Other Music has a couple of part-time openings for enthusiastic and knowledgeable sales clerks, who would also have the ability to contribute to our weekly new release update. If interested, please send a resume and short writing sample to jobs@othermusic.com by Thursday, November 9th for consideration. Individuals who have submitted a resume over the last several months in person are encouraged to re-apply via email.

It's another good mixed selection of artists in this week's Other Music eBay auction, with rarities from Thomas Koner, Gas, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Modest Mouse, Joe Turner, Andrew Deutsch, Current 93, Elliott Smith and more. Click here to view the full listing and place your bids

FEATURED NEW RELEASES
Architecture in Helsinki (Just In!)
My My
A Cloud Mireya
Heron
Selda
Mustafa Ozkent
Malajube
Les Georges Leningrad
Masayuki "JoJo" Takayanagi
Henrik Schwarz
DJ Jazz Jeff (Hip-Hop Forever III)
Brast Burn
Karuna Khyal
Andwella's Dream
The Tree People
Bow Wow Wow
Tappa Zukie

Laurent Garnier & Carl Craig (Kings of Techno)
The Knife
Animal Collective
Blueprints (12K compilation)
Brasilia
Upsetters
Jack Nitzsche
Nobody
Doug Sahm
Niobe

ALSO AVAILABLE
Albert Hammond Jr.

COMPLETE LIST OF THIS WEEK'S NEW ARRIVALS

ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI
We Died, They Remixed
(Bar None/Tailem Bend)

"In Case We Die" Dy Mehdi Remix

"Neverevereverdid" Cave Rave Remix by Yacht

Just in, a limited tour only Architecture in Helsinki remix album!!! For their latest tour abroad, AIH roped in friends and fans Safety Scissors, Isan, Mockey, Hot Chip, Dat Politics, and others to completely rework all fourteen songs of their excellent In Case We Die album. While supplies last.

MY MY
Songs for the Gentle
(Playhouse)

"Pelourinho"

"Got It"

A CLOUD MIREYA
Singular
(Eastern Developments)

"Those Nights"

"These Flowers"

A Cloud Mireya is the long-coming debut release from Guillermo Scott "Prefuse 73" Herren and Claudia "On!Air!Library!" Deheza, and fans of their separate projects should find a lot to like here. Under the Prefuse 73 and various other aliases, Herren has long staked a claim on the cutting edge of indie production, crafting lazy instrumental hip-hop, glitchy electronica and even ambient international folk sounds on his plethora of meticulous releases. Singular fuses several of his interests, with tripped-out grooves and free-flowing live instrumentation spooning in sweet harmony as the record slowly unfolds. Less insistent and more open-ended than Prefuse, more "modern" than Savath & Savalas, Herren's production throughout is understated and warm. The perfect palette for Ms. Deheza's dreamy pop songwriting and hazy vocals, her poetry slowly emerges from the mist, but the singer is clearly more concerned with the mood than the fine details, and she delivers throughout. Besides the strong pull of their other projects, this album stands on the shoulders of artists like Stereolab, Mazzy Star, Tortoise, and the even more old-fashioned shoegaze phenomena, but Herren's subtlety complex production and Deheza's sexy and shimmering vox make for quiet innovation and a great listen. [JM]

HERON
Upon Reflection: The Dawn Anthology
(Castle)

"Rosalind"

"Love 13"

Upon Reflection includes the complete recordings of Heron, a folk group that was formed in the suburbs of London in 1967. At the beginning of the '70s, they released two albums and a handful of singles on Dawn, a subsidiary of Pye that put out great records by Comus, Trader Horne, and Mike Cooper, who played slide guitar on some of Heron's songs. The group claimed the Incredible String Band as a major inspiration, but with the exception of a few old-timey numbers like a two-part cover of Woody Guthrie's "Sally Goodin," their songs sounded quite a bit more contemporary than the ISB's. Heron's three lead singers each wrote devastatingly great stripped-down acoustic pop songs. Because they felt uncomfortable in a studio setting, they made both of their albums outdoors using mobile recording equipment. You can literally hear birds chirping and wind blowing in the gaps between the songs, and the performances are incomparably relaxed and mellow. This two-disc anthology reveals Heron to've been one of the best and inexplicably least-known British folk bands of the early 1970s. It's definitely one of the year's most essential reissues. [RH]

SELDA
Selda
(Finders Keepers)

"Ince Ince"

