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   August 27, 2008  
       
   
         
 
FEATURED NEW RELEASES
Ronald Stevenson
Arabian Prince
Praveen & Benoit
Neu! (CD Reissues)
Pram
Jackson Sisters (LP Only)
Bohannon (LP Only)
Del Jones (LP Only)
 

Nobody Knows Anything (Various)
Nowave (Various)
Gary Usher
Zomes
The Aggregation
Jesu / Battle of Mice (Split)

ALSO AVAILABLE
Jobriath (CD Reissues)


All of this week's new arrivals.

 
         
   
   
   
   
   
       
   
 
 
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  WIN TICKETS TO ARMY NAVY AT UNION POOL
Last fall, the infectious Anglo-influenced guitar pop of Army Navy caught our ears and soon after we premiered their debut EP as an exclusive on our download store, which stayed in our top 10 sellers list for several weeks. The Los Angeles quartet has been hard at work since, playing lots of shows, finishing their full-length with producer Adam Lasus (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Yo La Tengo) and even recording a couple of new songs for the soundtrack to Michael Cera's upcoming movie, Nick and Norah's Ultimate Playlist. Next week, the group will play their first shows in NYC, at Mercury Lounge on September 2nd, and then two days later at Union Pool. We've got a pair of tickets up for grabs for the Union Pool show; to enter, email tickets@othermusic.com. We'll be notifying the winner next Monday, September 1.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
UNION POOL: 484 Union Avenue Williamsburg, Brooklyn

 
   
       
   

 

 

     
 

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  RONALD STEVENSON
Passacaglia on D.S.C.H.
(Appian)

"Sonata Allegro"
"Central Episode Etudes"

I first heard of Scottish composer Ronald Stevenson (b.1928) not long ago via his association with the inscrutable Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, known for the Herculean length and difficulty of his piano repertoire. Stevenson's fame, such as it is, also rests on a work of inordinate length, his Passacaglia on D.S.C.H., whose score runs to 191 pages and is believed to be the longest continual movement of piano music ever written. I was pleased to discover then that the composer's own first recorded performance of the piece, originally issued in an edition of 100 copies in 1964, has recently been reissued and remastered. I love those composers whose work falls outside of what seems to be the official story of twentieth century classical music, and Stevenson is a prime example of an artist who just doesn't fit. He clearly had the modernist instinct for collage and allusion, he's cited Joyce's Finnegan's Wake as being a huge influence on Passacagla on D.S.C.H., and yet felt that “melody's rainbow has been in fragments,” as he wrote to Dimitri Shostakovich. The D.S.C.H in the title refers to a notational anagram/homage to Shostakovich that forms the molecular basis from which the piece eventually portrays an entire world in eighty minutes. In an almost Oulipoian gesture, he uses four simple notes as the groundwork needed to encompass a vast range of references, from Bach's Goldberg Variations, to the Scottish modernist poet Huch Macdiarmid, from a tribute to the childhood victims of the Nazis, to a startling and virtuosic passage inspired by percussion music from Africa. It's enormously complex, nearly hallucinatory, and despite its length never less than totally absorbing, sure to enrapture fans of both Beethoven and Ligeti. [MK]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  ARABIAN PRINCE
Innovative Life
(Stones Throw)

"Situation Hot"
"Freak City"

"In the beginning, there was darkness. Then came light. Sound was next, and then came the beat."

