FEATURED NEW RELEASES
Beirut
Telescopes
Chapterhouse
Jesu
Panama! (Various Artists)
Sunset Rubdown
Os Mutantes (5 reissues)
Ellen Allien & Apparat
Henson Cargill
Lucio Battisti
Yo La Tengo
Congos & Friends

The Servants

ALSO AVAILABLE
Spectre Folk
Mapstation
Taylor Deupree
RJD2

BACK IN STOCK
Oriental Sunshine

COMPLETE LIST OF THIS WEEK'S NEW ARRIVALS

"The Gulag Orkestar"

"Postcards from Italy"

Okay, I admit to being a little prejudiced against this album before I had even gotten around to listening to the promo CD sitting on my desk. Beirut was a name I kept hearing about: be it Web surfing, in conversations with music acquaintances, friends raving…No, it didn't qualify as Arctic Monkey-styled hype, but I had a feeling that once this record came out, I'd be hearing a lot of it, so I'd always pass over this un-played promo for something else that was, well, a little less talked about. And there I was recently, at a café with some friends, when this gorgeous music came on the stereo. Amidst the bellowing, gypsy brass and the singer's impassioned croon, I imagined this to be some old, Bulgarian folk record that Jeff Mangum had surely discovered in a thrift shop, years ago, and had become so fully obsessed with that it became the backbone inspiration for those pan-ethnic carnival romps that we'd hear swirling through his Neutral Milk Hotel songs. It was at that moment, when I got up and walked over to the counter to see what was playing, that my belief in synchronicity was reaffirmed. Beirut.

Before I go on, I must also express my total shock and awe at the fact that these songs come from a 19-year-old multi-instrumentalist from Albuquerque named Zach Condon (his age, perhaps, being another reason that I had been so hesitant on giving the CD its initial spin). Condon's baritone voice is beautiful, delivered with the kind of world weariness that you don't expect a teenager to feel, let alone convey with such honesty. His melodies are a perfect match for the old Balkan-inspired arrangements; there's no shortage of ukuleles and mandolins, not to mention pianos, accordions, violins and marching band-styled percussion. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeremy Barnes (who also plays in A Hawk and a Hacksaw) and Heather Trost (also of A Hawk and a Hacksaw) are among the guest musicians. But this album is clearly Condon's baby, inspired from his earlier travels through Europe. It's not actually until more than halfway through the record that you really detect any modern influences; the toy synthesizer percolating underneath his deep waver in "Scenic Word" will make the ears of any Magnetic Fields fan perk up.

It's been eight years since Mangum brought us Neutral Milk Hotel's swan song, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, and then subsequently went into hiding. Though Condon eschews Mangum's fuzzy folk and surreal imagery for the somber sounds of the former Eastern bloc, I can't help but listen to Gulag Orkestar and not be reminded of the first time I heard those shambolic horns and felt that indescribable yearning emotion in Neutral Milk's opus. Beirut's debut is obviously no means its sequel, but it's the closest thing that we may ever get. [GH]

"The Perfect Needle"

"Please, Before You Go"

"Violence"

If the Telescopes were a baby, it would have been conceived in the rafters at a Spacemen 3 show, blasted with MBV and JAMC while in the womb, and its birth would be reminiscent of the famous stomach-bursting one in Alien, violent and punk as uh…fawk. This album has it all: face-melting riffs, droned-out tidal walls of sonic assault, a lead vocal delivery that careens between a hypnotic dark croon and a spastic, throat-shredding growl, complete with spittle shooting out of the speakers. Disorderly guitars (three of 'em battling it out) are the dark matter fueling this maelstrom of spaced-out, garage influenced experi-psych-rock. There is a rhythm section somewhere in the mess of distortion; you can hear it when the feedback dies down. The first few tracks had me fooled, thinking they were just another run-off band spawned by their contemporaries; but Taste--their aptly titled first full-length reissued on Rev-Ola--must have injected the British shoegazer scene with a shot of Detroit deadliness. Think Fun House-era Stooges. In fact, that is what separates the Telescopes from their jangly, shoe-gazey brethren--amidst the thunder fuzz and tremble is a whole lot of snarl and trouble. "The Perfect Needle" made the UK charts, but for me the hit is "Please, Before You Go." Hhheeeaavvvyyyy, that's the track that triggers Andreas' head-nodding when we play it in the store, and once that starts... [NL]

