September 19, 2007

		FEATURED NEW RELEASES Akron/Family Goodnight Loving Percee P Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew Thurston Moore Richard Crandell Brenda Ray East of Underground Fraser & Debolt Yathra Sidra Makoto Kawabata Songs of Green Pheasant Michael Hurley Keb Darge & Cut Chemist Kaiser/Noyes/Park Mingering Mike   White Noise Baron Zen Pink Floyd ALSO AVAILABLE Taraf De Haidouks BACK IN STOCK Simian Mobile Disco FEATURED DIGITAL DOWNLOADS Still Going (DFA) Wzt Hearts Spiral Joy Band Jana Hunter COMPLETE LIST OF THIS WEEK'S NEW ARRIVALS

		SEP  Sun 16 Mon 17 Tues 18 Wed 19 Thurs 20 Fri 21 Sat 22   TICKET GIVE AWAY TO SEE GRUFF RHYS This Friday, September 21, Gruff Rhys will be performing at the Hiro Ballroom, in support of his recent solo album, Candylion. Opening the night for the Super Furry Animals frontman will be All Smiles, which features Jim Fairchild from Grandaddy. We've got two pairs of tickets to give away and you can enter by emailing contest@othermusic.com. The two winners will be selected on Thursday, September 20th. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 HIRO BALLROOM: 363 W. 16th St. NYC

		SEP  Sun 23 Mon 24 Tues 25 Wed 26 Thurs 27 Fri 28 Sat 29 Beirut   WIN TICKETS TO JOE'S PUB IN THE PARK Other Music is giving away two pairs of tickets to each of these upcoming Joe's Pub in the Park events. First up is a Gypsy-themed night of performers on Wednesday September 26, headlined by everyone's favorite Eastern European-influenced indie pop ensemble, Beirut, along with Balkan Beat Box and the NY Gypsy All-Stars. A few days later, on Saturday, September 29, will be a tribute to the late, great Marc Bolan and T. Rex, and living legend Scott Walker. There's a plethora of musicians billed for that night including Justin Bond (Kiki and Herb), David Driver, Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears, Clem Burke (Blondie), Richard Lloyd (Television), Sylvain Sylvain (New York Dolls), Lloyd Cole, Richard Barone, and many more. To enter, email tickets@othermusic.com and please leave a daytime phone number as well as the date you'd like to enter for. We'll pick two winners for each show. BEIRUT, BALKAN BEAT BOX & NY GYPSY ALL-STARS Wednesday, September 26 @ 7PM MARC BOLAN & T. REX 30th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AND SCOTT WALKER SONGBOOK Saturday, September 29 @ 7PM JOE'S PUB IN THE PARK: The Delacorte Theater in Central Park (accessible at 81 St. and Central Park West or 79th St. and 5th Ave)

		$15.99 CD $9.99 mp3   AKRON/FAMILY Love Is Simple (Young God) "Ed Is a Portal" "Phenomena" New York's own Akron/Family have a come a long way in just a couple of short years. A quartet fond of bizarre intersections of free improv bombast, folk beauty, and skyward psychedelics, these four have gone from flogging their homemade CD-Rs as a local curiosity to full-on indie sensations, with occasional stop-offs to sit in as Michael Gira's current Angels of Light backing band. More than just their sophomore effort, Love Is Simple goes a ways towards showcasing the mighty evolutionary leaps Akron/Family has managed in a pretty short period of time. Gone are the timid moments and awkward juxtapositions that dotted their earlier work, replaced instead with a sublimely nuanced grasp of near-baroque dynamics, and a gloriously unkempt instrumental prowess that, at long last, manages to translate this foursome's amazing on-stage presence to record. Tracks like "Don't Be Afraid, You're Already Dead" trade off beautiful vocal harmonies with slow-building country accompaniment, while "Lake Song/New Ceremonial Music for Moms" imbues its folk pulse with sly polyrhythms and some backing chants from Baltimore oddballs the Lexie Mountain Boys. Perhaps best of all, though, is the staggering "There's So Many Colors," which manages to grow from a spare a cappella opening to a kaleidoscopic rock burner, wasting nary a minute of its time in the process. Finally proving that they're worth the hype, Love Is Simple easily ranks as Akron/Family's finest moment to date. [MC]

