FEATURED NEW RELEASES
Mountains
Kelley Polar
Lavender Diamond
Bridget St. John
Eccentric Soul: The Deep City Label
Acid Mothers Afrirampo
New York Noise 2
Black Merda

Kyle Gann
Matthew Shipp
Crushed Butler
Edu Lobo
Sitting Target

COMPLETE LIST OF THIS WEEK'S NEW ARRIVALS

MOUNTAINS
Sewn
(Apestaartje)

"One"

"Two"

After successful national and international tours, and an acclaimed album under their belts, the two-man project Mountains (separately known as Anderegg and Aero) have released their anticipated second release, entitled Sewn. The wondrous weaving of acoustic, electronic/melodic and textural elements are what Mountains is all about. And although there are plenty of pastoral electronic artists out there these days, not many can capture the atmosphere and power of nature the way that this duo manages to.

I've often described Mountains to newcomers simply as "Fennesz with song-structure, with equal texture and a focus on beauty." Equal parts Mego and Fahey. Sewn, like their previous self-titled album, is full of slowly building and shifting organic layers of textural sound made up of rich field recordings, acoustic instrumentation and electronics. With this album, there is both a sharper focus and an even more gradual, natural ease to the pace. Track markers only serve to divide up the listening experience since each section leads naturally into the next. Finger-picked guitar of noticeable power and melodic complexity take turns under the spotlight with seemingly more subtle layers of electronics and natural sounds that move with quiet intent. These sounds grow imperceptibly to the point of swallowing the space previously occupied by the more recognizable instruments--a dew-covered hill slowly overtaken by early morning fog and the rising sun comes to mind. The "new age" element is still there too but Mountains has a way of demonstrating nature rather than just illustrating it. It's the real deal here, folks. They're feeling it and so will you. [SM]

"Black Hole"

"Cosmological Constancy"

Metro Area's secret weapon, the classically-trained Kelley Polar finally steps out with his first full-length release, an opulent and richly textured piece of work. While your first reaction to having a string player make dance tracks is to lump him together with Arthur Russell, Polar's work hangs in a slightly different way. Focusing on sleek, aerodynamic surfaces and humming rhythms swirl together with his violin to make like a lost disco track vertiginous with strings. Hanging Gardens moves effortlessly and at a great speed that's almost unnoticeable, racing like a Beamer out on the Palisades Parkway at 3 A.M. And its cover couldn't be more appropos, as it is at once gaseous and heavenly. [AB]

"You Broke My Heart"

The brilliant debut EP by Los Angeles-based folk-pop ensemble Lavender Diamond has finally reached New York. They've been steadily garnering attention on the West Coast for a little while now, having reportedly stolen the show at last year's Arthur Fest. The opening song on this EP is so good, I'm not surprised; Cavalry of Light is easily the most infectious concoction these ears have heard in a good long while. The premise is simple: just have the lovely voice of singer Rebecca Starck repeat the mantra "you broke my heart" for a full two-thirds of the song over a steadily rising battery of bells, piano, and acoustic guitars, which then breaks into a glorious crescendo followed by emotionally engaging text about things like light and love. It's about 10 times better than I could hope to possibly make it sound here and it has practically restored my faith in the power of the single. The remaining three tunes are quite lovely and will make you feel very glad to be living in a Vashti Bunyan-influenced era. [MK]

BRIDGET ST. JOHN
Ask Me No Questions
(Cherry Red)

"Many Happy Returns"

BRIDGET ST. JOHN
Songs for the Gentle Man
(Cherry Red)

"If You'd Been There"

BRIDGET ST. JOHN
Thank You For...
(Cherry Red)

"Fly High"

While there's no shortage of great folk reissues, the reemergence of these three long out-of-print albums by Bridget St. John is truly special. This trio of records ranks right up there with Sandy Denny's and Nick Drake's best work, not to mention Linda Perhac's Parallelograms and the seminal Just Another Diamond Day by Vashti Bunyan.

Championed by John Peel, St. John would be one of the first signings to his Dandelion label; and following her single "To B Without a Hitch," her full-length would see release in September of 1969. Produced by Peel, with a few guest musicians including her good friend John Martyn and Occasional Word Ensemble's Rick Sanders, St. John's debut was recorded in only 10 hours, yet the beautifully understated playing is perfect for the gentle spirit of these tracks. Her deep voice is reminiscent of Nico's, though St. John's songs are much more reflective than dark, with detailed images of nature and cityscapes shaping her daydream stories. And while most of Ask Me No Questions was modestly produced, the title cut is amazing, bursting at the seams with rich layers of vocal harmonies and guitar, and offset against a background of church bells and birdsong.