So goes the matter-of-fact spoken word intro to the new Arabian Prince retrospective from Stones Throw, and throughout the next 12 Herculean tracks in this collection, matters get no less epic. If the name doesn't ring a bell, Arabian Prince is the forgotten member of N.W.A. (look for the mustache on the Straight Outta Compton cover) who was integral to the collective's electro-hop beginnings. When the group took an oblique turn in the gangster direction, the trailblazing synth-maestro unfortunately fell by the wayside. Outside of N.W.A, Prince masterminded the girl group JJ Fad, whose “Supersonic” is still getting spins today both in its original form and as interpolated by Fergie (“Fergalicious”) and MF Doom (“Hoe Cakes”). What you may not know is that Arabian Prince also has a ferocious solo track-record, and compiled here for the first time are his greatest techno-freaky boogie-funk hits from '84-'89. Jumping around thematically from the sweat-inducing “Freak City” to the X-Men homage cut “Professor X (Saga),” there isn't a weak moment on this long overdue retrospective. You won't be hard pressed to find something to dance to, whether Arabian Prince is party-rapping about a trip to the beach or the loss of a female companion ("I never should have put her in my innovative world"). All the tracks are culled from rare records like Situation Hot and the N.W.A posse single "Panic Zone," in addition to two unreleased instrumentals. With a history lesson and a prepackaged party all on one album, you'd be a fool to miss out on this paean to one of Los Angeles' first and most influential DJs. [MG]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  PRAVEEN & BENOIT
Songs Spun Simla
(Music Related)

"The Tunnel Is Still There"
"Embers"

Back in 2006, singer-songwriter Thomas Meluch quietly released one of the year's most beguiling ambient pop records as Benoit Pioulard, the beautifully understated Precis. Now he's returned, alongside relative newcomer Praveen Sharma, as half of Praveen & Benoit, a cross-continental collaboration that picks up right where that debut ended. Here, however, Meluch's formidable songwriting talents take a bit of a backseat to his new partner's, as five of the six tracks use Sharma's travels and field recordings as a starting point. Built around Praveen's skeletal songs that were inspired by a trip to his family's native town of Shimla, India, the six tracks contained on this all-too-brief mini-album showcase two artists whose respective styles perfectly complement each other. Songs like "Embers" dwell on skittish drums and rich organ tones, forming a supple backdrop for layers of Meluch's delicately sleepy vocals. Similarly, "Death as a Man" places genteel acoustic guitars and plaintive keys against clattering bursts that add just enough tension to the track's laconic delivery. Over just as soon as it began, Praveen & Benoit's leaves quite an impression even in the midst of its hasty departure. [MC]
 
         
   
   
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  NEU!
Neu!
(Gronland)

"Hallogallo"

NEU
Neu! 2
(Gronland)

"Lila Engel"

NEU!
Neu! 75
(Gronland)

"Isi"


Let me begin by saying this: If you are indeed new to these records, you're in for a treat.

Perhaps the most influential German "Krautrock" band in existence whose followers and antecedents spread throughout countless genres of music, the three albums Neu! (pronounced "noy" and always spelled with the exclamation point -- it's the German word for new, and was intended to be an almost pop-art styled brand name) created in the 1970s remarkably still sound exhilarating and fresh. After leaving an early version of another seminal German band, Kraftwerk, guitarist Michael Rother and drummer Klaus Dinger formed Neu! in 1971, stripping rock music to its most minimal skeleton, defined by chugging, chiming guitars and one of the most propulsive, simple 4/4 backbeats.

The debut album Neu! features some of the group's most championed and influential pieces of music, namely "Hallogallo," which is perhaps the most concentrated definition of the group's sound -- as Dinger thumps incessantly on his kit (playing a beat which he termed "Apache" but which would go on to be dubbed by many as "motorik"), layers of Rother's guitars chop, scratch, and soar above below and around Dinger's backbone. The result is still, after 37 years, completely hypnotizing. Interestingly, most of the rest of the album is of a much more ambient, weightless nature, with tracks like "Sonderangebot" and "Im Gluck" featuring soundscapes of electronic processing and effects-warped cymbals, along with some field recordings of Dinger in a rowboat. The second half picks up pace again with "Negativland," a more dissonant, slowed down groover that marries a low-end bump with squeals of dissonance, clouds of effects, and some of Rother's gnarliest guitar playing during these early days.

