The Other Music Update

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	August 8, 2007


	FEATURED NEW RELEASES Port OBrien Smokey and His Sister Thai Pop Spectacular (Sublime Frequencies) Molam Vol. 2 (Sublime Frequencies) Okkervil River Christy and Emily Jesu / Eluvium (Split LP) Marissa Nadler Magnolia Electric Co. Slow Six Bat for Lashes Sitar Beat Vol. 2 The Groop 1990s		Kevin Drumm & Daniel Menche Tarentel We All Together and Friends ESG Flight of the Conchords ALSO AVAILABLE Vampire Weekend (7" single) Mylla (CD available) Department of Eagles The Brunettes Las Malas Amistades

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AUGUST 11th: Psychic Ills, Jah Division, Artanker Convoy, Ghost Exits, TK Webb, Samara Lubelski, Mike Bones, Sian Alice Group (acoustic)

AUGUST 12th: Gang Gang Dance, Sian Alice Group, Growing, Electroputas, Douglas Armour, Christy & Emily, Sleepy Doug Shaw

INTERNATIONAL REGISTRARS CONVENE
Traditionally we celebrate a 4th anniversary with fruit and flowers (it takes 25 just to get to silver!), but The Social Registry always does things their own way, and they chose to commemorate four years as one of New York’s most interesting record labels by giving us all a gift, a fantastic weekend of live music! Most of the Social Registry roster will be taking over The Yard this weekend, a great outdoor space on the Gowanus Canal (400 Carroll Street between Bond and the canal, where the Issue Project Room used to live), and we are giving away 2 pairs of tickets to each day’s events. Email us here to enter (tickets@othermusic.com), and if you prefer Saturday or Sunday, tell us which one in the subject line. (The four winners will be notified this Friday morning.) Tickets for both days are available at the shop, more information is here: thesocialregistry.com

SOCIAL REGISTRY CDs & MP3s ON SALE !
To help celebrate, Other Music is having a Social Registry SALE on all full-length albums in the store and on line. $3 off all CD albums and all MP3 download albums are $7.99 until Wednesday August 15. Click here to visit their page on the download shop: digital.othermusic.com/label/150/the-social-registry


	$14.99 CD $9.99 mp3		PORT O'BRIEN The Wind and the Swell (American Dust) "I Woke Up Today" "My Eyes Won't Shut" Port O'Brien is a San Francisco foursome based around the songs of one Van Pierszalowski, a backwoods California boy who came of age on his father's commercial salmon fishing boat. Those long summers fighting the wind and the swell off the coast of Alaska inform this band's songs with sense of grit and camaraderie and a love of the land (and sea) that is completely genuine and positively infectious. There is a late-night, back-porch sing-a-long feel to these tracks that is utterly embracing, bearing reminders of M.Ward or that haunting first Palace Brothers record, but really sharing inspiration with those young men more than anything -- inspiration from early country and blues and other rootsy story-songs. So lazy, and yet so full of life, Port O'Brien's songs glow with the history of American music and the personal history of a family making their way living off the land in a world that has forgotten its past. The Wind and the Swell collects the best tracks from Port O'Brien's two hard to find self-released CDs, and start to finish the 12 songs included tell a story that you will want to hear. [JM]


	$13.99 CD		SMOKEY AND HIS SISTER Smokey and His Sister (Sundazed) "Ever Losin Lover" "A Far Better Thing" Behind the big hair and solemn stares that characterize Larry and Vicki Mims on the cover of this collection from Sundazed, is the heartbreaking story of a failed trial in the music industry. You see, this is actually the first time the siblings' self-titled full-length has ever been released. Back in 1966, an 18-year-old Smokey left his hometown of Cincinnati, heading to New York with only 10 dollars in his pocket and a collection of songs that he hoped would help him procure a record deal. The labels turned him down, however, and Smokey headed back to Ohio to get his sister's assistance on the next round of songs. With a new haircut and a new demo, Smokey returned to the big city and this time found David Rubinson, a record producer at Columbia who was just as enamored with baroque folk as he was. Rubinson liked what he heard and wanted to keep Vicki on the new recordings, as her vocal assistance added some depth and clarity to Smokey's soft-spoken singing. The producer also decided on the duo's name, which admittedly neither of the siblings was too fond of at first. After rounds of singles and some minor charting on Billboard, they were set to release their first full-length; but the record was dropped by the label at the last minute, leaving a whole album, cover photos and sleeve notes all to be disregarded. As for Smokey & His Sister, they recorded a new set of songs for an album that would see release on Warner Brothers in 1969, and then disbanded shortly after. What is captured in this overlooked recording from '66 turns out to be a rather quiet album. Except for the occasional string and horn sections, which almost cushion the siblings' somber vocals, the nature of their sound is very intimate. Most of these songs are carried either by a folkloric tone ("Creators of Rain," "A Simple Cameo") or they are dominated by the lovesick but thoughtful yearnings of what I envision to be a lonely 18-year-old Larry Mims. Although 40 years have passed since the brother and sister's musical adventure ensued, these songs still sound fresh -- no blatant Dylan imitations or anything of that sort. Instead what is finally revealed are 12 tunes (plus one alternate version of "A Far Better Thing") that are as timeless as they are precious. It is a shame this record had not been released in time for the Mims to realize their talent. [AC]


