but it's going to be a doozy, my friend. Trip into the miasmic core of kraut-y psychedelia, ramshackle brilliance, and melted jams with two of Siltbreeze's finest acts as well as a Detroit troublemaker. "Three killer performances seemingly from the center of the earth, ready & able to melt your mind & your face." For more information, visit:
http://www.hottlava.net
Dreamland Theater / 26 N. Washington, Ypsilanti / 8PM / $5

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) Feelies, Clientele, Jesus Lizard and Gilles

THE CLIENTELE Bonfires On The Heath LP / CD
*** "A return to roots; the dreamlike suburban landscapes first encountered in the early singles, their trippy sense of menace stronger now. English folk, familiar bossa and pop elements, timeless, eerie songs."

THE FEELIES Crazy Rhythms LP
*** NOW ON VINYL!

JESUS LIZARD Head+Pure LP / CD
JESUS LIZARD Liar LP / CD
JESUS LIZARD Goat LP / CD
JESUS LIZARD Down LP / CD

*** RECOMMENDED Dang! These didn't sound bad at all before but not their albums are remastered & set to stun. Bonus jams included! The LPs come with the complete mp3s plus bonus mp3s too. It's crazy, I know. It's not just crazy -- it's recommended.

GILLES PETERSON Brazilika: Explorations Deep Inside The Vaults 15th Anniversary LP
*** "Brazilian music aficionado Peterson introduced a new generation to the cream of Brazil's Bossa and post-Bossa artists and here expertly blends the cream of the timeless (Ipanemas, Grupo Batuque, Azymuth and Arthur Verocai) with the new breed (Clara Moreno, Binario and Zeep) from Far Out's monumental catalog."

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Kurt Vile, Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Mountain Goats, Jesus Lizard, Warp and more...

v/a WARP20 (Chosen) 2xCD
*** "Double CD album. The definitive best of Warp on 2xCDs. Ten songs chosen by you (Warp20.net), ten songs chosen by Warp co-founder Steve Beckett."

v/a WARP20 (Recreated) 2xCD
*** "Double CD album, 2xCDs featuring twenty brand new cover versions of Warp songs by Warp artists past and present; including tracks by Autechre, Harmonic 313, Jamie Lidell, Plaid, Clark, Maximo Park, Leila, Seefeel, Luke Vibert and more."

AIR Love 2 CD
*** "Love 2 is the group's fifth studio album and, whilst being instantly recognisable as an Air record, sees the band exploring some new territories with the help of L.A.-based drummer/percussionist Joey Waronker."

LOU BARLOW Goodnight Unknown CD
*** "Borrowing the live-band energy of Dinosaur Jr. and the stylistic reach of Sebadoh, Barlow has written a set of immediate, melodic pop songs that Lou describes as, "a cross between my later work with Folk Implosion and my earlier work with Sebadoh to my ears, anyway."

BRAND NEW Daisy CD
*** "Brand New continues to break the mold and in true Brand New form, they delve into new musical territory that will astonish both critics and fans alike." Nice!

BUILT TO SPILL There Is No Enemy CD
*** "When making the new album There Is No Enemy, Doug literally lived in the studio working all day and night. It has the sound and feel of the album that every Built To Spill fan has been anxiously awaiting." Huh. The reviews have been great!

CALIFONE All My Friends Are Funeral Singers CD
*** Califone is at the peak of its powers -- All My Friends Are Funeral Singers is a dense collage of sounds, expertly formed into fully realized pop songs."

THE CLIENTELE Bonfires On The Heath LP / CD
*** "A return to roots; the dreamlike suburban landscapes first encountered in the early singles, their trippy sense of menace stronger now. English folk, familiar bossa and pop elements, timeless, eerie songs."

CYMBALS EAT GUITARS Why There Are Mountains CD
*** New!

MATTHEW FRIEDBERGER Winter Women / Holy Ghost Language School 2xCD
*** Matthew Friedberger is one half of the The Fiery Furnaces brother and sister duo. Matt wrote and arranged all the music, played all the instruments, and sings all the songs! Memorable, accessible, un-ironic, sixties inspired pop songs with the requisite sonic twists and turns."

GOGOL BORDELLO Live From Axis Mundi CD+DVD
*** "The CD features six tracks from the band s BBC sessions, unreleased tracks from both the Gypsy Punks and Super Taranta sessions, and demos. The DVD features a full 15-track live set recorded in NYC, plus over an hour of bonus footage, 4 music videos and more."