		$11.99 CD   GOODNIGHT LOVING Crooked Lake (Dusty Medical) "Money to Plaster" "Another Foggy Yesterday" Last year, these young guys from Milwaukee took over my brain with their debut album, Cemetery Trails. They are one of those rare instances where a band just seems to appear, fully formed, and from the first note it's just perfect. For real, I rocked that first record more than any other not called Blood Visions last year and I am still not tired of it. In fact, one of the only things that has quelled my steady diet is that they've just put out album number two and it's just as good, if not even better. Serious heartland via power pop moves that bring (to my ears at least) to mind the genius of Cleveland's Mice or even vintage Replacements. With songs that seem so effortless in their catchiness and their rocking, it will be a long time before Crooked Lake grows old. So do yourself a favor and track down both albums, you won't be disappointed. [DMa]

		$14.99 CD $9.99 mp3   PERCEE P Perseverance (Stones Throw) "The Man to Praise" "No Time for Jokes" In the hip-hop game it usually takes more than just talent to get you noticed. Most need a platform to showcase their skills and now that Percee P has found his home on Stones Throw, everybody should know his name. Having spent years cutting his lyrical teeth as a steadfast hustler, peddling his CD-Rs on the streets of Manhattan, the Bronx native now joins forces with Madlib for his latest invasion. Perseverance is just that, a testament to what dedication and hard work can do, so what could be a better pay-off than having your debut full-length produced by one of today's top beat-bangers? By now you know Madlib's M.O.: tightly woven loops and soulful beats with lots of short interludes and coded messages. Percee's rapid-fire rhyming technique fits well atop the swirling samples, and he barely takes a breath over the hour long CD. One of the best underground secrets finally gets to meet the masses. Guests include Aesop Rock, Guilty Simpson, Diamond D, Prince Po, and Chali 2NA. (Download the mp3 version of the album from our digital store and get two free bonus tracks not included on the CD.) [DG]

		$12.99 CD $17.99 LP $9.99 mp3   BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE PRESENTS KEVIN DREW Spirit If... (Arts and Crafts) "Big Love" "Safety Bricks" If I were a bit more ambitious, I might have opened this review by drafting a Broken Social Scene family tree showing how the Canadian "collective" and their myriad of members/ex-members/sometime members and occasional guests stretch their tendrils into half of the indie rock records released in this hemisphere in the last five years. Or perhaps we could play a little game of Six Degrees of BSS ... I'll bet you I can connect Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Drew in fewer steps than that, but I guess that is beside the point. What is the point then? Well, that was my question actually, why founding Scene-ster and main singer-songwriter Kevin Drew would release this album on longtime BSS label Arts & Crafts, featuring most of the BSS inner circle in one capacity or another, "presented" by BSS and sounding undeniably like a new BSS album, under his own name. Business 101 would tell you that it was a shrewd move to extend brand loyalty beyond their core product, and if they can continue to succeed like they have with Feist et al., I imagine these guys will be running the music industry within five years. Actually, it turns out that this is the first in a series of solo records from the various Broken Social Scene members, which proves to be an even shrewder move. Cynicism (or optimism, depending on how you look at it) aside, Spirit If... is a great new album in the mold of Broken Social Scene's best stuff, straightforward, hooky indie rock that picks up where Dinosaur Jr. and Pavement left off (and both J Mascis and Spiral Stairs make cameos on the album), adding layers of fuzz, loopy electronics, soaring harmonies or post-rock pulses where appropriate. Drew is not the only singer on the album (also featured are the voices of Feist, Amy Milan, Emily Haines, Jason Collett, American Analog Set's Andrew Kenny etc.), but he does handle most of the leads, and perhaps they are a bit clearer and a bit louder than on most of the BSS catalog... but perhaps not. I'm willing to bet that this album, recorded "between January 2005 and February 2007" was another bunch of Broken Social Scene songs until someone came up with the bright idea of slapping Kevin Drew's name on the cover. By any name, Spirit If... is an excellent record, somehow melding the joy of a campfire sing-along with full-throttle fuzz-rock and fine songwriting. Unlike New Coke, Kevin Drew is here to stay. [JM]