"Niye Cattin Kaslarini"

MUSTAFA OZKENT
Genclik ile Elele
(Finders Keepers)

"Burcak"

"Zeytinyagli"

The b-boy Turkish invasion has officially begun. Oh you didn't hear about it? B-boy breaks from Turkey? Yep! Who woulda thunk it? But apparently a lot of the Turkish pop music from the '70s and '80s was seriously funky and chock full of wide open drum breaks that definitely would've been rocked in the South Bronx had Afrika Bambaataa or Kool Herc gotten hold of these gems. In any case, DJs and producers like Cut Chemist, DJ Shadow, Egon and Andy Votel have been obsessed with digging for these records for a few years, and now B-Music has opened the floodgates with these two stellar reissues of incredible albums by a couple of very interesting artists.

Selda Bagcan made her reputation as a politically outspoken folk singer in the late-'60s and early-'70s. She established a loyal underground following in Turkey but because of the controversial nature of her lyrics, no label would sign her. In 1975, she finally got the opportunity to record this debut album. Legendary Turkish prog rockers Mogollar and Arif Sag are her backing band here, and together they create one of the most singular sounding psych-folk records ever. Electronically treated guitars and keyboards, filtered acoustic guitars, head-cracking drums, it's all in here. And when you throw in Selda's soaring soprano singing with a rapid-fire delivery that sounds like Joan Baez covering a Sizzla tune …whoa!

Even more mind-blowing is the instrumental break bonanza that is Mustafa Ozkent's Genclik ile Elele. Ozkent was an inventor, musician and respected engineer who was asked to record an instrumental dance novelty band, not unlike Incredible Bongo Band conceptually and musically. Imagine the "Apache" break re-imagined as a crazy, b-boy belly dancing track and you may get somewhat of an idea of what we're dealing with. The beat digger who first discovered this album must've had a heart attack when his needle hit this record for the first time.

In any case, thanks must go out to Votel and company for letting the rest of the world hear this magnificent music. This is crazy, fun s**t! [DH]

MALAJUBE
Trompe l'Oeil
(Dare to Care)

"Montreal - 40c"

"Etienne D'aout"

Malajube are the latest indie rock sensation who claim Montreal as home. As if their Canadian roots couldn't make them any more unstoppable, Malajube also has a "gimmick" -- they only sing in French. I told you…unstoppable. Their brand new sophomore record, Trompe l'Oeil, is bursting at the seams with nervous, pseudo-intellectual, indie rocker boy energy that translates to a blissful cacophony of sweaty pop exuberance that doesn't let a little thing like a language barrier get in the way of kicking your ass. Does anyone even listen to lyrics anymore anyway? At least, these guys actually name their songs with actual titles, and not just numbers like all the kids seem to be doing these days. You'd be hard-pressed to find a four-piece kicking out the jams with more passion than Malajube. The fact that the word "Trompe" appears in these guys' album title and the Pixies is not lost on me. Just when I thought Sweden was taking over indie rock, Canada births another winner. Tres bien. [HG]

LES GEORGES LENINGRAD
Sangue Puro
(Tomlab)

"Skulls in the Closet"

"Scissorhands"

Grafting the impatient howl of Teenage Jesus and the Jerks to a dour, Goth-tinged electro soundtrack (which sort of gives you a more rhythmically active Siouxsie and the Banshees … in front of a strobe light), Montreal's Les Georges Leningrad has finally superseded the stagey nature of past releases with the steady mobbin' of Sangue Puro. Ten new songs march along with evil in their eyes, or sputter artistically into the open air. Fits in a niche somewhere between Glass Candy and Mika Miko. [DM]

MASAYUKI "JOJO" TAKAYANAGI
Action Direct
(Tiliqua)

"Loop Road"

"Reaction"

Three pieces from a live '85 concert by Japanese guitar improv legend Takayanagi, known well for his scorching free noise/improv works with his group New Direction, here performing solo in a controlled, prepared-guitar setup. Employing heavy effects processing and non-standard guitar playing materials -- like knives -- Takayanagi kicks up a sinister, roiling, mesh of sonic textural landscape … but wait, is that a snippet of a Hitler speech? What's going on here? Is that a hacksaw or a violin bow on the strings? Did the bowels of Hell just open? Touching on everything from Metal Machine Music to early Swans, Action Direct presents a new side to Takayanagi's work, a truly uncompromising, totalitarian, fear-stoking facet that will appeal to all fans of extreme music. [DM]

