NEW RELEASES
Rogerio Duprat
Tujiko Noriko
Gang Gang Dance
George Brigman
Editors
Kawabata Makoto
Green Milk from the Planet Orange

Everly Brothers
The Rebirth
Stooges (2 Reissues)


ALSO AVAILABLE:
Modey Lemon

"Lady Madonna"

"Baby"

While his name was mistakenly left off the credits for the American reissues of the first three Os Mutantes records, the influential presence of producer Rogerio Duprat cannot be underestimated. Quite simply, he is the George Martin of Tropicalia (that's him sipping from the giant coffee mug on the Tropicalia: Panis et Circenses compilation album cover), getting down the vital sounds and bold experimentation of artists like Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Tom Ze, and of course Os Mutantes on their most powerful and sonically-realized recordings of the late-'60s. Having spent the early part of that decade studying with Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen in Europe, Duprat returned to Brazil just in time to be a guiding light and sympathetic producer for these musicians, encouraging cultural cannibalism that drew on Dylan, the Beatles, psychedelic music, European avant-garde, and native Brazilian rhythms, to name but a few ingredients. And Duprat had an ability like Martin to pristinely record pop production as well as sonic collage and outside orchestrations with a deftness that made such extremes palatable.

A fan of Tropicalista for nigh on a decade, I had no idea this album even existed, and it's one dosed doozy, focusing not so much on the wilder aspects of Tropicalia but on askew orchestral readings of Jobim, Chico Buarque, Veloso (his instrumental version of "Baby" is one for the beat-heads), and Gil. Mutantes churn behind him on a few numbers, tackling the Cowsills and an odd version of "Lady Madonna" (there's also a cover of the Beatles' "Flying"!). For fans of strange exotica, go-go, swinging instrumentals, David Axelrod, and of course, Tropicalia. [AB]

"Tablet for Memory"

"Magpies and Mornings"

With her past two albums, Osaka-born Tujiko Noriko received many Bjork comparisons. If not for a few similarities in their introspective, unique vocal stylings, the two artists co-exist in both the experimental and pop worlds, relying heavily on the laptop to process organic sounds, voices and acoustic instruments into something that's simultaneously otherworldly yet very accessible. Noriko's third release, Blurred in My Mirror, follows the same path, in theory at least. But here, the Japanese singer's songwriting has become even more competent and melodically speaking, many of the tracks could stand on their own, skeletal merit, sans the electronic accoutrements. However, Noriko's delicate voice--sometimes precious and other times completely startling--is the perfect foundation for Australian producer Lawrence English's beguiling sonic arrangements. With musical contributions from Room 40's Benjamin Thompson, David Kemp and John Chantler, as well as visual artist Aki Onda, choreographer Etienne Bideu-Ray and Hosomi Sakana, Blurred in My Mirror is a diverse affair, exploring ambient music, glitch-pop, experimental folk, and even a few smoky moments of trip hop. Evocative for the lack of structure throughout, equal weight is given to each bleep and hum, while textured beats, choral drones and drifting guitar interact beautifully with the layered vocals. Ultimately, Noriko and Co. find the perfect balance between avant and pop, and seamlessly combine these two disparate elements with results that are often stirring. [AC/GH]

"N. 6 5/4/03"

"The Cooler 9/11/03"

After taking the country by storm with a summer tour and dropping the fantastic God's Money record, the Gang is making more widely available an old tour-only EP that was originally released in an edition of 100. If this sounds vaguely familiar, it's because they did something similar with their hen's tooth rare Revival of the Shittest last year. In some ways, Hillulah is made up of similar terrain. Weird murmurs and chatters brunt up against obtuse rhythms and grimy clatter, all of it spliced together into an aural collage that lasts a good half-hour. For those that may have missed out on seeing them live, the disc also includes nearly a half-hour of footage of the band at the Knitting Factory and the now-shuttered Cooler. [AB]

"Easy Stranger"

"Jungle Rot"

In the midst of all the South American gems and Korean pop reissues comes Jungle Rot, a fascinating slice of inner city Americana. Exactly in what compartment George Brigman fits in I'm not sure, but I smell demented blues, hard rock, basement psych, and healthy slices of unemployment and juvenile crime. And glue coming from the neighbor's garage. Recorded in 1974, but not released until 1975, the majority of the album is dominated by Brigman's discontented snarl and searing, murky fuzz guitars (see the ruthless title track and the maniacal rhythm & blues of "I Feel Alright"), and comes across as a truly pissed off Blue Cheer or a Stooges without the recording budget. Brigman showcases a more reflective mood in a couple of downer blues jams, but the lyrical angst and disaffected vocal slur does nothing to detract from the album's overall intensity. So come on, grab a slice of the real American underground, recorded by a man truly out of time and out of his mind.