"Breather"

"Pearl"

My favorite band as a kid was, hands down, Jesus and Mary Chain. Psychocandy blew my mind with its pure pop songs covered in sheets of feedback and noise, and from then on I was hooked. Their influence was felt far and wide, and especially in the late-'80s when My Bloody Valentine released Isn't Anything. These two records influenced a generation and a few years later there were amazing bands popping up all over the UK with those two artists as their primary influence. The UK press coined the term "shoegaze" and the rest is musical history. Groups like Ride, Lush, Slowdive, Moose, Swervedriver, and, last but not least, Chapterhouse all put out great records in the early-'90s. They were dreamy like the Cocteau Twins (Robin Guthrie produced some tracks on Whirlpool), noisy like My Bloody Valentine, and repetitious like the Velvet Underground. What more could anyone want?

In 1991, Chapterhouse released Whirlpool and it was a stunner of an LP. A track like "Breather" was the perfect companion to Ride's "Chelsea Girl," with the Beatles-influenced melody drowned in feedback. "Pearl" was Chapterhouse's answer to MBV's highly-influential "Soon," with its distorted guitars, beatbox rhythm, and dual male/female vocals (with the female vox courtesy of Slowdive's Rachel Goswell). "Treasure" is another stunner, a beautiful feedback-laden track with a rolling drumbeat that is easily one of my favorite shoegaze songs of all time. It's been years since Whirlpool has been in print, with copies fetching absurd amounts on e-Bay. Thanks to Cherry Red, it's available again with seven bonus tracks culled from their three EPs. The only thing missing is the brilliant cover of the Beatles' "Rain." I guess they couldn't pay Michael Jackson enough to get it on here. Oh well, these 16 tracks are all you will ever need. Whirlpool is a classic and a must for anyone who owns a Slowdive, Ride, or My Bloody Valentine album. An essential piece in the shoegaze puzzle! [JS]

"Silver"

With a career that spans 20 years of extreme music, from Napalm Death to Godflesh to Techno Animal, Justin Broadrick kicked 2005 off with a thud on the self-titled album by his latest project, Jesu. Shedding the pummeling outward aggression of past projects, Jesu is a march inwards and backwards, glacial guitar riffs ringing out mournfully and pinned to a techno-metallic corkboard, its wings allowed to flap a few last times before the world blacks out. Intensely emotive and viscerally powerful, Silver improves upon the funeral march of the debut, in the process increasing the impact of the material. Imagine Codeine's cascading slowcore riffage pushed through the filter of post-Loveless shoegaze and bolstered with suitably thick processing and effects, and you have the most forceful and direct work Broadrick's authored since Streetcleaner. The four songs on this EP are completely crushing, like 10 Curve records being played at once (nothing I'd ever argue against, by the way)--all traveling precariously under black ice and a carapace of frozen love. "Star" is the obvious single, charging forth with digital drive and more ennui than an NYU freshman dorm before settling into a slower, more hopeful pattern of resolute emotive search. "Wolves" and the title track crawl along with gorgeously pained intent. Silver is Broadrick's most accessible release yet, but also one of his most powerful, bringing back an era of kohl-eyed desolation--where New Wave met club industrial, but didn't forget the songs--in the loudest way possible. His ghosts in the machine will reach out to fans of Radiohead, Coldplay and Doves as directly as to fans of Broadrick's earlier work, and other acts in and around the orbit of the Hydra Head universe. [DM]

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Panama! Latin Funk and Calypso on the Isthmus 1965-75
(Soundway Records)