		$11.99 CD $9.99 mp3   THURSTON MOORE Trees Outside the Academy (Ecstatic Peace) "Frozent Gtr" "Fri/End" It seems strange that Trees Outside the Academy is only Thurston Moore's second solo full-length. After all, outside the confines of Sonic Youth, the dude has been nothing if not extremely prolific over the past couple of decades, be it in his live and recorded collabos, his occasional writings, and his constant mentoring of successive generations of noise jammers through his Ecstatic Peace label. Even still, Trees showcases an altogether different side of the revered New York polymath, one that has heretofore gone undocumented -- that of the guitar-slinging singer-songwriter. Joined here by drummer bandmate Steve Shelley and the always great violinist Samara Lubelski (and, occasionally, folks like J Mascis and Charalambides' Christina Carter), Trees finds Moore checking in for a solid disc of low-key pop songs that display a subtle tunefulness at which Sonic Youth generally only hints. Tracks like "Honest James" and "Never Light" are sincere strummers, spare acoustic tunes dolled up with a brilliantine buff of violin and vocal harmonies. Elsewhere he turns the volume (and tempo) up a bit for songs like "Wonderful Witches," balancing out his folky pluck with stabs of grinding guitar. Even more surprising are the tuneful experimental pieces like "American Coffin," which gives up the introductory noise blasts for pensive, lo-fi piano refrains. Given the unabashed oddball thrust of his recent recordings sans Sonic Youth, Trees Outside the Academy will undoubtedly come as a bit of surprise. All the better for it, though, as Moore confidently proves he's still holding a few high cards up his sleeve. [MC]

		$14.99 CD $14.99 CD   RICHARD CRANDELL In the Flower of Our Youth (Sound Advice) "Rebecca" RICHARD CRANDELL & BILL BARTELS Oregon Hill (Sound Advice) "Boxcars" I know, I know, there's been a veritable explosion of solo acoustic guitar records over the last couple of years, but seriously, trust me, you'd be hard-pressed to find one that tops these two beauties in terms of sheer loveliness. The name Richard Crandell may ring a bell to some of you, he released an exquisite CD of solo mbira music on John Zorn's label a couple of years ago that was a huge hit around here, we sold tons and it ended up being on our "best of" list for the year. Well, it turns out he'd honed that fine melodic sense which we found so captivating on the mbira as an incomparable acoustic guitar player in the seventies and early eighties. The reason I find both these albums to be such a big deal is because of how different his approach is to say, Fahey or Basho. He's got a much more minimal sensibility that's really focused on the melodies. It's low-key for sure, but with a lushness you might even be able to associate with some of the more accessible minimalist composers. I picked up his first album, In the Flower of Our Youth around the time his Tzadik CD came out, and it's honestly been my go-to acoustic guitar record ever since. His second release, Oregon Hill is comprised of duets with the guitarist Bill Bartels and I can't imagine a more sympathetic partnership. They almost seem to be communicating via ESP, as their timing is impeccable, and the songs are totally memorable despite all the intricate patterns they conjure. [MK]