Neu! 2 is perhaps the group's most underappreciated and misunderstood release, but is also the one album in their canon which proved a true milestone in the rock world, as it is perhaps the first rock record to extensively feature "remixes" and radically altered versions of its music, particularly that of a single which the band released as a stopgap in between albums. It is also on this album that the huge dichotomy between Rother and Dinger's sounds began to show their true colors -- Rother's compositions tended to be of a more melodic, ambient, weightless nature (a direction he'd explore to its fullest potentials when he'd join Harmonia a few years later); Dinger's music, on the other hand, was raw, unchecked adrenalin and more energetic, so much so that it has often been termed "proto-punk" partly due to the addition of Dinger's somewhat cavemanesque vocal delivery. In most groups, such polarization would be disastrous, and while it did prove to be a deciding factor in Neu!'s demise, for the next two albums it brings out the band's most incredible music. Neu! 2 begins with "Fur Immer," an even more crystalline version of the "Hallogallo" mindset which stretches out for 11-plus minutes and could indeed go on forever (this is a good thing). Dinger gets his rock on with the stomping "Lila Angel" and "Spitzenqualitat," and they provide a brief interlude for what lies ahead with the ambience of "Gedenkminute (fur A + K)." Then comes side 2, an assemblage of "versions" (including the originals) of Neu!'s single "Super" b/w "Neuschnee" played at varying speeds and even by a cassette recorder which goes on to eat and mangle a copy of the tape it's playing. Though at the time this "stunt" was done in desperation due to a shrinking budget that had already been blown, and though this music was met with harsh criticism at the time as a crass, "up yours" gesture (which in some ways it was -- to their record label in particular), these deconstructions now stand up as very listenable and endlessly influential pieces of work, filled with humor, ingenuity, and most importantly, great music.

Neu! 75 is perhaps the most championed of their albums, and with good reason. The group's personality is split entirely down the middle, essentially; side 1 is Rother's, filled with absolutely gorgeous keyboard and guitar textures for some of Neu!'s most aesthetically beautiful duo music, while side 2 is all Dinger, with three songs of Apache stomp (this time by two drummers instead of one!), single chords and snarled vocals. Every tune on this record is a winner -- propulsive, immersive, and insanely catchy. If you're only going to buy one of these records, Neu! 75 is probably the best one to get (though if you do enjoy this one, chances are you'll end up coming back for the other two, trust me). All killer, no filler, this is hands down one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Period.

Anyone interested in the foundations of not only indie rock music by the likes of Stereolab, Radiohead, and pretty much anything with an experimental/punk slant, anyone interested in what would go on to hugely influence Bowie and Eno's Berlin period, any fan of remix/dance culture, any... oh, who am I kidding. Just buy these already. This band was as important as the Beatles and the Velvet Underground, and that's about as much praise as I can pile on. Absolutely essential. [IQ]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  PRAM
The Moving Frontier
(Domino)

"The Empty Quarter"
"Hums Around Us"

There was definitely something in the water in England this past year. First, out crept Polly Jean Harvey's White Chalk, then Portishead's Third, and now we're getting to know Pram's eleventh outing, The Moving Frontier. The Birmingham-based sextet, whom over the past fifteen years has skillfully ridden the boundary between electronica and experimental rock, here release another druggy dose of filmic instrumentals and smooth, but unsettling, minimal ballads. Although Stereolab and Electrelane are touchstones, The Moving Frontier finds Pram just as elusive to harness, partly as a result of the band's disorienting instrumentation, which includes homemade Theremin, airsynth, clarinet, and an endless stream of noises generated by the band's four keyboard players. "Sundew" is a choice example of Pram's capacity not for jamming horns and other analog instruments together in a mash with blatantly synthetic sounds, but creating a cooperative dialogue between them. The group's third album for Domino continues to elaborate upon their early appetite for jazz and hip-hop, and thus retains a sort of late '90s electronica feel. However, Pram's orchestrations are well-developed and purposeful, and "The Silk Rose," featuring the sole appearance of electric guitar on the record, is their finest example this go-around. On occasion, Pram delights by integrating samples from other soundtracks into their own, here blending Bollywood with thick, lo-fi drum samples and contemplative piano and trumpet, all culminating unexpectedly in a Theremin-soaked finale. While Pram are masters of hatching any nostalgic score, from old British '60s spy soundtracks to spaghetti westerns, The Moving Frontier proves that the band's continued experiments into traditional songwriting are just as, if not more riveting, and Rosie Cuckston's trembling vocals possess a mystery to rival recent releases on Fonal. A captivating follow-up by one of England's most underrated experimental outfits. [KS]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$11.99
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  JACKSON SISTERS
Jackson Sisters
(Tiger Lily)