"Panama Esta Bueno Y Mar" Los Exagerados

"Let Me Do My Thing" Los Dinamicos Exciters feat. Ralph Weeks

Subtitled "Latin, Calypso and Funk on the Isthmus 1965-75," this new set from Soundway (responsible for last year's stellar T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo) proves that there's more to the country than the old palindrome: "A man, a plan, a canal, Panama." Situated between the two Americas, the musicians draw from both sides. There's a battery of fine Afro-Cuban polyrhythms on display, but also a heavy debt to American funk, with a few tracks shouted out in English. The compilation shows Panamanians having a great deal of respect for Soul Brother Number One, James Brown (see The Exciters' "New Bag.") A fine culture clash either way. [AB]

SUNSET RUBDOWN
Shut Up I am Dreaming
(Absolutely Kosher)

"Stadiums and Shrines II"

"Us Ones in Between"

Every now and then, Spencer Krug takes a break from his day job in Wolf Parade and records as Sunset Rubdown. Shut Up I am Dreaming, his third release following an album and an EP, contains influences from his previous stint in Frog Eyes and the aforementioned Wolf Parade. The songs are lo-fi and distorted with multiple changes, not to mention Spencer's unmistakable warbled vocal delivery. They range from the quirky marching band rock of "They Took a Vote and Said No," with its repetitive drum beat, percussive vocal, and bells, to the soft, piano-driven balladry of "Us Ones in Between." The slow-building opener, "Stadiums and Shrines II," could easily fit in on Wolf Parade's debut album, with pounding drums and the noodling guitar riff. Both extremely quirky and poppy at the same time, it's a real gem of a song. Well, we already knew that Spencer was a great songwriter and with Shut Up I am Dreaming, he definitely solidifies that status. Not to say that every song here is incredible, there are a few duds, but overall a very solid album filled with the quirky songwriting that we have grown to love. Recommended to fans of the aforementioned bands, as well as Destroyer and Modest Mouse. [JS]

OS MUTANTES - FIRST FIVE ALBUMS

Os Mutantes
(Universal Brazil)

"A Minha Menina"

Mutantes
(Universal Brazil)

"Magica"

A Divina Comedia Ou Ando Meio Desligado
(Universal Brazil)

"Meu Refrigerador Nao Funciona"

Jardim Eletrico
(Universal Brazil)

"Jardim Eletrico"

E Seus Cometas No Pais Do Baurets
(Universal Brazil)

"E Seus Cometas No Pais Do Baurets"

At long last, the first five records from legendary Brazilian psych-art-folk-prog-freaks Os Mutantes are again available. Considering the importance these records have in the history of Brazilian music and psychedelia, as well as the sheer joy that radiates from the grooves, it is amazing that these have been unavailable to us for so long. (We sold close to 2000 copies of the debut when it was first made available domestically in '99). Os Mutantes were central to the famed Tropicalia movement that shook Brazil in the late-'60s, as a group of young artists and musicians revolted against the restrictive policies of the culture ministry (and the government in general), incorporating American and British influences of folk, rock and roll, and psychedelia in a decidedly Brazilian concoction that is percussive, playful, and electric at a time when it was actually forbidden to use an electric guitar in public.

The core trio of Arnaldo Baptista, his brother Sergio Dias Baptista, and chanteuse Rita Lee crafted a number of brilliant records, beginning in '68 with Os Mutantes, but they were not alone in their efforts; the trio was also a vehicle for the masterminds of the movement, with the majority of the tracks on the debut written by Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Jorge Ben in collaboration with each other and the band. While all these artists were making revolutionary music at the time (quite literally, as both musically and lyrically they were aggressively challenging the status quo, eventually causing a number of the key players to be exiled to Europe to avoid prosecution), Os Mutantes were in many ways the wildest of the lot, famed for full-scale performance art concerts that pushed the boundaries of the absurd while remaining anchored by truly timeless songwriting.