		$20.99 CD   BRENDA RAY Walatta (EM Japan) "Star Light" "Please Be Mine Tonight" Every once in a while a little record sneaks in and starts making waves, and Brenda Ray's Walatta is the latest to turn our heads and get our toes tapping. Walatta, which is the Ethiopian word for "first daughter," is one of those rare moments when cultures mesh instead of clash. This is in the lineage of work from other non-Jamaican women who embraced reggae: Sinead O'Connor, Leslie Winer, Ari Up, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, and even a dubbier Young Marble Giants. At its essence, Wallata is essentially a reggae record built upon handpicked backing rhythms originally recorded by Roy Cousins. Soft and tropical, Ray overdubbed her vocals, melodica and accoutrements like triangle, bells, and claves in her home studio in England. All the layers, along with the dubby textures, create a cool, soft and playfully executed slice of life. The cast of talent that surrounds this record is a little overwhelming; in true roots style a lot of familiar names pop up: Prince Far I, Style Scott, Tommy McCook, Robbie Shakespeare, Gladstone Anderson, Horsemouth, and Family Man. A record that will definitely intrigue as much as soothe you, this gets my choice for Surprise of the Week. [DG]

		$12.99 CD $16.99 LP   EAST OF UNDERGROUND East of Underground (Wax Poetics) "People Get Ready" "East of Java" Funk reissues come and go, but here's one that's so obscure -- and legitimately funky -- that it demands your immediate attention. In 1971, Army personnel stationed in Germany had a "battle of the bands" contest, presumably to boost morale as the situation in Vietnam continued to worsen. The winners and runners-up were given studio time, the results of which were issued in a government-sanctioned double album. The first album of this set was washed-out, tame psychedelic pop. The second album was raging funk and soul covers by an unknown, yet blistering-sounding outfit known as East of Underground. Navigating through covers and medleys of "Popcorn," "Walk On By," "Oye Como Va," "California Dreamin'," as well as material by Curtis Mayfield, Sly Stone, Funkadelic and the Undisputed Truth, we're faced with two distinct possibilities: that the performers in this band were working musicians "back home," and that the war had brought them together. This reissue wisely dispenses with sides A & B, and focuses on the real talent within, men with enviable musical talent, confident and proud in the face of impending peril. (Vinyl issue is limited to 2000 numbered copies.) [DM]

		$15.99 CD   FRASER AND DEBOLT With Ian Guenther (Fallout) "Them Dance Hall Girls" "Pure Spring Water" Well, I got no need for time these days You know the day ain't worth a damn, oh no no no Because my wristwatch ain't got no secondhand A long-overdue reissue of the self-titled rural folk classic by this Canadian duo. Highly regarded by those in the know as a homespun masterpiece and somewhat improbable entry in Columbia records' 1971 release schedule, Fraser and Debolt combined subtly brilliant and slightly surreal songwriting with a bare-boned and rough-edged delivery that succeeded mainly on the strength of the duo's incredibly heartfelt delivery. Very few clean lines to be found here, these songs are all funk and flash and as well worn as your grandma's homemade quilt. Includes a stunning cover of the Beatles classic "Don't Let Me Down" that makes the original sound like it was recorded by a bunch of poseurs. Timeless. [MK]

		$17.99 CD   YATHA SIDHRA A Meditation Mass (SPV Records) "Part 2" "Part 3" Without even listening this record, it seems to meet all of the qualifications for prog-rock Holy Grail status. Was it recorded in Germany during the early 70s? Check. Did Brain put it out? Uh-huh. Could this record be described as "cosmic"? Absolutely. Did the band break up after one record due to lack of interest and critical indifference? You betcha! For the other half who need a some more background, here it is: Yatha Sidra rose from the ashes of Lea Gamble, a German group that played soul-based hard rock; fronted by two brothers (Rolf and Klaus Fichter), the new band would soon switch musical direction. A Meditation Mass is comprised of four long instrumental passages that can surely be classified as prog-rock, but what sets this album apart from the other releases of that genre is its restraint. You can hear jazz, Eastern music, tribal rhythms and folk influences, but there isn't any of that showy, over-the-top self-indulgence that one normally associates with a lot of Krautrock; each movement gradually picks up momentum. Still, for Kraut enthusiasts, A Meditation Mass could easily maintain a space between your Harmonia and Ash Ra Tempel albums. For everyone else, this is an excellent progressive rock gem that balances the gentle, restrained playing with the fearless, open-ended musicianship required to perform a 50-minute prog piece and make it work. Recommended. [DH]