This is the first, and long overdue, legit reissue of Jungle Rot. If you've purchased any of the previous bootlegs, don't fret, this is far superior sounding and comes with extensive liner notes and photos. This version also includes with three bonus tracks by Hogwash, Brigman's later band. [AK]

"Lights"

"Munich"

Before I start my review, let me just get this out of the way: Editors are the newest band on the block to cop an '80s sound. The singer's voice is a dead ringer for a young Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen fame, or Paul Banks from another '80s revivalist ensemble, Interpol. Editors' basslines might as well have been played by Joy Division/New Order's Peter Hook, and the guitar work could have come straight from a Gang of Four record. OK, that said, they've obviously got the prerequisite influences down, but Editors are so much more. This Birmingham, UK four-piece create some of the best doom-laden rock music that I've heard in a long time. I'll even go as far as saying that The Back Room is the finest debut from a British band to come out this year.

The opener "Lights" could be an outtake from the Bunnymen's seminal Porcupine LP, with its jagged, Will Sergeant-esque leads and vocalist Tom Smith's delivery so reminiscent of McCulloch. "Munich" is a dancefloor stormer; a raucous number with a heart pounding drumbeat, stabbing guitars, and a super-catchy chorus, this track will have you on your feet dancing and playing air guitar in no time. The Back Room also contains some moodier cuts, as the band takes a darker turn with the brilliant "Fall." The song is both sad and beautiful, with its uplifting chorus reminiscent of early-Cure or the Chameleons. Eleven tracks in all and not a dud in the bunch, and if you are a fan of any of the aforementioned artists, the Editors' debut will be an essential purchase. [JS]

"Astral Aurelia Aurita Lamarck"

"Meditation of Pelagia Panopyra Peron"

Jellyfish Rising is the newest solo CD from Acid Mothers Temple's head honcho. The album features two solo guitar pieces that display a gentler, more introspective Kawabata Makoto getting hypnotic with six strings and a handful of delay effects boxes--the epic tracks each land in the 27-minute zone. Track one, "Astral Aurelia Aurita Lamarck" is a winding, undulating, ascending/descending harp-like voyage through the outer cosmos, veiled in translucent white silk. In other words, it's cosmic and intimate at the same time--minimal, yet complex. You know exactly what I'm saying. Track two, "Meditation of Pelagia Panopyra Peron" is more of a slowly rising water ballet soundtrack, complete with gradually arcing chords. This one is most reminiscent of Robin Guthrie doing a soundtrack--it's not as finger-picked, but with similar chords. Stars of the Lid's "Ballasted Orchestra," with a guitar pulse running through it, is another thing that comes to mind. Critics have been citing Schulze, Riley and Gottsching as influences here. I don't know, maybe in process, but to me Kawabata's pieces seem much more gentle and sensitive. They're not as grand, or exploratory; I mean that in a good way. [SM]

"Concrete City Breakdown"

"OMGS"

There's a small quote on the back of the new CD from Green Milk from the Planet Orange that naively proclaims, "Progressive rock is not dead." We didn't think it was either, thanks to bands like the Fucking Champs, Dillinger Escape Plan and, of course, the Mars Volta. (I even suspect that these days, many burn-out uncles might be passing down their worn-out '70s-era Rush albums to their nephews and nieces…never mind that you can still smell the pot residue in the crease of the gatefold.) But if prog-rock actually was dead, it's safe to say that Green Milk from the Planet Orange's new album, City Calls Revolution, could almost singularly resurrect this art-rock form. Don't let my earlier Rush mention scare you, even if GMFTPO are a trio, we're not talking Dungeons and Dragons or bad Tolkien-inspired lyrics. (I don't understand Japanese, so if there are any tales of dragon slayings or hairy-toed hobbits, I couldn't tell you.) But here's what I do know; this is some heaaaaaaaaavy shit, and not that Emerson, Lake and Palmer crap your uncle is still blasting in his pick-up.