	$15.99 CD $15.99 CD		VARIOUS ARTISTS Thai Pop Spectacular 1960s to 1980s (Sublime Frequencies) "Roob Lor Thom Pai" Buppah Saichol "Geng Nai Krai Lab" Kabuan Garn Yor Yod Yung Yong VARIOUS ARTISTS Molam 2 (Sublime Frequencies) "Soeng E-mae Oi" Pairin Pongpiboon "Poo Ying Lai Jai" Thongmark Leacha Since its inception in 2003, Alan Bishop's Sublime Frequencies label has been a consistently engaging, oft-thrilling exploration of natural recordings, indigenous musics, and pop sounds from around the globe that had previously been sorely absent in record store "world music" bins. Culling compilations from random tapes, radio broadcasts, and exploratory field trips, each new entry in the label's already impressive discography finds Bishop and company digging steadily deeper to unearth beautiful tones and effervescent gems that, somehow, managed to avoid the Western gaze. Turning once again towards a variety of performers and styles from Thailand, the label's two newest releases take as their focus nationwide pop extravaganzas and more distinctly regionalized tunes, adding to a library that seems about as far removed from the brightly scrubbed sounds that most American labels in this market tend to peddle. Thai Pop Spectacular: 1960s - 1980s brings together a multifaceted set of tracks that explore pulsing disco, twangy surf guitar, spry comedy bits, and a couple of pieces of soundtrack music from all over the country. Far from being a uniform presentation of Thai pop, the compilation goes a ways towards highlighting the tremendous diversity at work in the country's music industry from the 1960s until the 1980s. Johnny Guitar's moody instrumental "Fawn Ngeo" drives ahead with a mix of clanging percussion, reverb-loaded guitar, and dizzying organ, creating a Far Eastern surf variant that's slyly enigmatic. Elsewhere, Gawao Siangthong punctuate the loping horns and percussion of "Gao Guek" with comedic spoken word, while Generation dig deep into wah wah guitars and prancing funk with the heady "Nan Nan Pob Gan Tee." Even more surprising here are the glorious bits of fuzzy disco that emerge from folks like Chailai Chaiyata & Sawanee Patana, whose "Kwuan Tai Duew" is a marvel of relentlessly bouncing, leftfield disco pop. Documenting a localized form of country folk from Thailand's Northeastern provinces, Molam mixes traditional instrumentation with organs and guitars to affect a music that balances the region's musical history with restless innovation while spotlighting the daily toils and troubles of those from the area. Sodri Promsaksn & Theppon Pedubon's duet "Look Sua Saobhan" features a slow-paced, rhythmically limber backdrop for the two vocalists to shine, in the process crafting a moody piece out of forlorn vocals and chiming electric guitars. More immediately menacing is the work of Doi Intanon and Group Suthep, whose "Song Pee Nong Longkrong" comes drenched with loping bass lines and lattice-work guitar, forming a brilliant counterpoint to Intanon's plaintive wail. The compilation earns its highest marks thanks to the three cuts from Thongmark Leacha. With off-kilter funk rhythms and more traditional lutes scattered throughout, "Poo Ying Lai Jai" is the best here, downtempo and dour with a soulful vocal presence that few can match. [MC]