		$13.99 CD $9.99 mp3   MAKOTO KAWABATA Inui 4 (VHF) "Ryo" "Ryo" Makoto Kawabata, the guru behind Japanese psych-rockers Acid Mother's Temple, is one prolific dude, to say the least. On this fourth solo record in the Inui series, Makoto continues on an atmospheric ride, guided by layers of pastoral electronics and guitar. Inui 4 features "Ryo," a 68-minute piece that slowly expands from the contemplative drone of acoustic guitar and subtle cosmic washes (echoing its bombastic counterpart found on most AMT recordings) only to shrink to a single tone. Glissando guitar then carries the last quarter of the record, ruminating on the note by, once again, aggrandizing its sound, only to create yet another ethereal shift. The final movement calls to mind parts of Hosana Mantra, Makoto's tribute to Popul Vuh, in its high-pitched ambient finish. A perfect soundtrack for meditation. [LG]

		$13.99 CD $9.99 mp3   SONGS OF GREEN PHEASANT Gyllyng Street (Fat Cat) "King Friday" "Boats" Album number three by Duncan Sumpner (Songs of Green Pheasant) almost fully eliminates the lo-fi vibe of his previous records in favor a more textured, full band approach. While the first two records had an isolated bedroom feel, Sumpner has abandoned the old four-track on Gyllyng Street and upgraded to a full eight. The songs are gorgeous and slowly drifting mini-epics, moving further away from folk structures and instead embracing shoegaze-inspired '90s sounds, focusing more on moods and atmospheres than cracked, acoustic strumming. Sumpner lists Cocteau Twins, Felt, Codeine, Talk Talk, and Bark Psychosis as some of his main influences, and it makes perfect sense as all of the aforementioned artists can be traced somewhere throughout Gyllyng Street. And at its very climax, during the hazy soundscape of "A Sketch for Maenporth," the album reaches the heavenly heights of a certain Icelandic band most of you are familiar with. [BC]

		$13.99 CD $9.99 mp3   MICHAEL HURLEY Ancestral Swamp (Gnomonsong) "Knockando" "Light Green Fellow" Michael Hurley has existed on the fringes of the US folk scene since the early '60s, a friend and fellow traveler of most of the essential artists from both coasts and a celebrated songwriter and performer in his own right. But due to a variety of health issues and age-old music biz ups and downs, he never quite broke through to a fulltime career as a troubadour. Hurley's songs tend to blend an underlying sadness with a sense of goofy fun and an infectious love of living; from his homemade cartooney album covers to his sometimes-pithy song subjects, his records teem with life. Now adopted by the next wave of guitar-plucking free spirits, Hurley's latest is released on Devendra Banhart's Gnomonsong label, and features Tara Jane O'Neil and other young bloods helping out on a few tracks. But overall, Ancestral Swamp is a sparse affair, with Hurley alone on guitar (and banjo, fiddle and electric piano), his weathered and passionate voice filling the room with a starker sound than his fans may be used to. Hurley sounds his age, but only in the best way, like Ramblin' Jack Elliott or Bob Dylan, singing because it's all he knows how to do, and singing from the heart. [JM]

		$17.99 CD   KEB DARGE & CUT CHEMIST Lost & Found: Rockabilly & Jump Blues (BBE) "Sadie Green" Big 'T' Tyler "The Walkin' Blues" Jesse Powell Orchestra First off, let's disregard the fact that this compilation is on BBE. There are no beats or breaks, or much at all for hip-hop heads to study here. However, the rockabilly scene does share the same obsessive collector nerd mentality as, say, the Northern soul and deep funk movements, and Keb Darge and Cut Chemist's selection of rockabilly and country & jump blues is top notch. Darge's disc is predictably obscure, much like the other comps he's curated, but never at the expense of quality. Along with scorching mid-'50s rockers (and you really haven't lived until you've heard Corky Jones' amazing "Hot Dog"), he also includes a few recent tracks that sound surprisingly good, especially Ronnie Hayward's "You Hound Ya Lie." Cut Chemist's turn incorporates a few more familiar names (Link Wray, Johnny Burnette, Charlie Feathers) and is just as solid as Darge's selection, with the possessed howl of the Phantoms' "Love Me," as made famous by the Cramps, still burning holes in eardrums after all these years. A rather large recommendation is in order here. [AK]