HENRIK SCHWARZ
DJ Kicks
(K7)

"Black Sea" / "Giya Kasiamore"

"You Can Be a Star" / "Get Around to It"

I thought I'd never wanna hear Moondog's "Bird's Lament" after all the car commercials happened, but Henrik Schwarz' DJ Kicks mix uses it as a launch pad into Double's "Woman of the World" so nicely that it just sets a tone that prepares the listener for whatever happens next. The inclusion of D'Angelo, James Brown ("Since You've Been Gone," not "Sex Machine"!), Cymande, Drexciya, Robert Hood, Pharoah Sanders, Arthur Russell, and Marvin Gaye had us expecting either the best or the worst. Thankfully the best is what we get. This is like a well-programmed, digital soul version of a Gilles Peterson mix for the dancefloor, whose theme revolves around "interesting electronic/digital soul production" that isn't as futuristic as it is now. It's a fun rollercoaster ride that keeps on giving, grooving, lifting, and falling throughout its 23 tracks. This is one of those sets that would have gotten the whole club smiling and dancing -- dashiki-wearing Afro-philes elbow to elbow with marine-shaped techno jocks. It's a small world after all, and we sure as hell can all get along!!! Amen! [SM]

DJ JAZZY JEFF
Hip-Hop Forever III
(BBE)

"Ijustwannachill"

"The Choice Is Yours" / "Looking at the Front Door"

While Jazzy Jeff's old partner in crime is off shooting major Hollywood remakes outside our storefront, he continues to prove why he's one of the greatest hip-hop DJs of all time with Hip Hop Forever III. Never mind the irony in throwing around the word "forever" in titling a mix made up mostly of joints that came out over a decade ago, this s**t bumps. Forever plays like a perfect primer of early to mid-'90s rap or stuff that sounds exactly like early-to-mid-'90s rap. All the hits are there: Tribe's "Award Tour," Pharcyde's "Passing Me By," Black Moon's "Who Got the Props," hell…even Mobb Deep's "Quiet Storm" and, yep, "The Choice Is Yours" too. However, if any shots can be fired in Jeff's direction, it's that maybe his selection is all a bit too obvious. In other words, he loves this stuff too much -- you can never go wrong spinning Gang Starr, but do we really need three (!) Gang Starr joints back to back ("The ? Remains," "Mass Appeal," and "Full Clip"). Dude could've included some Hieroglyphics jams from the period, Diamond D, Organized Konfusion, De La and on and on…However, that's a very minor discrepancy on a mix that puts Masta Ace's obscure cult classic, "Top Ten List," alongside Large Professor's "Ijustwannachill." So tasteful. Makes me wish it was '94 again. Hip-Hop forever? [HG]

BRAST BURN
Debon
(Paradigm)

"Debon Pt. 1"

"Debon Pt. 2"

KARUNA KHYAL
Alomoni 1985
(Paradigm)

Side A

Side B

What to tell you about Brast Burn and Karuna Khyal? Well, here goes: Brast Burn has a dark, purple swirl of paint with some hideous, three-breasted zombie woman pencil drawing on the back. There's a sepia-tinged picture of a housewife twice the size of the Manhattan skyline trapped in a clear bubble on the cover of Karuna Khyal's Alomoni 1985, and a portrait of a midget couple on the back. Both albums are comprised of two side-long tracks way past the 20 minute mark. And…that's about all the information there is to glean about the two groups. Ridiculously obscure underground releases on the clandestine Voice Records back in Japan in the mid-70s (the veritable Dark Ages, it would seem), this is thankfully back in print again, as more brains need to get scrambled to this. The groups, while maybe not quite the same entity, do share members, we think. Some sonic touchstones remain: Faust, Can, Guru Guru, Beefheart. It's post-blues skronk, but the rhythms are all handheld: bells, tambourines, bongos, and shakers. Brast Burn, while on another planet entirely, is somewhat more grounded than KK. Starting with a deranged blues stomp that harkens to early Jethro Tull and Captain Beefheart's Mirror Man, from there, all bets are off as Karuna Khyal veers into some truly alien territory, with lots of tape f**kery and whatnot. Imagine Endless Boogie morphing into No-Neck Blues Band at their most primal, before melting down into Can's Ege Bamyasi, and you're about five minutes into its mesmerizing, choogling mess. Both are masterpieces of WTF? [AB]