GOSSIP Music For Men CD
*** "The genre-bending DIY post-punk rock trio Gossip bring a new level of lyrical power and musical sophistication to their ever-evolving, always-electrifying sound and sensibility on Music For Men."

HARMONIA & ENO Tracks & Traces CD
*** CLUSTER, one half of NEU!, and BRIAN ENO present a milestone in the history of Ambient/Electronic music from 1976 -- a classic of electronic krautrock!!"

JESUS LIZARD Head+Pure LP / CD
JESUS LIZARD Liar LP / CD
JESUS LIZARD Goat LP / CD
JESUS LIZARD Down LP / CD

*** RECOMMENDED Dang! These didn't sound bad at all before but not their albums are remastered & set to stun. Bonus jams included! The LPs come with the complete mp3s plus bonus mp3s too. It's crazy, I know. It's not just crazy -- it's recommended.

DANIEL JOHNSTON Is And Always Was CD
*** "D.J."s first new album in years and years. Supremely witchy cover.

KRAFTWERK Autobahn CD
*** RECOMMENDED "An epic ode to the joys of highway travel, Autobahn wraps a mesmerizing beat around a sampled collage of car horns, engine noise, whirring tires and radio crackle so infectious that US pop press at the time declares that Kraftwerk's music does for driving what the Beach Boys has done for surfing!"

LAROUX Laroux CD
*** "Highly anticipated 2009 debut. Everyone from Franz Ferdinand to Daft Punk has hailed her as a talent to watch, bringing classic songwriting back into the clubs and charts."

MORPHINE At Your Service 2xCD
*** "35 gems -- 2xCDs -- of previously unissued studio tracks, alternate takes, and live performances spanning the group's entire career."

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS The Life Of The World To Come CD
*** New album! And it's kind of about the bible. Or, is. Something like that. Word on the street is that it's a great "studio album."

NOAH & THE WHALE The First Days Of Spring CD
*** "2009 sophomore album from the British Folk/Pop outfit. The First Days Of Spring is released to coincide with their film of the same name."

PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART Higher Than The Stars CD
*** "The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are back with four brand new songs (plus an incredible Balearic dub-disco remix from Saint Etienne) typical of what they do best--breathe fresh life into indie-pop with exuberance, charm, and of course quality tunes."

A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS Exploding Head CD
*** "43 mesmerizing minutes of pain as pleasure. A vortex of groove-locked rhythms and back-spun power chords. Gorgeous gate-crashing melodies, sputtering percussion, firework finale flare-ups. The band's most arousing recording to date."

SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO Temporary Pleasure CD
*** "Simian Mobile Disco return with their new album of indie-dance, featuring guests such as BETH DITTO, Alexis from HOT CHIP and JAMIE LIDELL."

SPARKLEHORSE & FENNESZ In The Fishtank 15 CD
*** Perhaps you've heard of them! Perhaps you smell a collabo!

KURT VILE Childish Prodigy CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Kurt Vile's Matador debut is an absorbing and addictive tapestry of rock and folk sounds, occasionally lo-fi, occasionally lustrous, hitting touchstones from Tom Petty to Street Legal-era Dylan to Spacemen 3 to Skip Spence. Pounding rockers & gorgeous folky numbers."

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) Pavement, Wilco, Mount Eerie, Amon Duul II & more

v/a A ORILLAS DEL MAGDALENA: Coastal Cumbias from Colombia's Discos Fuentes LP
*** "12 Cumbia gems -- call and response wailing, percussionists that play a measure then disappear, backwards accordions and a persistent, loping basslines -- released between the mid 1950s and the mid '70s on Discos Fuentes."

v/a AN ANTHOLOGY OF NOISE & ELECTRONIC MUSIC, Vol. 1 3xLP
*** Subtitled: First A-Chronology 1921-2001. "At last, the Sub Rosa label issues the highly-acclaimed Anthology Of Noise & Electronic Music collection on vinyl -- 3LPs housed in a luxurious triple gatefold sleeve. Containing early and contemporary classics as well as pieces that had never been heard before." For more info, hit up:
http://www.subrosa.net/online/main_dr_catalogue_antho_detail.php?AlbumID=1

AMON DUUL II Phallus Dei LP

*** NOW ON VINYL! Remastered & all that too.

BEACH HOUSE Devotion LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

GUI BORATTO No Turning Back 12"
*** "Two remixes of Gui Boratto's 'No Turning Back,' off of his acclaimed Take My Breath Away by the Wighnomy Brothers and The Mole. This is truly deep."