Because of ongoing distribution problems, Dandelion wouldn't release St. John's second full-length until February of '71. Unlike her previous album, Songs for the Gentle Man made a lot more use of backing musicians and the recording studio, overseen by producer Ron Geesin (who had worked with Pink Floyd on their Atom Heart Mother album). St. John sounded more confident than ever, and here, the tasteful orchestration added a whole new dimension to her husky voice and lovely finger-picked guitar work. In album opener "A Day a Way," St. John's descriptive lyrics are brought to life by colorful flute passages, while a flurry of strings in "Seagull-Sunday" empowers her song of flight and freedom. Other highlights include her lilting cover of John Martyn's "Back to Stay," and the delicate baroque-folk of "Downderry Daze." In the liner notes, author Kim Cooper perfectly describes Songs for the Gentle Man when she writes, "Imagine a Nico of the buttercups, all sunshine, smiles and cautious optimism…a small record, yet one that fills the room and lingers."

A year later, St. John would make her entry into the folk-rock world with Thank You For… Co-produced by the Jerry Boys, her backing band included top notch players like Steeleye Span bassist Rick Kemp, members of country rockers Quiver, Fairport Convention drummer Dave Mattacks, as well as returning stalwarts Rick Sanders and John Martyn. More optimistic in tone than her previous two albums, Thank You For…kicks off with the country-influenced "Nice" and then dips into bluesy folk territory with its title cut. Songs like "Happy Day" and "Fly High" perfectly balance some of St. John's most memorable multi-tracked vocal melodies with intricate (yet restrained) instrumentation, including spooky guitar atmosphere from Martyn and his echo-plex in the latter number. Her haunting interpretation of the traditional folk song "Lazarus," as well as covers of Buddy Holly's "Every Day" and Bob Dylan's "Love Minus Zero, No Limit" round out the track selection. One would have thought that Thank You For… could have been her breakthrough, as contemporaries like Joni Mitchell were receiving much acclaim at this time, but this wasn't the case. The struggling Dandelion label would fold a year after its release and success would continue to evade her, even after she moved over to a major label. In 1976, St. John relocated to New York City, where she still resides and continues to play music to this day. [GH]

Ask Me No Questions includes two bonus songs, and Thank You For… features 10 additional tracks, including a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Passin' Thru," and several live cuts.

$18.99 CD

"Am I a Good Man?" Them Two

"Someone To Fulfill My Needs" Moovers

The core of the Deep City house band came together in the late-'60s from the fierce Florida A&M University Incomparable Marching 100 band, a powerful group that was fabled to be in better shape than the football team that they supported, with a nearly violent, acrobatic show as their stock-in-trade. You can sometimes hear the influence of the marching band sound on this collection assembled by the Numero Group, with tightly syncopated drumming and sharp horn punches punctuating the tracks, but while the musicianship is focused and intense, the grooves are relaxed Motown styled floor-fillers, and especially for the label's two biggest stars, Helene Smith and Betty Wright, swinging, emotional soul. The majority of the songs were written and produced in varying combinations by Willie Clarke, Johnny Pearsall, and Clarence Reid (Blowfly!), who all followed their short-lived collaboration with chart success as producers and writers for many great national artists. Just give a listen to Freda Gray & The Rocketeers' "Stay Away From My Johnny", Helene Smith's "Thrills and Chills", or Betty Wright's "Good Lovin'", and you'll understand why. [JM]

"We're Acid Mothers Afrirampo!"

"The Exorcist of Love"

It was just a matter of time before Acid Mothers Temple and Afrirampo collided in their universe of mesmerizing live shows and psychedelic improvisation. Afrirampo had already blown away Kawabata and crew with their vocals-drums-guitar dynamism at a show in 2003, which led to duo Oni and Pika lending vox on two of AMT's albums. After releasing Afrirampo's early recordings as a reissue on their AMT label, the groups seemed hooked on each others' energies thereafter.

Both are bands whose myriad of fuzz, nova-sized freakouts and transcendental guitar lines are best captured in a live setting, so We Are Acid Mothers Afrirampo has a lot to live up to. Of the three songs on this release, the title track bubbles up with promise, mixing Hano-styled guitar work with childlike vocals and spacey electronics. It's all soon carried by a grooving bass line and a wall of drums, rattled with cymbal crashes. This cut's a long one, morphing into many different escapades that conjure the Boredoms in parts, spits up the vocal style of Ruins in another, and even playfully injects Melt Banana. It's all seamlessly gathered, though, giving that laidback collective vibe that AMT has always proffered.