ANDWELLA'S DREAM
Love & Poetry
(Lightning Tree)

"Man Without a Name"

"Cocaine"

The 1969 debut album by Andwella's Dream, an Irish band that came out of the same scene as Thin Lizzy and Them, is one of the most sought-after psychedelic rock rarities of all time. It even inspired the title of the Love, Peace & Poetry series of compilations on Shadoks. Much of the album is more or less in the vein of bands like Tomorrow and the Pretty Things, and a few songs have more of a Yardbirds-inspired blues rock vibe. There are even a couple of psych-folk songs and orchestrated pop flourishes on the record, and the most memorable tracks, like "Take My Road" and "Man Without A Name," hint at the type of stuff they would perfect a few years later after they shortened their name to Andwella. Their terrific third and final album People's People sounds like the UK's answer to The Band. That record might be more consistent than their debut, but Love & Poetry is so energetic and eclectic that it's easy to look past the one or two tracks that don't completely work. [RH]

THE TREE PEOPLE
The Tree People
(Tiliqua)

"Stranger"

"Morning Song"

Thought this might've been unreleased songs by Doug Martsch's old band, but this is a reissue of a legendary late '70s private-press folk album out of Oregon, led by guitarist and songwriter Stephen Cohen. Within lie nine thoroughly stunning examples of outsider folk, informed by the heat of Delta blues and the darker direction of serious, post-Woodstock singer-songwriter a la Joni Mitchell or Van Morrison, all the while serving within and without the traditions of American folk. The arrangements here are cunning yet gentle; the playing assured in stature but evocative and searching in execution. Rests aside the Gary Higgins and Virgin Insanity reissues as a pinnacle of beatific, pristinely executed 20th century folk. Cohen's musicianship is something you could get lost in for hours on end. [DM]

BOW WOW WOW
I Want Candy Anthology
(Castle)

"C30, C60 C90, Go"

"See Jungle! (Jungle Boy)"

Bow Wow Wow is my second favorite band of all time. It's true. When my OM colleagues found this out, I was met with perplexing looks and comments of "Really?" or "Why?" Most people know the band for their catchy '80s cover of "I Want Candy," but don't know much else about them other than that they were formed by Malcolm McLaren and that a teenaged mohawked girl sang lead. All of this is true. Bow Wow Wow was the brainchild of McLaren who had this concept of creating a teenybopper band that played "Burundi influenced drum-based post-punk." He originally wanted to realize this concept with Adam & the Ants, who he was managing at the time, but when Adam split from McLaren, he recruited 14-year-old Annabella Lwin, who had been discovered by his assistant who heard her singing a Stevie Wonder song in a launderette.

The perplexing thing about this band is that they were actually able to pull this high-minded concept off! If post-punk was really about throwing off the shackles of rock-n-roll's blues-based tradition to find influences elsewhere, then this band is as much a shining example of that idea as Gang of Four. They still sound like nobody else. Dave Barbe's intense circular, tribal drumming sounded more like Olatunji than Keith Moon. Maf Ashman's brilliant guitar leads were a unique blending of disparate styles: African highlife, Shadows-styled surf guitar and classic, scratchy agit-post-punk. But you can't talk about Bow Wow Wow without mentioning Lwin's voice. Her raw, pitch-perfect sing-songy vocal leads perfectly captured the unbridled sexual energy and excitement of a teenager becoming an adult. You can still hear her vocal influence on singers like Kathleen Hanna and Karen O.

Some 25 years on, this music still sounds fresh, vibrant, and immediate. Any fans of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Bikini Kill, or any girl-fronted band that kicks major booty should grab a hold of this collection and familiarize yourself with a group whose influence is more far-reaching than you think. [DH]

TAPPA ZUKIE
Escape from Hell
(Trojan)

"Massacra Dub"

"Double Struggle"

This new collection of work by vocalist turned producer Tappa Zukie on Trojan is a wildly bouncing set of deep dub cuts. The bulk of these songs were originally released on the album Escape from Hell on Zukie's own Stars imprint in 1977. Recorded at Channel One and mixed by Prince Jammy, Zukie is backed by the Sly and Robbie-led Revolutionaries (who were at their peak), and the musicians provide a tight and magnetic rhythmic foundation. (By the way, the re-mastering sounds fantastic). If you've been digging into some of the other great reggae reissues we've had throughout the year, some of these rhythms may be familiar, yet the inclusion of 10 bonus tracks should lure you in -- over an hour of terrific dub from one of the genres finest, with liner notes and an interview with Zukie by David Katz. [DG]