NICK DEWITT Supernatural Punishment LP+MP3
*** RECOMMENDED "Instrumental far away land music not unlike some idea of lost Americana and Ennio Morricone. Beautiful. And it wouldn't be out of place if it was on the Eraserhead soundtrack. Amazing cover photos by Thatcher Keats. 300 pressed. Lavender vinyl."

THE FIELD Yesterday & Today 2xLP+CD
*** NOW ON VINYL!

THE GEORGE-EDWARDS GROUP 38:38 LP
*** RECOMMENDED "An autumnal alien soundtrack recorded over 30 years ago in DETROIT CITY -- a haunting piece of music too heady for the Motor City hard rock scene, powered with multi-track tape recorders, processors and Moog synthesizers, flanging and phasing heavily with space effects and backwards loops, leaving a fair share of destroyed microphones and tape machines in their experimental wake."

HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE Hypnotic Brass Ensemble 2xLP / CD
*** "With family roots running back Sun Ra and the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), teenage listening habits including NWA and Public Enemy, gigs with Mos Def and Erykah Badu, and a particularly incendiary show, HBE is one of the hottest and most individual bands around."

INNER SPACE Agilok & Blubbo LP
*** "The band that became CAN!! Collecting a couple ultra-obscure 7"s that hint at their later 'pop' brilliance, plus short cues and extended free jams from the soundtrack from 1969's underground film Agilok & Blubbo. Those familiar with Can's output will recognize some of the band's characteristic sound, albeit in an embryonic form."

KING MIDAS SOUND Dub Heavy - Hearts & Ghosts 12"
*** "This is a taste of King Midas Sound's (Roger Robinson and Kevin Martin aka The Bug) full length, Dub Heavy - Hearts & Ghosts, with 3 tracks dubbed into new versions."

MOUNT EERIE Black Wooden Ceiling Opening 10"+POSTER+CD
*** "Phil Elverum, Jason Anderson, and Kjetil Jenssen (prodigy drummer from Arctic Norway!) translated 10 or so songs of Mt. Eerie/The Microphones into a vastly heavier form. Half of the songs are never-before released, half are reinterpretations of previously-released soft songs."

PAVEMENT Brighten The Corners 4xLP+MP3
*** "Whoa nelly! The set contains 4 HQ-120 gram LPs in a heavy-duty matte-stock folding cardboard gatefold, a 16-page 12″ x 12″ full-color matte-stock booklet, b bonus tracks NOT ON THE CD plus a download card for all 48 tracks." For more info, hit up:
http://www.matadorrecords.com/matablog/2009/06/08/pavement-brighten-deluxe-on-vinyl-june-23/

MARK PRITCHARD & OM'MAS KEITH Wind It Up 12"
*** "Bubbling, pressurized electrofunk and futuristic, off-beat synth-hop shuffle by Mark Pritchard (HARMONIC 313) and Om'Mas Keith (SA-RA CREATIVE PARTNERS). The results are huge."

WILCO Wilco (The Album) LP+CD
WILCO A.M. LP+CD
WILCO Summerteeth LP+CD

*** NOW ON VINYL! Includes full-length album on CD.

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, Africa Scream Contest, Ghostface, Islands and more

ost WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE LP / CD
*** "KAREN O composed the music to Where the Wild Things Are with Bradford Cox (Deerhunter), Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age, The Dead Weather), Aaron Hemphill (Liars), Jack Lawrence (The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs, The Greenhornes), Nick Zinner, (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and an untrained children's choir."

v/a AFRICAN SCREAM CONTEST: Raw & Psychedelic Afro Sounds From Benin & Togo 70s CD+BOOK
*** RECOMMENDED "Delve into the forgotten raw and psychedelic Afro sounds from '70s Benin and Togo and experience the African Scream Contest! Benin is the birth place of Vodun (or, as it is known in the West, Voodoo), and some of the rhythms used during traditional rituals -- sakpata, sato, agbadja, tchenkoumé and many others -- were fused to soul and Latin music as early as the mid-'60s and later to funk."