"The Exorcist of Love" exhales some slower jams, incorporating violin, kantele and hippie percussion. Oni and Pikacyu's voices swirl with Tsuyama and Kawabata's amongst well timed drum spurts, cymbal crashes, electronic sounds and meandering guitar. "The Man from Magic Mountain" grabs the electronic knobs more tightly, keeping the Afrirampo vocals solid in the mass of otherworldly improvisation and smile inducing noise.

It may not induce the same energy as a live show, but We Are Acid Mothers Afrirampo is a good loud headphone listening jam that will make you want to be at the next party they throw together. [LG]

"Tiger Stripes" Felix w/Arthur Russell & Nicky Siano

"Favourite Sweater" Y Pants

While post-punk-funk might not be the order of the day anymore and the dust has settled after the giant new wave explosion of some years ago, the second installment in Soul Jazz's New York Noise series proves there is still plenty to be unearthed. Where volume one focused on the dancier aspect of the '80s underground, the scope of the follow-up is wider, and the tracklisting less obvious, and all the better for it. But dancers, fear not, as there is plenty on here to get excited about, in particular a lost Arthur Russell/Nicky Siano collaboration and Clandestine's dubby disco. Other highlights include Rhys Chatham's minimalist guitar workout, the toy store no wave of Y Pants, and a primal Stooges-like assault by Red Transistor. A star map might come in handy this time around also, as contributions by Jim Jarmusch, Glenn Branca, and Ann Magnuson are hidden beneath the rubble. Another excellent document of an era long gone and impossible to recreate, here's to volumes three, four, five and six. [AK]

BLACK MERDA
The Folks from Mother's Mixer
(Funky Delicacies/Tuff City)

"The Folks from Mother's Mixer"

"Sometimes I Wish"

"Uprooting racial (and musical) stereotypes with each new release, Jimi and Sly utilized the freedom inherent in rock and roll to expose thriving new visions of society--visions induced by the social revolution of the black man in America and articulated by these black men." - Rickey Vincent author of Funk

This is the cultural crux that Black Merda found themselves bracketing and interconnecting, an era where racial musical fusion and inter-social cross-pollinating styles not only made sense but was somewhat inevitable, as everything "free" and "radical" that etched into the psychedelic '60s/early-'70s hippie-credo translated and transmitted, and eventually blurred across everything "white" and "black". Black artists like the Chambers Brothers and Funkadelic were also found at the same junction, along with the Isley Brothers, Ohio Players and Bar-Kays. Though where the latter three evolved out of their rock repertoire beginnings into the funky disco domain, and the former artists went on to see commercial success, Black Merda were the raw real deal, and hovering at regional success levels (and later achieving cult status amongst collectors and fans alike) akin to artists like Hot Chocolate.

Black Merda just had the fly and authentic attitude and guise. Gritty Mississippi meets inner-city Detroit, these boys weren't as decked as Funkadelic (though they were visually captivating as they pretty much had the looks down, with their aerial afros and fashionable bell-bottoms) or backed with the paper to make for flashy gear to show. No need, Merda was the blues, and they had the soul that emanated through their vision…and bare hands.

Merda was featured on 2002's highly acclaimed Chains and Black Exhaust compilation, a fantastic collection pieced together by Dante Carfagna and the Memphix vinyl archaeologists. And now, here is a long overdue collection of Black Merda's tunes, a fantastic boiling pot of power-rockin, axe-lickin' psychedelia akin to Hendrix and Scorpion, jailbird Muddy Waters-esque blues, and an abundance of dusty-ass funk--making Black Merda Motor City's (if not the rest of the country!) tightest and coolest black rock bands, ever. [MT]

KYLE GANN
Long Night
(Cold Blue)

"Long Night"

Cold Blue is a West Coast-based label with an excellent roster of composers who generally specialize in lyrical minimalism. Their releases are almost uniformly great, but for whatever reason we haven't ever quite given them the proper attention they deserve. Maybe it's because their artists have names like Rick, John, and Jim instead of Deaf, Gold, and Gas, I dunno. The release at hand, The Long Night, by critic and composer Kyle Gann, came out last year but we just couldn't let it slip through the cracks. It is a piece for three pianos, here all played in a multi-tracked performance by Sarah Cahill, that Gann composed in the early-'80s during what he claims was his Brian Eno influenced period. I think there are some superficial resemblances to Eno's early ambient work, but The Long Night generally casts aside the cool reserve in favor of a bit more drama and passion--which isn't to say it hits you over the head with it. I generally hate to make corny analogies like this, but the piece really does remind one of a dark, wind-swept night on an ocean somewhere. The three separate pianos are kept slightly off time from one another and do somewhat undulate like a wave. Definitely the most beautiful CD in our store for under ten dollars at the moment. [MK]