LAURENT GARNIER & CARL CRAIG
Kings of Techno
(BBE)

"Rock Steady" / "Ntt Docomo"

"Dance Boy Dance" / "Acid Eiffel"

One of the smartest DJ mixes to come out in a while, this double CD set mixed by Laurent Garnier and Carl Craig reaches far beyond its "techno" tag, and displays some seriously intelligent cross-referencing. Garnier's mix plays more as a tribute to Detroit's rich musical heritage, including everything from the Stooges, Yusef Lateef, and Funkadelic, to Jay Dee and Jeff Mills. And the mixes of Aretha Franklin's "Rock Steady" into Arpanet's electro throb, and Alice Coltrane's spiritual jazz into Underground Resistance's techno anthem "Amazon" are too sweet for words. Carl Craig sticks to a more cohesive formula and explores the roots of techno, via journeys into Italo (Capricorn, Kano), leftfield post-punky disco (Liaisons Dangereuses, Flying Lizards), and industrial bangers (Nitzer Ebb, Severed Heads), and reigns supreme. Give them championship belts right now. [AK]

KNIFE
Deep Cuts
(Mute / Rabid)

"Pass This On"

KNIFE
The Knife
(Mute / Rabid)

"Neon"

Coinciding with their North American live debut, the mysterious Swedish electropop duo the Knife has their early work re-examined at a more reasonable domestic rate. Deep Cuts is the 2003 album that propelled them to notoriety, mostly due to Jose Gonzalez covering the sterling opener "Heartbeats" in a TV commercial. Those only familiar with that song, or their latest album Silent Shout will hear a more adventurous (and a tiny bit uneven) outing from that track on out, inventively synthetic tones that buzz and hammer away with the grandeur of a string quartet, as brother and sister Olof and Karin Dreijer weave and bob in between Kate Bush, cabaret, and Latin freestyle -- a lot to ask of a pop group, no doubt, but the highlights, like the aforementioned leadoff and "You Take My Breath Away," are definitely worth the cost of entry. 2001's self-titled debut is even more segmented, caught between what sounds like sketches for "Heartbeats," some overall minimal fare recalling Bjork ghosting Daedalus' machine, and a couple of throwback numbers that reflect retro-minded "turning Japanese" modes of thought. The group seems more spontaneous in this setting, however, and crank out a handful of gems here, such as the waltz-time "Parade." These reissues (along with Silent Shout) contain more well-executed musical ideas than at least 90% of releases this year, and are must-owns if you appreciate an album that'll reveal more and more meaning as the months roll on. Both releases contain bonus tracks and multimedia content not found on the imports. [DM]

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
Hollinndagain
(Paw Tracks)

"Forest Gossip"

"Pride and Fight"

I wrote a review for this when it originally came out, and it is strange to read now. Not only because it is ultra-serious and wordy (and part of my overall campaign then to one day, virtually single handedly, transform the career of modern YouTube favourites, though not musician ones), but obviously, and more importantly, because of what has happened to Animal Collective. This material comes from a time when I used to witness people laugh at them. Pitchfork hated Danse Manatee, though they weren't quite Pitchfork yet if you catch my drift (also, Ariel Pink playing in the background of that thing, is that a direct attack?). What the hell has happened in the ensuing years? Well people stopped laughing, though some became mystified as to the proliferation of extreme youth at their shows. That specific aspect is not the result of a change in their songwriting style, or aesthetic decisions at all; it's because of what is inside of their music. It's something that very well could and often does pass your more bitter post-collegiates by. Of course there are lots more of them too. But that's because of perceived changes in their songwriting style, and very adult aesthetic decisions the band has clearly made to finally meet them halfway. Right? Nope, and for them to re-release this now-artifact is only evidence of a continuing, unfashionable devotion to the occasional majesty of the inchoate. You serialist hegemonists are still screwed. [DHo]

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Blueprints
(12K)