v/a COSMIC BALEARIC BEATS, Vol. 2 2xCD
*** "The Eskimo label's second installment in a series dedicated to cosmic Balearic beats features 16 exclusive and unreleased tracks of beautiful, sun-kissed cosmic house, disco, funk and more, mixed for the ultimate slo-mo house party and including a bonus mp3-disc featuring the unmixed full-length versions of all the tracks."

v/a GOLDEN APPLES OF THE SUN CD
*** BACK IN STOCK! "The acclaimed 2004 compilation of underground folk music selected by DEVENDRA BANHART, expertly sequenced and paced, like one long, slow flow of a particularly rich vibe."

v/a LEGENDS OF BENIN CD
*** "Super-rare and highly danceable masterpieces recorded between 1969-1981 by four legendary composers from Benin -- a thick brew of agbadja, soul, cavacha, funk, Afrobeat, and Afro-Latin sounds all mixed in with heavy traditional rhythms. Enjoy the mind-blowing sounds of Benin." On ANALOG AFRICA.

v/a OPEN STRINGS: 1920s Middle Eastern Recordings- New Responses 2xCD
*** RECOMMENDED "A dazzling selection of virtuoso string-playing from Egypt, Iran, Iraq and Turkey, recorded in the 1920s and unheard ever since. Also included: a disc of newly-commissioned responses to the themes by underground luminaries such as SIR RICHARD BISHOP, SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE, VOICE OF THE SEVEN WOODS and more. Ancient, timeless and transcendent. Scorchers past and present, every one. For more info, hit up:
http://www.honestjons.com/label.php?pid=34152

v/a SIAMESE SOUL: Thai Pop Spectacular 1960s-1980s Vol. 2 CD
*** RECOMMENDED "1970s hard-grooved roots funk, hypnotic Luk Thung tracks from the Northeastern Thai countryside, 1960s rock & roll and 1980s groove anomalies. All cuts come heavily laced with electric organs and guitar, thick horn sections, the traditional khaen, driving bass and stunning vocal performances with a richness that can easily be called Thai soul music of the highest order."

v/a ELECTRIC PSYCHEDELIC SITAR HEADSWIRLERS, Vol. 6 CD
*** "A collection of '60s and '70s psych obscurities, all featuring the sitar. UK folk-psych, Turkish fuzz, echoed Eastern chants, radiant raga jams, lysergic Gregorian warbling, Swedish prog, the inevitable backwards sitar tidbits, tablas, crunchy drums and other delicacies."

v/a KOMPAKT TOTAL 10 2xCD
*** "Kompakt Total 10 promises to be one of the most diverse collections of tracks the label has ever brought forward: essential tunes from the Kompakt catalog and exclusive highlights from DJ KOZE, WOLFGANG VOIGT, and others."

v/a TRANSMISSIONS FROM SINAI CD
*** "Curated by OM's Al Cisneros, Transmissions From Sinai is a compilation of introspective, expansive 'metal' that stands out as flashes of color in the unified spectrum of blackness that dominates the genre plays like a companion piece to those albums." Featuring GROUPER, LICHENS, LINVAL THOMPSON, SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE, and J. MASCIS among others.

v/a WHERE YOU GONNA' GO? Motor City Garage Bands 1965-1969 CD
*** "Inside this package is over 75 minutes of electrifying music -- a fine batch of recordings, some of which are bonafide NUGGETS." Featuring THE TIDAL WAVEs, THE UNRELATED SEGMENTS and more.

ALICE IN CHAINS Black Gives Way To Blue CD
*** "The new Alice In Chains album Black Gives Way To Blue is the sound of a new beginning of a legendary band returning to life. Throbbing rockers."

NICK CAVE & WARREN ELLIS White Lunar 2xCD
*** "White Lunar is a selection of pieces taken from various motion pictures & documentaries for which Cave and Ellis have composed and recorded music. Disc 1 has the big themes, the orchestra and the songs; disc 2 is fractured, haunting, and sometimes badly behaved."

VIC CHESNUTT At The Cut CD
*** "At The Cut picks up where North Star Deserter left off, settling into what is arguably the most intimate, pensive and heartbreaking work of Vic Chesnutt’s career with no parallel to date."

CLUSTER & ENO Cluster & Eno CD
*** "Recorded and released in 1977, the first collaborative album by Brian Eno and Cluster is considered a seminal, defining work -- Indian sitar and tamboura, to synth warbles and airy tributes to Western groove, it is a rare glimpse at what happens when masters meet."