		$14.99 CD   HENRY KAISER, CHARLES K. NOYES & SANG-WON PARK Invite the Spirit 1983 (Tzadik) "Hurum" "Sinpuri" This album, as it existed on Celluloid double vinyl, was one of my first introductions to improvised music that truly reached beyond any expectations for which the jazz world had briefed me. Ritualistic performances by guitarist Henry Kaiser and percussionist Charles K. Noyes, one of the underrepresented talents of the downtown scene, are steered into the fragile, gossamer realms of ancient wisdom by Sang-Won Park on kayagum (a Korean zither set up somewhat like a lap steel guitar). Explosive musicianship is curtailed in favor of a gently active approach, meditative and calm but bustling with one-of-a-kind musical kinesis. An enduring session, finally available once again. [DM]

		$24.95 Book   MINGERING MIKE The Amazing Career of an Imaginary Soul Superstar (Princeton Architectural Press) The story of Mingering Mike is one of the greatest touchstones of popular culture in America. It's the tale of a groundbreaking soul / R&B singer, producer, label owner, actor and showman who, from the late '60s through 1977, released over 50 albums and as many hit 45s, 8-track tapes and reel-to-reels on labels that he ran himself, lording over an entertainment empire that existed only in the mind of one fanatical Washington D.C. record collector. Who was Mingering Mike? The mystery and the history are explored in loving detail in the great new book out on Princeton Architectural Press. The story begins, or maybe ends at a D.C. flea market in December of 2003, when a crate-digging soul collector stumbled across a box of beautiful and impossibly rare LPs, studio albums, live triple-LPs and soundtracks to unheard-of Blaxploitation films from the early '70s. Actually, upon closer inspection, most of what was detailed on these beautiful record sleeves was unheard-of, from the artists (all revolving around the main star and kingpin Mingering Mike) to the labels, the producers...all of it. The liner notes were meticulous and the details were endlessly fascinating, but, it turned out, these records, while real as a slap in the face, were non-existent. Pull the vinyl out of the beautiful picture sleeve and you can see it's just cardboard, the grooves made of paint or magic marker, the hand-drawn labels, copyright and all, an elaborate game, or fraud, or more likely a dream. The mystery of these strange artifacts spread quickly throughout the world of record collectors and beyond, on websites, in magazines, in the pages of the New York Times and on National Public Radio. It was a hell of a lot of glowing press, in fact, for an artist that never existed. But of course he DID exist, if not the chart topping soul artist that is imagined on the endless artifacts discovered in those record crates that cold December day, then at least the man who imagined him and made him ALMOST real, right down to the shrink-wrap, price-tag and promotional stickers on the albums. Mingering Mike, The Amazing Career of an Imaginary Soul Superstar tells the tale from every angle, as the crate diggers track down and win over Mike today and learn the story of his real and imagined past. Groundbreaking singer, outsider artist, or just another lost soul, this lovely book (soft-cover, 10" x 10", close to 200 pages) is a beauty and a thrill to read, telling Mike's story in words and pictures that will give hours of enjoyment to record collectors, art enthusiasts and students of the human condition alike. [JM]

