Other Music New Release Update
June 19, 2002



In This Week's Update:

Peace Orchestra
Guided by Voices
Lawrence
Hot Snakes
ISAN
Atmosphere
Subtonix
Love Joys (Reissue)
Sound of Warhammer (Various Artists)
?uestlove
Theorem
Afro Beat Compilation
Chris Bowden

Restocks:

Gandalf (Reissue)


Just In:

The Fall
Bill Wells & Isobel Campbell


FEATURED NEW RELEASES:


PEACE ORCHESTRA "Rest" (G Stone ) CD/LP $16.99/$19.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/shining.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/whoami.rm
In 1999, Peter Kruder (K &D fame) released a beautiful, lounged-
out, downtempo classic under the name Peace Orchestra. "Rest" is
the reworking of this album. The mixes follow the chronology of the
original album, with the exception of "Henry" and "Domination" which
appear on "Rest" twice. "Rest" is redesigned for the dancefloor, full of
broken-beat jazz, soul and Latin influenced rhythms. Interpreters
include Gotan Project who add their twist of Basque guitar to the mix.
Beanfield combine a rolling bass line with Fender Rhodes stabs to
create a two-step vibe reminiscent of their Compost roots. DJ DSL
offers a hip hop summertime jam for the backyard BBQ. The Meitz
remix opens as a classical piece suitable for stage and quickly
morphs into a creepy, acid-like bass driven funk. Other artists to add
their dish to the potluck are Chateau Flight, Truby Trio, and Zero db.
A must for the Kruder and Dorfmeister faithful, and anyone who enjoys
that Jazzanova influenced sound. [JD]
CD //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=73000371252&refer_url=email
LP //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=73000371251&refer_url=email


GUIDED BY VOICES "Universal Truths and Cycles" (Matador)
CD/LP $13.99/$10.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/everywhe.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/christia.rm
A few months ago, a frequent customer and Guided by Voices fan was
in the store buying one of Robert Pollard's Airport 5 releases in the
Fading Captain series. During our conversation about the prolific
songwriter he commented, "I wish Pollard would stop making records
so he can make a record." In the end, we both agreed that these
Airport 5 releases (as well as Go Back Snowball, Circus Devils, etc.)
all have their moments, some better than others, but placed next to
"Bee Thousand" or "Alien Lanes," these albums were more or less
fodder for the GbV enthusiast. So now the good news: Bob and
company have made a RECORD! A triumphant return to Matador and
accompanied by a salty salute, "Universal Truths and Cycles" is no
doubt GbV's best release in years. Holding over some of the big rock
production from "Do the Collapse" and "Isolation Drills" (the latter a
great record with Bob finally realizing all of his classic rock dreams),
their latest is nicely balanced by many lo-fi moments and under-a-minute
anthems. Straight out of the gate, Pollard and his band break loose
spewing hooks left and right with the thirty-six second "Wire Greyhounds."
"Christian Animation Torch Carriers" twists and turns with a non-stop
barrage of melodies and is one of Bob's most ambitious songs to date.
Tracks like "Love 1" and "Father Sgt.Christmas Card" are classic GbV,
with down-strummed rhythm guitars supporting Pollard's elastic vocals
and stream of consciousness delivery, while the classic rock harmonies
and Doug Gilliard's searing guitar leads in "Everywhere With Helicopter" has
the makings of a rock radio hit. (If only the world could be so fair!) "Universal
Truths and Cycles" is also a little more varied in instrumentation with occasional
tidbits of pianos and strings and even a Celtic tinged accompaniment to the
"The Ids Are Alright." Who said rock is dead? Forty-four years old and a two
decade history with Guided by Voices, he may not be the new boss but rock's
best hope is still Robert Pollard. [GH]
CD //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=74486105472&refer_url=email
LP //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=74486105471&refer_url=email


LAWRENCE "Lawrence" (Ladomat) CD/LP $15.99/$13.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/track3.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/track15.rm
The unstoppable Dial label grants us another "post-techno" classic
here in the form of Lawrence's (Peter M. Kersten) first full-length
release. The music is top-notch, subnormal-BPM, drone-chord heroin
house. Like most Dial records, the end result is a solid listening
experience; the album ebbs and flows from track to track, still
uncommon in "techno" records. Outstanding tracks throughout,
heavenly drones and chords weave and progress through subtly
shifting human pulse-like beats, incredible buildups, and pattern
shifts that seem, for lack of a better word, "symphonic" (read:
"emotionally moving"). You'll freak out to the double-time high
hats chiming in the distance like goddamn sleigh bells!! Gott in
Himmel! Super recommended. [SM]
CD //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=400590244372&refer_url=email
LP //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=400590244371&refer_url=email