	$14.99 CD $9.99 mp3		OKKERVIL RIVER The Stage Names (Jagjaguwar) "Unless It's Kicks" "A Girl in Port" The Decemberists' Colin Meloy is always name-checked as the indie generation's most literary songwriter, and more power to him, but I've never met a bagman or a barrow boy, and Meloy's beautiful gothic fantasies live in a world I fear I will never visit. Okkervil River's Will Sheff, however, spins deep and complex yarns from the fabric of my world, somehow finding meaning in the very lack of meaning that stitches together a day in the life. But where the dark and wonderful Black Sheep Boy sucked you in and sucked you down with its sad and familiar tales of a life lived (and lost) chasing the artistic muse (that album was loosely based on the life of folk anti-hero Tim Hardin), The Stage Name, while far from upbeat, brings a loose, freewheeling joy to the equation that is both uplifting and infectious. The band is playing their hearts out, not looking for the perfect take, just the perfect emotion, and Sheff's voice rises from a whisper to a howl, perfectly in tune with his protagonist's rising temperature. With subtle allusions to the classics of American music -- rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country, and of course our beloved indie-rock -- this might be Okkervil River's masterpiece... but it might just be one more footfall on a winding trail towards a storybook ending, a total flame-out, or a forgotten fade away. However this story turns out, I'll be hanging on every word. [JM]


	$11.99 CD On Sale $7.99 mp3 On Sale		CHRISTY AND EMILY Gueen's Head (The Social Registry) "Thunder & Lightning" Outstanding debut here from a Brooklyn duo of guitarist Christy Edwards and classically-trained pianist Emily Manzo, weaving candy-floss clouds of ambient drone, outsider folk-pop, immobile psychedelia, thrift store ingenuity, avant-garde technique, and minimal, brilliantly workmanlike composition. Both women possess gorgeous voices that mesh together impeccably, Manzo being one of the only singers out there who can match White Magic's Mira Billotte in her rich and knowing alto. Fans of Mo Tucker, Kendra Smith, Damon and Naomi, Quixotic, and Wendy & Bonnie should consider this a mandatory purchase. A beautiful and serious work with an emotional core and true depth. [DM]


	$12.99 LP		ELUVIUM / JESU Split LP (Temporary Residence / Hydra Head) By now, it's common knowledge how Justin Broadrick abandoned his grindcore/industrial roots in favor of the dreamlike sound that's been the trademark of the last few Jesu records. The three tracks on this split (vinyl only, folks!) with Eluvium pretty much perfect the formula, with fuzzy, ethereal guitars and a steady drum machine beat. It's gorgeously lush and melancholy pop music that is partly indebted to British shoegaze -- Slowdive in particular on this record. The Eluvium side is a 21-minute opus that evolves from a quiet chirp into a full-on, cosmic roar. Sort of like if ambient music got really annoyed and wanted to punch you in the face. Patience will reward you on this one. Very limited so you could either act now or troll eBay later. [AK]


	$15.99 CD		MARISSA NADLER Songs III: Bird on the Water (Kemado) "Diamond Heart" "Silvia" Originally released back in March as an import on Peacefrog, Kemado brings us this domestic issue that comes with a coded coupon that will allow you access to download four additional tracks not included on the previous version. A painter by trade, Massachusetts native Marissa Nadler found a new way to express her other-worldly internal palette when she began picking up guitar and laying down her quivering, curious Alice-in-Wonderland verses. She often sounds like the soul sister of Grant Lee Buffalo or Jimmie Dale Gilmore; her spooky sonic phrasings brush across the sky as briefly and strangely pretty as a burst of Eastern Seaboard sunset, particularly on opener "Diamond Heart" and "Rachel." Pay close attention to the brooding "Bird on Your Grave," which features a steely, contemplative patch of electric guitar that feels more avant than folk. Elsewhere, she haunts the Bird house with an elevated, trembling cover of Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat" and evokes Hope Sandoval, Joanna Newsom, and Stina Nordenstam without expressly walking in their Tinkerbell shoes -- she's quite skilled at building her own palace at the edge of the forest, no bread-crumb trails back to reality necessary. [KO]