Produced by Paul Mahajan (TV on the Radio, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Liars), the four tracks on City Calls Revolution come in at just under 74-minutes and, like any prog/psych record worth its weight in crippy, visits many alternate universes, often within one song. The 19:55 opener, "City Concrete Breakdown," begins with three-or-so minutes of pleasant, spacey ambience before erupting into some serious guitar shredding, with odd time signature changes to follow. Gibson SG player Dead K speaks and shrieks like Damo Suzuki on a bad speed trip, as the constantly moving bass drops in and out, giving temporarily relief for those who might be prone to epileptic seizures. But while it appears that the band may be on the verge of spinning wildly out of control, at closer inspection, this proves to be absolutely false. GMFTPO seem to be riding the same psychic wave as a bunch of old free jazz players, instinctively knowing when to reel in the abandon and hover in quieter spaceways for a few minutes. Throughout the album, there are some obvious similarities to the Boredoms (but not as many freak-outs), Acid Mothers Temple, and even a little Amon Düül II, only replace the communal vibe of the latter two artists with an electric dose of garage rock and a trace of fusion.

City Calls Revolution's real gem, however, is the sprawling 38-minute long closer, "A Day in the Planet Orange." For the first three-quarters of the song, the track speeds up and slows down, but never quite explodes, instead taking 20-or-so-minutes to crest into some pretty far-out psychedelic territory that unexpectedly gets squashed by the ringing of an old telephone. The listener uncomfortably listens in on one side of a phone conversation and suddenly, with a blood curdling scream, all hell breaks loose as molten lava flows to the surface. Be forewarned, if you prefer your guitar and bass wizardry in milder doses, stick to Dungen or Mars Volta. But fans of Magma, Ruins, and any of the aforementioned artists will want to take more than a sip or two of Green Milk. [GH]

"T for Texas"

"I Wonder If I Care as Much"

The Everly Brothers were one of America's most successful teen idol groups in the late 1950s, with massive hits like "Bye Bye Love" and "Wake Up Little Suzie." Many people don't seem to realize that the duo actually made a series of phenomenal and mature pop LPs throughout the 1960s, after their popularity had significantly declined. Many of their best records from that later time period, including It's Everly Time and In Our Image, have recently become available on CD. One of the best of the bunch is the last album the Everlys made for Warner Brothers, 1968's Roots. The record brings the Brothers back to their country roots (for lack of a better word), interspersing clips from the Everly family's 1952 radio broadcasts with the Brothers' new interpretations of classics by the likes of Merle Haggard, Jimmie Rodgers, and George Jones. The whole album was arranged by Ron Elliott of the Beau Brummels, fresh off the sessions for his band's country-rock masterpiece Bradley's Barn. Roots combines the style of that great record--and the Byrds' album from the same year, Sweetheart of the Rodeo--with the Everlys' signature high vocal harmonies, and it sounds tremendous. This was Warner's final stab at making the Everlys popular again, so the label pulled out all the stops on this absolutely epic record. No one makes 'em like this anymore. [RH]

"Common Ends"

"This Journey In"

Whatever happened to acid jazz? The London revival of soul, dancefloor jazz and funk that brought us the Brand New Heavies, Galliano and the Young Disciples seemed to get swept under the nu soul rug as the '90s came to a close. But the debut album from the Rebirth proves that it never totally went away. Of course, in Chicago they call this steppers music, but whatever; This Journey In is a collection of 11 mid-tempo groovers. Soulful interplay between the vocal harmonies, funky guitar licks, and shimmering keyboards dance over solid, head-nodding beats that will bring to mind the aforementioned groups, and should sit nicely next to your Amp Fiddler, D'Angelo, Peven Everett and Jill Scott albums. You get the idea…this is solid summer movin' for those last remaining sweltering days. [GA]

Definitive reissues of definitive albums from a definitive American band. Elektra/Rhino have remastered and expanded the first two Stooges masterpieces (wisely staying away from the somewhat contentious third album, Raw Power, of which there can apparently never be a "definitive" version), adding a second disc of bonus tracks to each, more than doubling the length of both packages. The Stooges record includes the original John Cale mixes of "No Fun", "1969", "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and "Little Doll", plus some interesting alternate vocal takes and unedited expanded versions. Fun House adds mostly alternate takes (take 22 of "Loose"...now it can be heard!) and the single mixes of "Down in the Street" and "1970." If you like rock and roll and don't own these records, just buy them both. If you already own the LP, CD and MP3 versions, the fine remastered sound and extra material still make these hard to pass up. [JM]

"Mr. Mercedes"

"Red Lights"

What do you do when life hands you raucous garage slop, '70s hard rock, new wave art punk, and a dissonant 16-minute jam? You make Modey Lemon-ade. Guaranteed to satisfy even the most intense and diverse cravings.

THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS

[GA] Geoff Albores
[AB] Adrian Burkholder
[AC] Amanda Colbenson
[GH] Gerald Hammill
[RH] Rob Hatch-Miller
[AK] Andreas Knutsen
[JM] Josh Madell
[SM] Scott Mou
[JS] Jeremy Sponder


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