HOT SNAKES "Suicide Invoice" (Swami) CD/LP $12.99/$8.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/whodied.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/xox.rm
I think it was summer of 1990. Two years before I left San Diego
for good, I drove down to Soma, a lame teen dance club that had
recently begun hosting local rock acts in direct competition with
the Iguana, Tijuana's overbooked, Mad Max-styled fire trap.
Sandwiched in on a small and crowded dance floor (which on any
other night would be rocking to the sounds of Ministry and Book of
Love), I remember standing for a long time staring at the smoke filled
stage waiting for Drive Like Jehu (the newest incarnation of local heroes
Pitchfork). The show started with the band members slowly bumping
the necks of their guitars to create an insidious crescendoing wall of
sound and ended with some seriously concise noise and a shitload of
fireworks being ignited in the pit. In the ensuing ten years, Jehu took
the clockwork hammer-strokes of John Reis' (Rocket from the Crypt)
signature guitar attack and the compelling scrawl of Rick Froberg's dry
angst screams to the peak of indie and punk rock innovation. When the
band dissolved some years ago, I was happily shocked to see my
hometown boys so widely loved and subsequently mourned. The
emergence of Hot Snakes quickly remedied the situation and now on
their second release, the satisfying combination of Reis and
Froberg keeps on trucking. Massive chugging guitars and drums hold
the center as Froberg's arty existentialism punctuates the driving
rhythms with pathos and anger. The addition of a melodica and some
organ buffers the consistent songwriting and melds the nostalgia of
late-nineties San Diego/Cali math rock styling with the looseness of New
York skronk and some heavy metal sludge. Fans of Jehu will not be
disappointed and those in need of a rock fix will have found their men.
[MC]
CD //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=82377701112&refer_url=email
LP //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=82377701111&refer_url=email


ISAN "Clockwork Menagerie" (Morr) CD $15.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/damil85.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/calf.rm
With three albums, two mini-LPs, numerous compilation tracks and
too many singles and EPs to even mention, ISAN have been making
their brand of melodic electronica for a long time now (since 1996).
"Clockwork Menagerie" is a comprehensive collection of all of their
tracks culled from limited 7"s, 10"s, split 12"s, and compilations.
These 14 tracks represent the duo's earliest and best work and set
the groundwork that has been followed by so many of their current
contemporaries. From the opening ambient track "Autolung," to the
lo-fi Black Dog inspired "Comb," and the Boards of Canada influenced
classic "Damil 85," every track is a stunner. Would there be a Morr
Music or City Centre Offices label if it weren't for ISAN? Probably not.
A must for any fan and a godsend for the completists, now you don't
have to lay down fifty-bucks for that out of print 7" on e-Bay!  [JS]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=401569816382&refer_url=email


ATMOSPHERE "God Loves Ugly" (Fat Beats) CD $15.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/giveme.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/hair.rm
This follow-up to Atmosphere's critically acclaimed "Lucy Ford" EP
is an extension of his deeply personal, self-deprecating brand of
emceeing. Production-wise, expect to hear gritty, slightly lo-fi
beats that seem strangely upbeat. If you are a fan of any of the
Mush or Anticon label stuff, you might want to check this out.
Also, if you appreciate the aforementioned labels' stuff but can't
get into the experimental haze of the production, this Atmosphere
record could do the trick for you. Very Good. [DH]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=65912350012&refer_url=email