	$39.99 CDx4 w/DVD $18.99 mp3		MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO. Sojourner Box Set (Secretly Canadian) It is quite an ambitious effort for any band to put out a box set, let alone a box set of all new material (and no, this is not Robert Pollard). Well, the ultra prolific Jason Molina has done just that under his Magnolia Electric Co. moniker. Sojourner contains 4 CDs of all new music (33 new songs), a DVD, a poster, postcards, and a medallion, all packaged in a beautiful wood box. The CDs were recorded in various places while touring, with a different cast of players. Nashville Moon is a great country rocker of an album with production by Steve Albini, and comes closest to capturing the vibe of a Magnolia Electric Co. live experience -- it's not totally unlike a vintage Crazy Horse recording. Black Ram is a somewhat somber outing that was recorded by David Lowery at his studio in Virginia; think 2002's much revered Songs: Ohia album Didn't It Rain. Sun Session is recorded at, you guessed it, the legendary Sun Studios. It's classic Molina and contains possibly the most "pop" song he's ever done with "Talk To Me Devil, Again." Shohola is a lo-fi affair, complete with tape hiss. It's just Jason and his guitar, alone and full of despair (just the way we like it). There's so much material here, that I didn't even get around to the DVD, but from what I've heard, it's a film dealing with isolationism on tour as the band travels the world. Yes, there is a lot here to get your eyes, ears, and hands on, and I would probably act fast because word has it that this will not be around for long. Not for the casual listener, but essential for any fan! We also have Sojourner available as an MP3 download, however, the digital version is limited to the Black Ram and Nashville Moon albums. (You can preview sound clips at our Digital Store.) [JS]


	$14.99 CD $9.99 mp3		SLOW SIX Nor'easter (New Albion) "Hold Fast That Fragile Symmetry" "Distant Light Part 1" A Brooklyn-based ensemble centered on the singular composition skills of violinist Christopher Tignor, Slow Six manage to ply their chamber pieces with enough shimmering reverb, delicately placed guitars, and subtle electronic trickery to create a highly evocative form of modern composition. As much indebted to pensive rock and ambient textures as they are to, say, the compositions of Terry Riley, Steve Reich, or Arvo Part, Slow Six's second full-length Nor'easter is a masterful stroke of brooding tension and melodic release. With a core crew of six players handling guitars, keys, viola, and violin, the group stretches out across six pieces that are keenly attuned to a specific deployment of each successive note and its place in the space they ultimately inhabit. Beginning with the sustained drones of "The Pulse of This Skyline with Lightning Like Nerves," Slow Six gradually unfold beautiful tones and textures, with bright strings weaving across more ominous guitars and subtly deployed Rhodes piano notes. Expertly played throughout, the piece gradually climaxes in a haunted sweep of beauteous tones and distant flickers. More distinctly dark is "Hold Fast That Fragile Symmetry," opened on a grim drone that only breaks to allow passage for encroaching keys and ghostly string passages. Closing out with the two-part "Distant Light," Slow Six ends their second album on an infinitely dour note, allowing layers of pristine violin and viola tone to build into tense sheets that are slowly twisted, ultimately parted with sparsely plotted keys and thrummed guitars that give way to a finale of heart-wrenching strings and acoustic piano. At times serene and at others deeply harrowing, Nor'easter is nonetheless a surprisingly compelling set from this Brooklyn crew, one that fans of more lyrical modern composition would be well-advised to seek out. [MC]


	$10.99 CD		BAT FOR LASHES Fur and Gold (Caroline) "What's a Girl to Do?" "Horse and I" It's impossible to write about Bat for Lashes without name-checking Bjork and Kate Bush. You can probably even add Siouxsie to that list. But to be fair, the nom de plume of multi-instrumentalist Natasha Khan is much more than the sum of these influences; her debut album is perfectly suited for today, where all things magical and mystical -- from Harry Potter books and movies to Joanna Newsom's musical fairytale worlds -- are so prevalent in pop culture. This Pakistan-born/UK-resident is so detailed and nuanced in her songs that it doesn't take much for one to be transported to Khan's own netherworld. The orchestrated arrangements are usually closer to baroque than rock -- during album opener "Horse and I," violins sweep and sway over harpsichords and marching snares. But there's also an overall sparseness to the production that allows her stunning vocals to stand front and center over a suite of songs that are best listened to after sundown. "Trophy" floats across the same dark, creeping pulse that we heard throughout Bjork's Homogenic and PJ Harvey's To Bring You My Love, only here Khan uses medieval imagery to spin her lusty Heaven-on-Earth tale. Even the most upbeat moments of the record are geared for nocturnal listening; check the gothic "Leader of the Pack" vibe of album standout "What's a Girl to Do?" (The striking Donnie Darko-influenced video for the song is well worth doing a quick search on Google or YouTube.) Even though Fur and Gold is relatively brief (45 minutes), it's not for those with short attention spans. But listen close, and you'll be rewarded twofold from an artist who we'll no doubt be hearing much more from in the years to come. [GH]