GHOSTFACE KILLAH Ghostdini: Wizard Of Poetry CD
*** "Ghostface sprinkles his trademark wit and charm over signature sample-based grooves and modern R&B tracks." Featuring MARY J. BLIGE, MISSY ELLIOTT, NE-YO, JOHN LEGEND, RAEKWON, METHOD MAN and more.

GROUP DOUEH Guitar Music from the Western Sahara CD
*** "Raw and unfiltered Saharawi music from the former colonial Spanish outpost of the Western Sahara, influenced by Western music (Jimi Hendrix, James Brown). Distorted, loud and unhinged with an impressive display of virtuosity and style with two female vocalists singing poetry of the Hassania language."

ISLANDS Vapors CD
*** "Nick Diamonds' polymorphous pop band, Islands, is back with their third studio album, Vapours." Ex-UNICORNS.

NUDGE As Good As Gone CD
*** "Nudge returns with a slow burning full-length of sounds: layer upon layer of synth, guitar and vocals are draped over skeletal pop structures and anchored by dub basslines born of resin-stained fingers." On KRANKY.

ON Your Naked Ghost Comes Back At Night CD
*** "Steven Hess (PAN AMERICAN) and French composer/producer Sylvain Chauveau handed an album over to Helge Sten aka DEATHPROD resulting in a haunted and trembling work of dark ambient drone."

PANSONIC & HAINO KEIJI Shall I Download A Blackhole And Offer It To You CD
*** "The musical duel/last waltz between stand-up Finnish electronic technicians Pansonic and Japanese guitar shaman, Haino Keiji. Drone and percussive rumbling vs. soaring guitar scrawl in a tooth-and-nail cage match."

HOPE SANDOVAL & THE WARM INVENTIONS Through The Devil Softly CD
*** "The definitive star of the Paisley Underground scene reignites her trademark sound in an epic journey across the 11 song slowcore album with Sandoval's sensuous, hypnotic voice in the forefront."

OMAR SOULEYMAN Highway to Hassake: Folk & Pop Sounds of Syria CD
*** "Souleyman is a Syrian musical legend with more than five-hundred studio and live-recorded cassette albums of classical Arabic mawal-style vocalization, high-octane Syrian dabke (the regional folkloric party music), Iraqi choubi and a host of Arabic, Kurdish and Turkish styles, among others. Often overdriven with phase-shifted Arabic keyboard solos and frantic rhythms, this collection offers a rare glimpse into Syrian street-level folk-pop and Dabke."

TO KILL A PETTY BOURGEOISIE Marlone CD
*** "Second album from a group exploring the union of the light and the dark, the sweetness of the female voice set against savory dissonance, searching for the fine balance between the calming and the equilibrium challenging." On KRANKY.

VOLCANO CHOIR Unmap CD
*** "The debut full-length from the collaboration between COLLECTIONS OF COLONIES OF BEES and Justin Vernon of BON IVER."

WHY? Eskimo Snow CD
*** "Eskimo Snow offers a sung, sobering take on mortality that unfurls in lush waves of Americana and pop-infused psych-folk. A shadowy and sprawling piece as intimate in subject matter as it is handsome in timbre."

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: DVD ))))) Brian Eno's 14 Video Paintings

BRIAN ENO 14 Video Paintings DVD
*** 14 Video Paintings is comprised of two separate works ("Mistaken Memories of Mediaeval Manhattan" and "Thursday Afternoon") created in the early ‘80s by Brian Eno for art gallery exhibition only. Available for the first time on DVD, viewers are presented with a series of slowly evolving "video paintings," with "Thursday Afternoon" focusing on the human figure and "Mistaken Memories" on the Manhattan skyline. The music for "Thursday Afternoon" is a different version than what appears on Eno’s album of the same name, while the music that accompanies "Mistaken Memories" comes from two of his acclaimed ambient albums (On Land and Music For Airports) and features an unreleased track.

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) Sub Pop reissues, Times New Viking, Amon Duul II and mo'!

AMON DUUL II Yeti 2xLP
*** NOW ON VINYL! Wicked, insane reissue of Amon Duul II's great Yeti album on double-vinyl. Don't sleep on it! Methinks it's a limited one.

MUDHONEY Superfuzz Bigmuff LP+MP3
MUDHONEY Mudhoney LP+MP3
MUDHONEY Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge LP+MP3

*** "First time on LP in years! Remastered from the original master tapes. Includes coupon for free download of the entire album."

SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE Diary 2xLP+MP3 / CD
SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE LP2 2xLP+MP3 / CD

*** "First time on LP in years! Remastered from the original master tapes. Features 2 bonus tracks remixed by Brad Wood. Limited edition color vinyl. Includes coupon for free download of the entire album."

TIMES NEW VIKING Born Again Revisited LP / CD
*** "Known for shrouding their three-cornered pop constructions in clouds of tape hiss and buzzing noise, they told us they'd improved the recording quality by 25% and they have achieved exactly that. Whereas the master for the last album was a cassette, this time it was a VHS."

GERT WILDEN Schulmädchen Report LP
*** BACK IN STOCK! "Music from Schoolgirl Report & other music from sexy German films (1968-1972). Limited to 1000 copies.

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Ty Braxton of BATTLES, Polvo, Raekwon & a whole bunch of gems

TYONDAI BRAXTON Central Market CD
*** "BATTLES' multi-instrumentalist's full-length solo masterpiece was scored for a large ensemble & inspired by Igor Stravinsky, Bernard Hermann, Brian Eno, John Adams and Swans." BJORK and FOURTET effin' looooove this album.

CIRCULATORY SYSTEM Signal Morning CD
*** "Seven and a half years in the making, culled from hours of recorded material sculpted in at least seven different studios, the new CIRCULATORY SYSTEM album is an absolutely stellar document of song and sound. Featuring all the members of THE OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL, as well as JEFF MANGUM and JULIAN KOSTER of NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL."

KID CUDI Man On The Moon CD
*** "Kid Cudi is at the vanguard of a game-changing new generation of artists," said Universal Motown President Sylvia Rhone. "He crosses musical boundaries with an appeal that goes beyond genre, format, race, language, and culture. Cudi lives easily in the hip-hop, indie rock, pop, and R&B worlds - a diversity that shows in his innovative music and his all-embracing persona."

LE LOUP Family CD
*** "The musicians took an elemental approach to recording, capturing the organic sounds of their instruments before treating them with various effects. Certain melodic themes were added to multiple songs, linking the album together with their recurring motifs. The result is an album of experimental rock songs and campfire sing-alongs, set amidst swirling textures and murky production."

MONSTERS OF FOLK Monsters Of Folk CD
*** "Monsters of Folk is a collaboration of Conor Oberst, Jim James, M. Ward- three of this generations most critically acclaimed voices and Mike Mogis , one of the most sought after producers working today.

MUM Sing Along To Songs You Don't Know CD
*** "The album is a much more laid back affair, more relaxed and quietly sad, sometimes sounding naively utopic, brimming with unusual sounds, this time much of the songs revolve around a lightly prepared piano, hammered dulcimer, a string quartet, marimbas, guitars, ukuleles and in the background of a few of the songs one can hear a parakeet singing with the piano."

PEARL JAM Backspacer CD
*** "Ninth album! Self-released! The music on the record features a sound influenced by Pop and New Wave."

POLVO In Prism CD
*** Mike Wolf says: ”There is not a thing on In Prism that they aren’t doing better than before: the sidewinder guitars and the mighty roar and the moody atmospheres and the psychedelic explosiveness; the writing, the singing, the words you can understand, the ones you can’t. Polvo has never sounded better."

RAEKWON Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II CD
*** "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II will produce the dish that true Hip Hop Fans have been salivating for many years." Production from RZA, ERIC SERMON, DR. DRE, PETE ROCK, MARLEY MARL, and J DILLA!

SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE Diary 2xLP+MP3 / CD
SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE LP2 2xLP+MP3 / CD

*** "First time on LP in years! Remastered from the original master tapes. Features 2 bonus tracks remixed by Brad Wood. Limited edition color vinyl. Includes coupon for free download of the entire album."

TIMES NEW VIKING Born Again Revisited LP / CD
*** "Known for shrouding their three-cornered pop constructions in clouds of tape hiss and buzzing noise, they told us they'd improved the recording quality by 25% and they have achieved exactly that. Whereas the master for the last album was a cassette, this time it was a VHS."

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: Vinyl ))))) Amanda Blank & Vivian Girls

AMANDA BLANK I Love You 2xLP
*** NOW ON VINYL!

VIVIAN GIRLS Everything Goes Wrong LP / CD
*** "Everything Goes Wrong is a longer, darker, moodier album than its predecessor. That said, the influences remain the same; Ramones, '60s girl groups, Surf, Indie Pop, etc."