SUBTONIX "Tarantism" (Troubleman) CD/LP $11.99/$9.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/intothef.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/blacknai.rm
Now dead and buried, San Francisco's Subtonix leave us with one
last look at their after-the-autopsy prom queen funeral of eyeliner,
hair dye, and new-grave skronk. Wrapped up tight enough to make
those goth boys bleed, "Tarantism" will hold its own beside worn
copies of 45 Grave's "Sleep In Safety" and TSOL's "Dance With Me."
Not since the Super Heroines has there been a better display of girls
in the graveyard. By reanimating a strewn corpse strut with an
aggressive push of manic urgency, Subtonix have created a flurry of
noise that makes dancefloors slippery with sweat. The saxophone
(Jessie Trashed is now a member of the Vanished) and keyboards
fuse with the pummeled bass and drums creating a stage for shrieks
and cries that would make Sioux blush. OK, this "Carrie" meets "The
Night Of The Living Dead" look gets me hot, but where's a boy to go?
It's time New York had some of this. Even if you detest the goth look
you will find that this is a punk record you will play again and again.
[AG]
CD //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=69463000912&refer_url=email
LP //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=09999178621&refer_url=email


LOVE JOYS "Reggae Vibes" (Wackies) CD/LP $15.99/$12.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/stranger.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/studioma.rm
Another fine reggae reissue from Wackies/Basic Channel, "Reggae
Vibes was the Love Joy's first album. Like the band's other recent
re-release on this label, this is a collection of breezy, summery
lover's rock and roots testimony. And while the vibe is airy, the
rhythms are weighty -- the kind of heavy dubiness you have come to
expect from a Wackies' production. Two cousins, Sonia and
Claudette's beautiful interwoven vocals of harmonies and roots
chanting are unfortunately a rarity in the male dominated world of
reggae music. (Althea and Donna a noteworthy exception.)
Recommended! [GA]
CD //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=71875566072&refer_url=email
LP //perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=71875566071&refer_url=email


[V.A.] "Sound of Warhammer 40.000" (Art of Perception) CD $16.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/alert.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/indulto.rm
"Sound Of Warhammer 40.000" is the first in a three-part series
that will cover an entire twelve-part 12" series of tracks influenced
by the legendary role-playing game Warhammer. Label owner
Maral Salmassi asked many heavy-hitters in the world of electronic
music to each create a track that was influenced by a species or
character from the Warhammer universe. What came out of this vision
are 12 brilliant tracks that run the gamut of styles of electronic music.
From the opening cut of Codec & Flexor's slamming "Alert" with its
pseudo industrial guitars, electro beats, and screaming vocodered vocal,
I cannot think of a better track to kick off the album. The electro does
not stop there, for we get an unreleased gem from Kitbuilders, as well
as Ural, 13 Diktators and the superstar himself John Starlight (a.k.a.
Zombie Nation). Mike Ink, the Modernist, and Michael Mayer all
contribute brilliant minimal techno anthems (ala Kompakt). And with the
rest of the tracks by artists such as Johannes Heil, Alter Ego, Kim
Cascone, Jimi Tenor, and Bochum Welt, this is not a compilation to
pass on. Every track is great, can't wait for Volumes 2 and 3! [JS]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=80729702062&refer_url=email


?UESTLOVE "Babies Makin' Babies/Various" (BBE) CD $18.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/clover.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/glowin.rm
?uestlove is the drummer for the Roots and is also starting to
make headway as an in-demand producer within the neo-soul genre.
This is a compilation of his old soul influences that he put
together for the always great BBE. This one's a bit unusual though
with the album title referencing the old '70s catch phrase, "Baby
Makin' Music." I'm sure I don't need to explain what that means.
(If I do than you should probably stop reading this review cuz
this record ain't for you.) AHHHH YES… Sixty-five minutes of slow,
sensual, rare-groove tracks for the bedroom. This album contains
an amazing cover of a Dr. John tune, a classic Minnie Riperton and
Isley Brothers, etc. You can't really go wrong with this one. Music
for grown-ups! [DH]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=80208582082&refer_url=email


THEOREM THX "Experiments in Synchronicity" (Minus) CD $15.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/breakina.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/toodista.rm
Theorem (Dale Lawrence) has spent the past few years broadening
his musical horizons and testing the boundaries of technology.
"Experiments in Synchronicity" is the CD compilation of his ongoing
"THX" series, originally released as a collection of 12"s, an Internet-
based exchange of ideas between he and some of the best producers
in minimal tech-house. Using the miracle of on-line communication,
Theorem collaborates with Swayzak, Stewart Walker and Sutekh to
provide inspiration and direction from a distance. These are not
remixes, they are working, evolving pieces. "Break in at APT 205"
began in the mind and studio of Theorem in Detroit. He created the
source sounds, which were later arranged and produced in London
by Swayzak. The two also merged, in reverse roll, to collectively
create "unherluferlick." In similar fashion, Stewart Walker produced
the sounds provided for "Recoil" in Boston, MA; the tracks were
later recorded in Detroit by Theorem. The end result of these
interpretations is a smooth, very deep, soulful, tech-house groove
that maintains a certain sense of ambience and is sure to keep the
minimal body moving. [JD]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=79984850102&refer_url=email