Even today, the music rises above the drama and politics from which it sprang, managing to be smart, funny, catchy, creepy, danceable and thought-provoking all at the same time, while never losing its sense of fun. Driving percussion, swirling organ, fuzz-guitar, strummed acoustic, punchy horns and layered harmonies all join together in this steaming dish, and nearly 40 years later, the plate is still hot and fresh. As with many groups, their debut is probably their finest moment, in their case likely due to a combination of the intense political and emotional battles they were fighting to be heard, and the tight-knit group of collaborators with whom they were working, soon to be blown by the winds of change to the four corners of the world. But the first three albums are all thrilling from start to finish, and even as they grew more outlandish and "progressive" on the following few albums, they remained one of the most interesting groups of the time.

As the group takes to the road for the first time in more than 30 years (sans Rita, who has maintained a huge pop presence in Brazil and declined to reunite with her former comrades), now is the time to start your collection or fill in the gaps. We hope to keep these classics available, but historically that has not always been easy to do, as this is must-hear music for fans of psychedelia, Latin, folk, protest…or good music in general. [JM]

ELLEN ALLIEN & APPARAT
Orchestra of Bubbles
(Bpitch Control)

"Jet"

"Turbo Dreams"

Two of Berlin's most accessibly cerebral techno musicians also run labels--Allien runs Bpitch Control, and Apparat, a/k/a Sascha Ring, is behind Shitkatapult--making them arbiters of taste for a sizable community of DJs and clubbers throughout the world. That the two would make some of the most immediate, bright, and listenable music to date in collaboration with one another is somewhat of a surprise, albeit a welcome one. Orchestra of Bubbles finds Apparat's experimental pop sensibilities meshing perfectly with Allien's buzzing hive of ARP synthesis and monolithically chilly soundscapes to create something more engaging than either of their most recent works. The front six tracks here swell with summery electro hooks and propulsive rhythms, and successfully pull traditional instruments (such as the pensive cello slashery within "Retina" and the thick brass of "Floating Points'" ping-ponging rhythms) into the spheres of digital disco. Sleek like a sports car and almost as fast, these tracks should please fans of the duo, and pop music aficionados from Coldplay to Daft Punk will get lost in these tracks, too. As for the back half, we find Apparat approaching traditional pop, a la the Pet Shop Boys in the glorious "Leave Me Alone" and a generally darker vibe, summated in the pinballing rubber-funk of "Do Not Break." Glorious electro-pop that will help to thaw your soul for the coming warm weather. [DM]

HENSON CARGILL
A Very Well Travelled Man
(Omni)

"Skip a Rope"

"Reprints (Plastic People)"

A Very Well Travelled Man collects a heaping of the best social protest and love songs that pop-country singer and former lawman Henson Cargill cut for Monument records between 1967 and 1970. Monument launched Roy Orbison to super-stardom and released Dolly Parton's first album, but they also weren't afraid to take chances on material and artists that operated outside of Nashville's rather rigid parameters; Kris Kristofferson, Tony Joe White, and Billy Joe Shaver were a few of the rebels whose careers benefited from Monument's early risk taking. Henson Cargill benefited from their benign open-mindedness as well. He had a number one country hit with "Skip a Rope," a song that had been uniformly rejected by all the other Nashville labels as being out of bounds due to the song's basic indictment of an entire generation for bad parenting, an idea which is conventional wisdom in our current therapeutic culture, but which was pretty radical in 1967.

Cargill was drawn to message songs and he had a fairly liberal and philosophical outlook (the liner notes dub it Zen Country), and he was one of the few country artists, like Johnny Cash or Kris Kristofferson, who realized there was a tide turning and that he ought to respond to the times. Unfortunately, in Cargill's case this didn't translate into more sales. It's possible that he was just a little bit too ahead of his time because the 27 songs on here are uniformly excellent. Monument were superb at catching an incredible studio sound and they did great justice to Cargill's work as well; his arrangements borrowed from both AM rock radio and slick Nashville sheen, and the drums even get positively funky more than once. This is a really fantastic collection of fascinating material...I mean, how often do you hear a country artist name check Henry Miller in a song? And if you've ever succumbed to the charms of Lee Hazlewood, Sanford Clark, or late-'60s Cash and Kristofferson, then you positively need this. [MK]

LUCIO BATTISTI
Amore Non E Amore
(Water)

"Dio Mio No"