		$16.99 CD   WHITE NOISE An Electric Storm (Island Import) "Firebird" "Your Hidden Dreams" In the late 1960s, American-born bassist David Vorhaus hooked up with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop's Delia Derbyshire and Brian Hodgson to form White Noise, a group that created strangely alluring pop masterpieces that mixed traditional instrumentation with space-aged synths and avant-garde worthy tape experiments. They debuted with 1969's An Electric Storm, a now-classic LP that was every bit as bizarre and unsettling as it was sweet and tuneful. Though undeniable hooks coursed throughout tracks like "Love Without Sound" and "Firebird," they were shot through with an anarchic inventiveness, plied with bizarre electronic sound effects, manipulations, and edits that managed to take the album further outside the realm of pure pop than anyone could have imagined. Elsewhere, "My Game of Loving" shifts gears abruptly from twee ballad to aural pornography, matching the real sounds of an orgy with a synthesized variation thereof, while the schizoid "Here Come the Fleas" packs more twists and turns into its quick two minutes than most artists could in a whole album. The highlight here, though, is undoubtedly the near-apocalyptic "The Visitations." Starting out on a grim, ambient note, the track tells a dark tale of death and the afterlife, built on top of a brooding soundscape that admirably carries the mood. On par with similar proto-electronic pop works from the likes of Bruce Haack and the United States of America, White Noise's debut is one of those rare records that manages to evoke the spirit of its time while effortlessly transcending it. [MC]

		$13.99 CD $9.99 mp3   BARON ZEN At the Mall Remixes (Stones Throw) "Gotta Get Ridda Rick" "Walked in Line" The Baron Zen album from last year was one of Stones Throw's most idiosyncratic releases. That's saying a lot, when you consider the fact that almost all of the label's output is pretty leftfield in the first place. Originally recorded in the late '80s, At the Mall was an irreverent blast of home-recorded electro-punk/pop madness, fueled by boredom, sexual frustration and too many stimulants! Completely removed from the indie-bedroom cassette-trading scene, Peanut Butter Wolf saved it from being lost to the ages, releasing Baron Zen's recordings commercially for the first time. This collection of remixes off the album pretty much retains the controlled sloppiness, the best re-workings trumping the original recordings. Highlights include Dam-Funk's nasty boogie funk take on "Burn Rubber" and Madlib and Danny Breaks' grimy, MPC break-heavy workouts on "Theme" and "Shoes." Strong remixes from J-Rocc, James Pants and Peanut Butter Wolf also make this one a keeper. File this under: Taking drugs to make music to take drugs to. (Download version comes with two bonus tracks.) [DH]

		$38.99 CDx3   PINK FLOYD Piper at the Gates of Dawn (Capitol) Other Music might not be the first place you'd look for advice on Pink Floyd records, but come on, it's the 40th anniversary of the release of their first album, back in the Syd era that so many claim is "their best." While that is certainly debatable (and while it's clearly better than bloated, albeit more popular works such as The Wall), this is certainly one of several high points for the band, capturing a time of wide-eyed bliss under a canopy of psychedelicized wonderment, one which bordered on terror. Hence, the excitement remains; this is an enduring, early effort that perfectly summarizes the times that spawned them. Triple-disc version contains both mono and stereo mixes of this seminal work, plus a disc of outtakes; no surprises here, as this material has been bootlegged for decades, but at least it's a legit and spectacular sounding rendition. If you've never heard this record, what happened to you? [DM]

		$15.99 CD $9.99 mp3   TARAF DE HAIDOUKS Maskarada (Crammed Discs) "Ostinato & Romanian Dance" Romanian 12-piece Taraf de Haidouks reclaim the Gypsy tunes that classical composers, including Bartok, Albeniz, Khachaturian etc, famously borrowed from. These interpretations range from academic and studied to an intense whirlwind of accordions, cimbaloms, and fiddles, and a few rousing vocal performances. Maybe not the best place to start with this famous band of Gypsies (and favorites of Johnny Depp!), but Maskarada is a fascinating re-imagining of these classical pieces.