	$14.99 CD		VARIOUS ARTISTS Sitar Beat 2 (Guerilla) "Awara Sadiyon Se" Kalyanji Anandji "Tera Jasia Pyara Koi Nahin" Usha Khanna Second volume of Sitar Beats from Guerrilla, who are responsible for the EP series of the same name, which isn't just a collection of mediocre soundtracks. The Sitar Beat series is actually heavier on the funk than the cheese, and the music itself exists somewhere in a land between "Theme from SWAT"-style funk and Bollywood lunacy. Predictably, it's heavy on the sitar and tabla but also features some out-there flute excursions, righteous xylophone, and Moog madness. There's even a disco-influenced track by Ajit Singh. For enthusiasts of the genre there are some familiar names on here, most notably Asha Bhosle, the ultimate Bollywood diva, and Mohammed Rafi, who is responsible for that song ("Jan Pehechan-Ho") from the Ghost World soundtrack, but overall there's tons of unexplored territory, and plenty of beat-digging to be done throughout the 16 tracks. [AK]


	$13.99 CD		THE GROOP The Groop (Sundazed) "A Famous Myth" "The Jet Song" Despite their appearance on the soundtrack of Oscar winner Midnight Cowboy, manufactured pop outfit the Groop only made one record, a 1969 self-titled LP for Bell Records. Now out on CD for the first time, the foursome, who were the brainchild of Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 manager Richard Adler, don't fail to show off their chops with 14 heavily harmony-laden, yet only faintly lysergic gems. Tied to cult favorites the 5th Dimension and Millennium, it's no shocker that female vocalist Susan Musmanno's polished, flourishing vocals weave in and out of lavish orchestrations as the band continually skirts the line between downright folk-rock and pop-psych --compare the baroque "A Famous Myth" to the more stripped down (at least by Groop standards) "I Just Don't Know How to Say Goodbye." Taken together with cutesy tracks like dance-chronicling "The Continental," it's easy to describe the album as a perfect sketch of the late-'60s Los Angeles scene. Re-mastered from the original tapes and adorned with two bonus tracks, including a previously unreleased funky cover of Harry Nilsson's "Don't Leave Me," this Sundazed reissue was long overdue. [PG]


	$14.99 CD		1990S Cookies (Rough Trade) "See You at the Lights" "Cult Status" OK, anybody who doesn't like fun, keep moving along, because this brilliant, energetic debut by Glasgow's 1990s offers nothing but. It's the first project to see release from the Yummy Fur's John McKeown since that band's untimely late-'90s demise, and kicks over the lo-fi racket and disco eyes of that band with a casually dismissive air. That the Yummy Fur's music remains unavailable in America is a true crime, and that two of McKeown's former bandmates have moved on to a little project called Franz Ferdinand might prevent it even further. But back to the matter at hand -- Cookies. Casual brilliance, wound-up guitar pop, and cheeky lyrics aside, there hasn't been a record this dedicated to good times in years ... probably since the Yummy Fur's Night Club, actually. McKeown's matter-of-fact delivery meshes perfectly with his trio's jagged, bouncy approach, all about hanging out, partying, getting high and being around friends. There's a marked Television influence on a couple of tracks, but for the most part this is all them, punched up by a bright and powerful production job by Suede's Bernard Butler. Highly recommended! [DM]