"Map in Hand Pt. 2" Seaworthy

"Absent Walking Backwards" Jodi Cave

A new compilation from Taylor Deupree's 12K label featuring six artists -- Christmas Decorations, Seaworthy, Autistici, Jodi Cave, Pjusk and Leo Abrahams -- each contributing two tracks. The overall sound is laptop-derived nature studies, processed instruments, post-IDM new age, etc., that stays, for the most part, on this side of the digital fence. Lots of gentle melodies and rising, washy textures coexist with acoustic bits and bumps creating tracks that feel like Pop Ambient dropping in on Post Rock while on the way to Mille Plateaux. [SM]

BRASILIA
A Life Desired
(Unovis)

"Sublimation"

"Evening Dinner in the Cul-De-Sac"

DIY pop Marxists Brasilia have been kicking around Brooklyn for more than a couple of years now, releasing hand-pressed EPs and hosting the occasional show at the Woodser, their loft space in South Williamsburg. So it might be a little surprising that this is their first full-length, but when you consider that singer Jen Sunderland recently gave birth and three members are also moonlighting in Mahogany, it's all the more refreshing to find a band working on their own time frame and not out there trying to hustle music blogs and record labels. Of course, Brasilia isn't a group with a shelf life, as they pull equal amounts of inspiration from Factory bands like the Wake or Section 25, 4AD's dream pop roster, and the modular psych-Kraut inspired drones of Stereolab and Broadcast. A Life Desired was recorded and produced by the band and Mahogany's Andrew Prinz, the dense layers of swirling organ lending a certain grandiosity to the music, but there's also an overall modest, organic feel to the whole outing. This is no doubt partly due to Sunderland's melodies, sung with a deliberately icy detachment that's comparable to a mix of Nico and Trish Keenan. Tracks like "Sublimation" or "Evening Dinner in the Cul-De-Sac" move along a linear path, the thick bass and drums often directing the dynamic counterpoints -- it's an ebb and flow that will have you gazing down at your shoes one minute and then provoke simultaneous head-nodding from everyone present in the room. Brasilia is keeping this vinyl-only release pretty limited. Only 600 LPs are available, all come in letter-pressed packaging assembled in the band's Unovis Workshop. [GH]

UPSETTERS
Return of Django
(Trojan / Sanctuary)

"Return of Django"

"Ten to Twelve"

A classic instrumental set from 1969 by producer Lee Perry and his hard rock(steady)in' house band. Recorded after Perry's stints with Joe Gibbs and Clement Dodd, the single "Return of Django" was a UK Top-5 chart smash for Trojan Records; the 45 was so successful that the label requested an entire LP's worth of material as a follow-up. The record -- named after the hit single (naturally) -- is chock full of deep rock steady grooves that were foreshadowing the transitional slowing down of the ska rhythm into a more spacious and heavy "rockers" sound, exemplified and perfected during Perry's '70s stint on Island. Perry had yet to fully wield his visionary wand of dub dread here, instead offering up a warped blend of ska with a spaghetti western influence(!) that grooves deeper than a vinyl pressing plant, yet at times points in the direction he'd head in with records like Dub Revolution. Highly recommended for anyone who has enjoyed any of the Studio One compilations on Soul Jazz, and for anyone looking for some solid head-nodding sax and organ grooves. [IQ]

JACK NITZSCHE
St. Giles Cripplegate
(Collectors Choice)

#6

#1

Jack is one of our all-time favorites, completely unsung and yet a true Zelig in the music world. He was Phil Spector's main man, yet he also hung with Lee Hazlewood, Sonny & Cher, and the Rolling Stones. Not to mention, he helped Neil Young go solo, or that he scored movies for the likes of Dennis Hopper, Sean Penn, Milos Forman, and Nicolas Roeg. Anyhow, it doesn't get much more underappreciated than the fact that this was Jack's final solo record, but it also doesn't get much weirder either. Originally released on Reprise (and reissued on one of those Rhino Handmade jobs), this is an orchestral recording of Jack's that was cut some six months after he did the strings for (and banged piano on) Neil Young's classic Harvest. And straight up, this is one of the more deranged messes of orchestral music from the previous half-century. As volatile as a schizophrenic, it soars to great heights and then swoops back down into simmering, growling lows. This is a wild and crazy guy at his most unfettered and the results are equally audacious. [AB]

NOBODY
Revisions Revisions
(Plug Research)