		$9.99 CD   SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO Attack Decay Sustain Release (Interscope) "It's the Beat" "Wooden" There's been plenty of anticipation for this one on the other side of the Atlantic as well as in the States, where at any given indie-dance party you're certain to see kids getting down to Simian Mobile Disco's "Hustler" or "It's the Beat." Listening to these in-your-face dance tracks, it's hard to believe that the members of this duo are the direct descendents of the group that created 2001's Chemistry Is What We Are, a brainy, laidback album of Air-meets-Beatles psych-pop. Simian disbanded following 2002's We Are Your Friends, when James Ford and Jas Shaw left the group to dive into dance music fulltime as Simian Mobile Disco. While they were certainly finding plenty of work in their remix/DJ/producer life, the Justice Vs. Simian reworking of the title track from the defunct band's swan song skyrocketed the duo (and Justice) last year, thanks in no part to Kanye West's mouthing off on live television when "We Are Your Friends" took home MTV Europe's Best Music Video award. So if you're wondering what the hell "nu rave" is all about, then you won't find a better place to start than Simian Mobile Disco's debut. First off, they're unabashed about the kind of music that they make; it's almost all strictly for dancing. And while there are moments where you just might be reaching for that glow-stick, there are equal doses of acid, big beat, electro-pop and house to keep you from grinding your teeth for too long. Tracks like the aforementioned anthemic "It's the Beat" (which features lead vocals from the Go! Team's Ninja) and "Hustler" -- a sleazy, filter-sweeping ode to stealing records (which we certainly don't condone) -- are indeed debaucherous and borderline disposable, yet Shaw and Ford also manage to coax a pop element that you wouldn't expect to come through the buzzing, analog pulses. And right when you to think you've got SMD all figured out, you get to cuts like the silly but infectious playground rap "Hot Dog" or the straightforward '80s-pop of "Love" (which features former Simian singer Simon Lord). Much like Fatboy Slim and the Chemical Brothers acted as the gateway for so many to the dance floor during the '90s, there's a whole new generation discovering electronic music and club culture, with Simian Mobile Disco and Justice pointing the way. [GH]

		$1.99 mp3   STILL GOING Still Going / On and On (DFA) Featuring Rub 'n' Tug's Eric "Dunks" Duncan and Olivier Spencer of Manthraxx and Mr. Negative, it was only a matter of time before these two NYC dance scene staples would join forces again, and follow up their Rong Music released "How & Why" single. DFA brings us the duo's next two productions, the A-side already receiving much acclaim from the likes of Lindstrom and Prins Thomas who included it on their BBC Radio One Essential Mix. Other Music Digital also has the first three singles released on DFA sister label Death From Abroad.

		$9.99 mp3   WZT HEARTS Thread Ropes Spell Making Your (Carpark) The second full-length from Wzt Hearts -- their first for Carpark -- sees the Baltimore quartet honing in on their beguiling mix of crunchy ambience (a la Fennesz and Stars of the Lid), accomplished jazz drumming and Krautrock's cosmic vibe. What results is psychedelic, at times even confrontational, and is sure to be loved by fans of Black Dice as well as the aforementioned artists.

		$9.99 mp3   SPIRAL JOY BAND Wake of the Dying Sun King (VHF) Formed in 2001 by Pelt's Mikel Dimmick and Mike Gangloff, Spiral Joy Band's second full-length is a much more percussive outing than '05's Lullabies for Jeff Dean. Mostly recorded in a Virginia church, these slow-building pieces were created from instruments and materials like Tibetan bowls, struck metal, gongs, fiddle and sruti box. Captivating, nuanced music that demands full attention from the listener.

		$5.99 mp3   JANA HUNTER Carrion EP (Gnomonsong) While three of the songs on Jana Hunter's new EP were written during the sessions leading up to her recent full-length "There's No Home," and the other three are alternate versions of tracks from that album, this is far from an odds 'n' sods type release. The "Carrion EP" presents an even more intimate side -- at times almost haunting -- to this folk artist's stark, yearning music.

		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 [BC] Baxter Cardona [MC] Michael Crumsho [LG] Lisa Garrett [DG] Daniel Givens [GH] Gerald Hammill [DH] Duane Harriot [MK] Michael Klausman [AK] Andreas Knutsen [JM] Josh Madell [DMa] Dave Martin [DM] Doug Mosurock THANKS FOR READING - all of us at Other Music

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