	$13.99 CD		KEVIN DRUMM & DANIEL MENCHE Gauntlet (Editions Mego) "Gauntlet" Dedicated noise-niks are undoubtedly familiar with Kevin Drumm and Daniel Menche, two American wunderkinds whose work extends to a time before the No Fun Festival was worthy of the New York Times Arts & Leisure section. At work in Chicago since the late 1990s, Drumm has dealt in extremes, exploring both contemplative electroacoustic compositions and punishing guitar grime (most notably on the thoroughly essential Sheer Hellish Miasma). Menche has been a Portland, Oregon mainstay since the early 1990s, with a body of work that has explored nuanced applications of noise aesthetics through percussive blasts and, lately, organ and trumpet works. Strange that these two have never worked together until now, for as Gauntlet (with its hilarious Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding artwork) clearly shows, these guys are undoubtedly birds of a feather. Drumm has largely been silent for the past couple of years, but thankfully this new collaborative effort with Menche finds him back in full force and brilliant form. Credited with "guitars and noise" while Menche handles "organ and noise," the pair unleash a single, 29-minute track on Gauntlet that's every bit as punishing as their back catalogues might indicate. And yet, it's so much more than just a simple volume at 10, levels in the red workout. Almost more so than any other American noise-icians at work today, these guys craft sounds that have a surprising fluidity and limberness, working in a way that threatens to blow the speakers with a variety of different attacks. Drumm begins the assault with ominous, fuzzed out notes, allowing Menche the space to work up to a full frenzy behind him. What follows next is a series of brutal peaks, with coruscating layers of drone and dirt rising and falling throughout the performance. The guitars buzz in almost black metal style, while the organ pounds and pulses until establishing a fervent drone in the piece's last third. It's definitely almost too brief, but there's something to be said about the economic deployment. Here and gone in a flash, Gauntlet hopefully isn't the last we've heard of this particular pairing. [MC]


	$14.99 CD $14.99 mp3		TARENTEL Ghetto Beats on the Surface of the Sun (Temporary Residence) Drastically different from their slow moving post-rock past, Ghetto Beats of the Surface of the Sun is a pretty apt title for the album. Originally a series of four LPs, San Francisco-based Tarentel focus on beats here, and as the group constantly shapeshifts, the scope ranges from rhythmic Kraut-hop via psychedelic soundscapery only to land somewhere in abstract 23 Skidoo-land. Every now and then, they kick back and create beat-less and gorgeous metallic din, not unlike that swathes of noise that Christoph Heemann and Andrew Chalk conjure up as Mirror. It's a lot to take in, over two and a half hours of music, but given time, this will fully envelope your brain. Sinister and blissful all at once, Ghetto Beats is easily their best work to date. (Preview sound clips at our Digital Store.) [AK]


	$15.99 CD		WE ALL TOGETHER AND FRIENDS We Are Not Together (Repsychled) "The Sandman" Laghonia "The World Is Getting Worst" Monik The staff at OM has always championed the exquisite sounds of this Peruvian pop band. We All Together's two self-titled albums from the early '70s are well regarded amongst collectors for their meticulously crafted Badfinger/Abbey Road-influenced songs, rich with honey-drenched harmonies and earnest lyrics. While derivative, the recordings reflected a deep understanding and respect for the music that was made all the more evident by the exceptional musicianship and incredible vocal arrangements. Over the last 10 years, there has been a renewed interest in We All Together's music, and as a result, the founding members have been scouring their vaults for any lost recordings from the period, and this is what they have found. It seems as though the band was a super group of some sort, many of the members playing in a number of outfits prior to the formation of W.A.T. There was actually a small but vibrant scene of likeminded musicians, and this is basically a collection of recordings from the members' former bands prior to the formation of We All Together proper. There are a few forays into San Francisco-style rock and straight-up folk, but the highlights are definitely the tunes with Anglophilic tendencies. My personal faves feature the lead vocals of founder Carlos Guerro's sister Monik. All in all, a nice addendum to a mysterious band many would like to know more about. Any fan of sunshine pop and the aforementioned will find a lot to love in this collection. [DH]


	$18.99 CD $22.99 LP		ESG South Bronx Story 2 (Soul Jazz) "There Was a Time" "Six Pack" This new collection from Soul Jazz gathers Scroggins family rarities, including alternate versions of some familiar ESG songs -- there are three different takes of Paradise Garage staple "Moody" -- and tracks that have been out of print for over 20 years. From their youthful beginning on 99 records to their more recent full-lengths on Soul Jazz, South Bronx Story 2 fills in the blanks of their lengthy career -- even when they were without a label the sisters were still making music. Recommended to the hardcore NYC post-punk aficionado as well as those who are just discovering this talented, multigenerational group of women. Not the perfect place to start but well worth the price of admission. [DG]