[V.A.] "Afrobeat" (Blow) CD $18.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/simbarer.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/wakafrika.rm
"Oh great, yet another label trying to cash in on the Afro-beat
renaissance," you say. But wait, Blow Records has impressively
compiled a collection of songs that really illustrates the vast diversity
of Nigerian music and its influences past and present. From tight,
smaller groups like Lafayette Afro Rock Band and Blo, to larger
ensembles like Fela and Tony Allen, to Manu Dibango's electric funk,
as well as a contemporary take from NYC's very own Antibalas. The
strength in this collection is in its display of the variety of approaches
that lay in this unique African art form. [GA]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=80208561032&refer_url=email


CHRIS BOWDEN "Slightly Askew" (Ninja Tune)
CD $14.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/crockers.rm
To my knowledge, this is the first entirely acoustic album with a Ninja
Tune imprint. Chris Bowden's second full-length (his first released
about five years ago on Soul Jazz Records) is an extension of his
work doing arrangements with 4 Hero and Nitin Sawhney. Very lyrical
with heavy breaks, "Slightly Askew" should appeal to David Axelrod
fans. Still, this is far from a replication. [GA]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=62597810672&refer_url=email



RESTOCKS:

GANDALF "Gandalf" (Sundazed) CD $12.99
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/nevertoo.rm
RealAudio: /ramgen/othermusic/goldenea.rm
No one knows much about these four youngsters who put together
this psych-pop masterpiece from 1968, but that fact only adds to
the mysterious dreamlike quality of this awesome album. Comprised
mostly of cover tunes, it boasts amazing, ethereal male vocals,
subtly arranged guitar and organ lines, all treated with boatloads
of reverb. Imagine Archies records produced by Abe "Voco" Kesh or
Norman Smith ("Piper at the Gates of Dawn"). If you've ever been
an admirer of Kramer's Galaxie 500 work (or any other Kramer
production, for that matter), or the dubby reverberations of classic
Kevin Shields My Bloody Valentine, then this is a must- have.
(Reissued 1991) [DH]
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=501466103263&refer_url=email



JUST IN:

THE FALL "2G + 2" (Action) CD $14.99
The Fall return with another album featuring nine songs recorded
live in America on their most recent tour plus three brand new
studio tracks.
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=50293859003&refer_url=email


BILL WELLS & ISOBEL CAMPBELL "Ghost of Yesterday"
(Creeping Bent) CD $15.99
The now former Belle and Sebastian chanteuse (and Gentle Waves'
current bandleader) returns with her first fruits of labor post B&S.
This collaboration with Bill Wells covers seven Billie Holiday tracks,
a mini-LP filled with sparse arrangements and Campbell's beautiful
yet haunting vocal delivery.
//perl-bin/OM/CD_Add_To_Cart.cgi?sku=82228600067&refer_url=email



This week's contributors: Geoff Albores [GA], Matt Connors [MC], J
Dennis [JD], Andy Giles [AG], Gerald Hammill [GH], Duane Harriott
[DH], Scott Mou [SM] and Jeremy Sponder [JS].


The Big Picture:

To see a complete list of Other Music new releases for the
week ending June 4, 2002, use this link as a shortcut:
//releases/20021806.html

To see a list of new releases from previous weeks:
//newreleases.html

To see new release updates from previous weeks:
//updates.html

To order any of the items you see on these pages simply click the
links following each review or visit our Web site at:
/

Phone orders are accepted at (212) 477-8150 (ext. #2, mailorder).

For general inquiries or other information, please
email: "sales@othermusic.com". Do not reply to this message.

Thanks for reading.
-all of us at Other Music

Other Music NYC
15 E. 4th Street
New York, NY 10003
212.477.8150
sales@othermusic.com