MATTHEW SHIPP
One
(Thirsty Ear)

"Patmos"

"Module"

Pianist Matthew Shipp has been involved in some of the more interesting projects in New York's jazz scene for well over a decade. From his work with David S. Ware, William Parker and Susie Ibarra, to curating the Blue Series, an exploration of electronica and hip-hop with jazz, Shipp has consistently pushed the boundaries. So it is surprising that for his new album he decided to depart from his free jazz and electronic experiments to explore the outer regions of his first love, the piano. Yes, a solo piano record. Not something that I am normally drawn to but, as of late, have been finding myself more and more intrigued by, with the help of two recent discoveries, Gonzales' and Sun Ra's solo piano albums. With One, we get 12 pieces of surprising depth and complexity, and if you allow yourself to listen carefully, you will be rewarded with an engaging album of lyrical storytelling and rich detailing. Speaking loud without saying a single word. [GA]

CRUSHED BUTLER
Uncrushed
(RPM)

"Factory Grime"

"Love Fighter"

I'm well giddy on this 'band-that-time-forgot'…UK's short-lived and unsung garage gallants, Crushed Butler!! If not intriguing for their name alone, maybe these (un)refined info-bits will interest. This band was one of those "never heard til now" UK bands from the late-'60s/early-'70s. You're perhaps already thinking of another freaky folk or strange psych title, but these guys existed outside of the hippie daydream and felt that working class rage and those urban doldrums before the fancied punk revolution hit the proverbial streets. Crushed Butler was the soul and grit of John Lydon, George Brigman, and the Stooges condensed into one proto-hessian contaminated pill for mod-poppin' consumption, years before any of those artists and scenesters did their dirty thing, in 1971! Just a couple of ragged and chunky dudes, and a 17-year-old pinup/teen heart-throb drummer boy (who holds a wicked beat) jamming the same kind of tunes to boot…catchy, hooligan boogie-blues leaving a trail of glam glitter in their shredding path. RPM done ace, dusting off these pogo-rawkin' songs and presenting Uncrushed--a short yet seminal best of collection from this inspiring power trio. [MT]

EDU LOBO
Sergio Mendes Presents Lobo
(Rev-Ola)

"Zanzibar"

"Even Now"

While it's true that we enjoy challenging, trailblazing, mind-boggling Brazilian music such as the outer reaches of Tropicalia and the recent reappraisal of Lula Cortes y Ze Ramalho, that doesn't mean that the pleasures of a well-crafted song escape our ears. Case in point is this recently reissued Edu Lobo record from 1969 on the Rev-Ola label, who brought us last year's sweet Evie Sands reissue. A vastly underrated songwriter of MPB, Lobo had been recording throughout the decade, but this session, done at the behest of advocate Sergio Mendes in California, is stunning, as sunny and bright as any on the A&M imprint from this era. In the pocket playing from jazzmen like Hermeto Pascoal and Airto Moreira (he added exotic percussion on those early-'70s Miles Davis records) help further the cause, and Lobo turns in a first-rate set, to where the effervescent cover of "Hey Jude" tacked on the end is almost superfluous to all the highlights that precede it. An excellent way to be reintroduced to 'the Wolf.' [AB]

SITTING TARGET
Original Soundtrack
(Finders Keepers)

"Main Theme"

"Solitaire"

B-movie soundtrack enthusiasts look no further! In the thriller-chiller rituality of Wickerman and Psychomania soundtrack reissues, now blows in the recently excavated Sitting Target original soundtrack recording--made obtainable in over 30 years by the dusty-fingered diggers and cult-film gaping b-culture anthropologists over at the Finders Keepers label. Sitting Target, a little-known, hair-raising British crime classic released in 1972, actually pre-dates Wickerman (1973) with a scintillating score composed by Stanley Myers that creeps, lurks, and looms in kindred spirit, also echoing the best of Komeda, Morricone, and Bruno Nicolai. A perfect companion for the Vampyros Lesbos reissue. [MT]

THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS

[GA] Geoff Albores
[AB] Adrian Burkholder
[LG] Lisa Garrett
[GH] Gerald Hammill
[MK] Michael Klausman
[AK] Andreas Knutsen
[JM] Josh Madell
[SM] Scott Mou
[MT] Mahssa Taghinia





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