"Seduto Sotto un Platano Con Una Margherita in Bocca Guardando il Fiume"

With the re-release of this Lucio Battisti album, along with reissues of the first two Franco Battiatos as well as Alan Sorrenti, it's shaping up to be a great year to unlock what was happening in Italy during the late-'60s/early-'70s. Battisti is an unsung hero outside of his native country (notes come from longtime fan Amedeo Pace of Blonde Redhead), even though his songs became hits in English for the Grass Roots and Amen Corner. Looking a bit like a hobo sad-sack on the cover of his third record, Battisti touches all the bases here: there are organ-fueled rave-ups, plush orchestral beds, moodier meditations, and cracked voice straight rockers. Melodic throughout, this is an excellent introduction to a man and a scene that rarely gets the accolades it deserves. (Also in stock: Lucio Battisti's self-titled debut album.) [AB]

YO LA TENGO
Is Murdering the Classics
(Egon)

"The Night Chicago Died"

"Oh Bondage, Up Yours!"

I first picked up this new Yo La Tengo release direct from Ira Kaplan, Mr. Tengo himself, and he was determined to break my enthusiasm; for every "I'm really looking forward to hearing this," he quickly countered with a "maybe you should actually check it out before you get too excited," and so on. It turned out that I have really gotten a kick out of this thing, but I'm certain that was part of the man's plan, to lower expectations and thus ease me into this record…from the title to the wonderful Adrian Tomine cartoon cover, to the oh-so-soft-sell technique, the group is downplaying this one. This is decidedly NOT the new Yo La Tengo studio album, which is scheduled to be released on Matador in the fall. But it IS, however, a half-baked, oddball collection of cover songs culled from the group's legendary annual WFMU fundraiser performances. To support the New Jersey based freeform radio staple, YLT has taken to the airwaves for many years with a premise not many groups could pull off in any way shape or form: for a donation to the station, Yo La Tengo will perform ANY request. No songbooks, no Internet lyric database, just the band and a few well-versed friends (Bruce Bennett, Lois Maffeao, Hamish Kilgour) taking a crack at any damn song you say, whether or not they know only the first line of the chorus, one chord, or less…they will give it a shot. For a little more money, you can actually insist on singing with them!

The results are all over the map, and I'm certain that this collection was not edited with an eye for the best performances, as much as it was the most outrageous. Without a doubt, the band nails a few, and completely destroys many more, but they always give it the old college try. "The Night Chicago Died", "Raw Power", "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" "Rock The Boat"… the results are more often hilarious than inspirational, but they are always interesting and fun. Needless to say, this is more of a fan-club release than one for charts, but I know there are quite a few Yo La Tengo super-fans reading this, and I feel confident saying that you should enjoy this one for quite some time. Oh yeah, and support freeform radio!!! [JM]

CONGOS & FRIENDS
Fisherman Riddim
(Blood & Fire)

"Love Love Love" 'Horace Andy

"Enjoy Your Business" Al Pancho

Over the last ten years, the fantastic UK reggae reissue label Blood & Fire has been responsible for some of the finest and roughest sides coming back into the hands of the masses, brilliantly researched and presented with care and reverence. On this, their latest release, one of the label's earliest triumphs--a deluxe reissue of the Congos' landmark album Heart of the Congos, the watershed release from Lee Perry's Black Ark-era production--is partially revisited, with reggae luminaries like Big Youth, U-Roy, Horace Andy, Dean Fraser and Luciano singing and toasting original lyrics over a new dub version of the legendary Congos track "Fisherman," now tightened up in a new Rhythm & Sound edit. Originally released last month as six 7" records, ten of the versions are included on this collection. To clarify…yes, this is essentially the same song ten times in a row on one album. However, it holds up well; each singer brings his own message and emotion to the track, giving all the versions their own distinct feel, as well as the impression that they're communicating with the spirit of the track itself. [DM]

THE SERVANTS
Reserved
(Cherry Red)

"The Sun, a Small Star"

"It's My Turn"