"Girl's Alone" The Free Design

"Vibes from the Tribe" Phil Ranelin

Los Angeles native Elvin Estela (a/k/a Nobody) has been steadily building a reputation as a producer, programmer and DJ for the past decade. His brand of psych-hop can be grouped with the style and skills of Four Tet and Koushik, to name a few, and he also helps bang the beats live for Prefuse 73. This collection showcases his remix work through the years for various indie labels like Mush, Plug Research, Domino, Hefty, and Light in the Attic, and illustrates the parameters of his sound. Electro-indie bands like Postal Service, Clue to Kalo, Her Space Holiday, and Mia Doi Todd sit alongside jazz and hip-hop artists like Phil Ranelin, Busdriver, and Adventure Time, as well as Free Design. Hazy synths, time-stretched guitar, and big beats are his trademarks, all with a new school psychedelic glaze. A nice collection consisting of bonus tracks, one-off mixes, and 12"s, if you liked the recent compilation of Four Tet remixes, this is the perfect companion piece. (For a further glimpse into his influences, he thanks Jay Dee, Syd Barrett, and Arthur Lee in the liner notes!) [DG]

DOUG SAHM
Doug Sahm and Band
(Collectors Choice)

"Wallflower"

"Papa Ain't Salty"

The legendary groover Doug Sahm made a name for himself leading cult favorites the Sir Douglas Quintet (a/k/a the greatest roots-rock bands of all time) up through the '70s, but it was in a new venture with Atlantic Records that he made his masterpiece. Doug Sahm and Band was the result of the artist moving to New York City and having the best studio band money could buy bestowed upon him. Sahm went hogwild, signing up Dr. John, Flaco Jimemez, David "Fathead" Newman, Charlie Owens, Wayne Jackson, and Willie Bridges, plus original Quintet members George Rains and Augie Myers. Oh, and Bob Dylan, too. Dylan contributes an original, "Wallflower," written for Sahm, which made the cut along with 11 other tracks, rolling deep in electric blues, dusty country waltzes, early rock, and Sahm's signature style of Tex-Mex soul (suitable for line dance or vertical action). The second track, "It's Gonna Be Easy," might be one of the greatest songs ever recorded, and though it tanked at the time of release, future generations have atoned for this mistake. The amount of talent in this one album is beyond staggering, and their performances alone could carry any album, but it's Sahm's easy repertoire with the material at hand, including a breezy, juked-out cover of Willie Nelson's "Me and Paul," that elevates this to Top 10 of the Decade status. This album stands a great chance to significantly improve your outlook on life. [DM]

NIOBE
White Hats
(Tomlab)

"Phosphorous"

"Dreizinnen"

Following a string of more experimental (yet highly satisfying) fare on Mouse on Mars' Sonig label, Yvonne Cornelius (a/k/a Niobe) releases White Hats, her second record for the Tomlab imprint, and a collection of songs proving to be the catchiest and most accessible material since her debut, Tse Tse. A rather ambitious yet relaxed set, Niobe picks-and-mixes from a diversity of templates -- a little torch song here, a little glitch funk there, a dash of Phil Spector density, a pinch of blues and gospel -- with such casualty that the record, while very beautiful and sonically gorgeous, seems a little too scattershot at times. What the album lacks in overall focus is regained slightly by the rich honeyed tones of Cornelius' voice, however, which is often multi-tracked and thoroughly tweaked, stretched, and plain-old messed up, creating the effect of a woman harmonizing with a choir of malfunctioning robots, or of Shirley Collins making a record with Super_Collider. The album is accessible but still difficult, though if you stick with it, the rewards come out over repeated listens. Records of this (literal) variety aren't supposed to work; this one surprisingly works as much as it doesn't, and strangely is all the better for it. [IQ]

ALBERT HAMMOND JR.
Yours to Keep
(Rough Trade)

"Hard to Live in the City"

"In Transit"

Solo album by Albert Hammond Jr., lead guitar player in some band called the Strokes. Turns out he's totally capable of going it alone (with a little help from friends such as Sean Lennon, Julian Casablancas, and Ben Kweller,) as Yours to Keep is a nice little collection of songs, ranging from Beach Boys ballads to power pop gems.

THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS

[AB] Adrian Burkholder
[DG] Daniel Givens
[HG] Hartley Goldstein
[GH] Gerald Hammill
[DH] Duane Harriott
[RH] Rob Hatch-Miller
[DHo] Dan Hougland
[IQ] Mikey IQ Jones
[AK] Andreas Knutsen
[JM] Josh Madell
[DM] Doug Mosurock
[SM] Scott Mou




THANKS FOR READING
- all of us at Other Music