	$4.99 CD		FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS Distant Future EP (Sub Pop) "Robots" Big Love has become a truly great show, and not just for the laughs watching Chloe Sevigny play an uptight, dour Mormon prude. But the rest of the HBO schedule is pretty much of a mess. I still get a kick out of Entourage, but John From Cincinnati is just plain boring (Editor's Note: I strongly disagree, Josh), obviously The Sopranos faded to black weeks ago, Curb Your Enthusiasm is months away from the new season, and The Wire and Deadwood are not even on the horizon. And what about Flight of the Conchords? Well, what about it? A rather slight comedy about a pair of New Zealand indie-pop-folk slackers who move to New York City to peddle their music and make their lives in the Rotten Apple. What can I say, I've gotten a chuckle or two, but ultimately I think even my under-utilized half-hour between 10:30 and 11 on Sunday nights is probably worth more than that. Without a doubt the best parts of the show are the production numbers, where the duo burst into song. The basic joke of the show, their characters and their music revolves around the dichotomy of these half-baked losers breaking into song and dance numbers when they seem too pathetic to make mac 'n' cheese, and their songs are actually kind of funny parodies, mostly of classic slow-jam R&B come-ons, surprisingly hooky and good, and they are full of amusing one-liners that are sung all sexy and emotional, about being a lusty lonely loser. It's not the best record Sub Pop ever put out, or even their best comedy record, but really, it doesn't stink. [JM]


	$8.99 45		VAMPIRE WEEKEND A-Punk / Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa (Free News Projects) "A-Punk" Vampire Weekend's excellent self-titled EP flew out of here in a fashion we haven't witnessed in a while, and here comes the vinyl edition. It's actually only two of the tracks ("A-Punk" and "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa") but with a nicely screenprinted sleeve, yellow vinyl, and a record as heavy as a discus, how can you lose?


	$15.99 CD $9.99 mp3		MYLLA Vanya (Subliminal Sounds) "Hnge 'ru Me" "Froken Nature" The newest group from the Subliminal Sounds stable, Mylla are the party-band of the Swedish psychedelia scene. With a driving Hammond organ, swirling guitars, a pounding rhythm section and one of the more alluring rock and roll flautists we've heard in years, Vanya delivers by channeling early prog rock, 70's R&B and classic rock's freewheeling power. We featured this album last Tuesday in our Downloads of the Week email, and you can read the full review here: digital.othermusic.com/view/7972/0/vanya


	$14.99 CD $9.99 mp3		DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES The Cold Nose (American Dust) "The Horse You Ride" When Grizzly Bear go into hibernation, Daniel Rossen goes to work as one half of Department of Eagles (the other is Fred Nicolaus). The Cold Nose is a mixture of highly accomplished orchestrated pop, brief beat-infused excursions, and whacked out, late night bedroom experimentation. The "anything goes" approach totally works on The Cold Nose, and the eccentricities on here don't sound forced or as if they're there just for the sake of being weird, which makes this a great little album.


	$13.99 CD		THE BRUNETTES Structure and Cosmetics (Sub Pop) "Her Hairagami Set" The U.S. debut from this New Zealand boy/girl duo (what is with Sub Pop and NZ this week?), the Brunettes make simple, dreamy indie-pop that owes a debt to 60s girl-group charm as well as updated DIY pop from the Shins, etc. The music is soft and sweet, the lyrics are witty and wry, and if it won't change your world, it just might change your weekend for the better.


	$22.99 CD		LAS MALAS AMISTADES Patio Bonito (Honest Jons) "La Prima" "Ahora" Patio Bonito picks up right where Las Malas Amistades's previous album El Jardin Interior left off. Put together by film and art college alums from Bogota, Colombia, their latest endeavor offers more fragmented pop tunes, which together form something perhaps not entirely cohesive, but still containing the depth and color of the tropicalia movement mixed with the undercurrent of more contemporary synthesizer and drum machine pitter patter.


	PHONE ORDERS Phone orders are accepted at (212) 477-8150 (ext. #2, mailorder) Mon-Fri, Noon - 7pm EST EMAIL For general inquiries or other information please email sales@othermusic.com. Do not reply to this message. REMOVE This is an automated list. If you would like to be removed from it for any reason, please send an email from the address you wish to delete to list@othermusic.com and make sure the word "Remove" is included in the subject line.		THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS [AC] Amanda Colbenson [MC] Michael Crumsho [PG] Pamela Garavano-Coolbaugh [DG] Daniel Givens [GH] Gerald Hammill [DH] Duane Harriott [AK] Andreas Knutsen [JM] Josh Madell [DM] Doug Mosurock [KO] Kristy Ojala [JS] Jeremy Sponder THANKS FOR READING - all of us at Other Music

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