Another reissue of classic '80s pop by Cherry Red, who this time around collects singles and sessions by London-based the Servants. Centered around the songwriting of David Westlake (who later went on to record a solo album for Creation), the Servants also included Phil King (Felt, Lush) and, later on, Luke Haines of the Auteurs and Black Box Recorder. The main strength of Reserved lies in Westlake's carefully sculpted Byrds-ian janglepop, as he tells stories of love and woe that are on par with the best of the era (Biff Bang Pow!, Jasmine Minks, Sea Urchins, the Pastels). The first two singles and the Peel Session from 1986 stand out, with an irresistible combination of youthful energy and melancholia. Twenty tracks in total, leaving out the later duds in the band's catalog, this is yet another fine document of a time when Britannia actually did rule, complete with thorough liner notes by Haines. [AK]

SPECTRE FOLK
Requiem for Ming Aralia
(Three Lobed)

"Tendrils Floating Fastly"

Solo project by Pete Nolan (Magic Markers, GHQ, and occasionally Wooden Wand) who takes the psych-folk route here. After a slew of CD-Rs and cassettes, Requiem for Ming Aralia is the first official Spectre Folk release and it displays Nolan's sensitive side, as instrumental wayfarer and dark troubadour. There are nods to Jandek and this album should please disciples of Wooden Wand and Six Organs' invocations.

MAPSTATION
Distance Told Me Things To Be Said
(~scape)

"Horns Version"

Brilliant new album by Stefan Schneider (To Rococo Rot, Music A.M.) under his Mapstation moniker. Recorded between 2003 and 2005, Distance Told Me Things To Be Said is a mostly understated and organic affair, as Schneider combines synthetic basslines and drum machines with trombone, polyrhythmic percussion and field recordings, and on a few tracks unknowingly (?) invents digirocksteady. For fans of Jan Jelinek, Triosk, Pole, and Basic Channel.

TAYLOR DEUPREE
Northern
(12k)

"November"

New beautiful album by Taylor Deupree, which sees the NY sound artist fully embracing the minimalism he only partially explored on previous albums. Based around electric piano, melodica, guitar, and field recordings, Northern demands full attention and repeated listens, as the layers of sound swell and carefully undulate to create something that is intensely warm and introspective.

RJD2
Magnificent City Instrumentals
(Decon)

"All For You"

"Fire"

The instrumental version of Aceyalone's Magnificent City, RJD2 again displays his many styles. From the laidback and cinematic to ridiculously bangin' and funky, RJ proves he's still at the top of the production game. Guaranteed to fit in both your backpack and on the dancefloor.

ORIENTAL SUNSHINE
Dedicated to the Bird We Love
(Sunbeam)

"Across Your Life"

"Unless"

It's really great to get this back in again. We listed it a little over a year ago but we were never able to get nearly enough to satisfy demand and the version we carried had little in the way of back story, of which we knew nothing. Thankfully, Sunbeam has done right by Oriental Sunshine and tracked down both of the principal members, and they provide a charming account of the record's inception in 1970. I've really grown to love this record more and more over the past year, and it honestly sounds even better now than it did when I first heard it, but anyway, here is what I had to say at the time:

A lovely little gem of an album that I know next to nothing about. Eastern tinged psychedelic folk with mostly female vocals. Must be from the early-'70s. Sitars and tablas, an organ here or there, a nod to Krishna now and again. Great production. Incredibly moody and mysterious, with that currently popular folk/funk vibe that we just heard on the Folk Is Not a Four Letter Word comp. Indeed, Oriental Sunshine would've fit in on that album perfectly. The obligatory comparison to Linda Perhacs really wouldn't be all that uncalled for either. Less lysergic, though certainly more soaring. Truly not one single dud across its 11 tracks. [MK]

THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS

[AB] Adrian Burkholder
[GH] Gerald Hammill
[MK] Michael Klausman
[AK] Andreas Knutsen
[NL] Nicole Lang
[JM] Josh Madell
[DM] Doug Mosurock
[JS] Jeremy Sponder


THANKS FOR READING
- all of us at Other Music