"I Believe in Miracles"

The Jackson sisters were a talented teenage singing group from Compton, CA who recorded one of the best bubblegum soul albums of the ‘70s. Sadly it was for a record label owned by a notoriously shady music industry mogul, Morris Levy, who had basically set up the Tiger Lily imprint as a tax shelter. Most of the catalog was either made up of submitted demos that would be released unbeknownst to the artists, or albums that had been promo-ed to radio but never formerly released. Recorded in 1972 but not released until ’76, the Jackson Sisters’ sole album would be an example of the latter. It’s unfortunate, because they could’ve found an audience pretty quickly, and judging from vintage Soul Train footage of the band, they were good performers.

The tracks are gospel-tinged soul, similar to early Jackson 5 and Sylvers tunes. Highlights include strong covers of Aretha’s “Rock Steady” and a funky soul version of “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” But you can’t talk about the Jackson Sisters without mentioning “ I Believe in Miracles,” a sweet breakbeat, horn-fueled proto-disco tune about changing the world by smiling to strangers and believing in yourself. The sisters re-recorded the track four years later and a promo 12-inch and 7-inch was issued on Polydor. It went nowhere, but somehow a copy of the song made it into the hands of a few deejays, and some 10 years later, “I Believe in Miracles” became a huge staple in London’s burgeoning “rare groove” scene. The song is still considered an anthem on big beat electronica, house and hip-hop dancefloors worldwide, and has been countlessly sampled since then. An original copy of the Jackson Sisters’ album has since become quite the big-ticket item, and it stands up as a great breezy, soul record from start to finish, worth every penny of whatever ghastly amount you may spend. For the rest of us, let’s just be thankful for the “miracle” of this album being rescued from obscurity. [DH]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  BOHANNON
Stop and Go
(Dakar)

"Save Our Souls"

The name of (Hamilton) Bohannon is recognizable to many -- perhaps you heard the Tom Tom Club chanting his name in “Genius of Love” or rappers referencing him in their rhymes. What this former drummer for Stevie Wonder and arranger for Motown did in his solo career was create minimalist dance records for the burgeoning discoteque clubs of the early ‘70s; he was one of the main architects for the emphasized 2 and 4 rhythm of disco.

Stop and Go was Bohannon’s first album, from 1973. At this point he was just starting to develop his patented “foot stomping” sound of the later part of the ‘70s, so there is a variety of different styles here and the album is all the better for it. The largely instrumental album is what my father refers to as “strollin’ music” -- the aural equivalent of “glide in your stride.” It’s all mellow cool funk but there’s a bit more of a melancholic, gospel feel here than in later albums. The highlights includes the moody, burner “Save Our Souls,” complete with a beautiful chorus of female moaners, and the sublime “Singing a Song for My Mother” which interpolates “Wade in the Water.” Bohannon would go on to bigger things, but this record has had a long history among rare groove aficionados as “must have” material. It’s a crime that barely any of Bohannon’s catalog is in print right now, so for those unfamiliar with the brilliance of the man, this vinyl only-LP is a good start. [DH]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  DEL JONES
Positive Vibes
(Hikeka)

"Vibe-ing Theme"

This is yet another piece of sublime spiritual jazz originating out of the rich, strife-ridden neighborhood of South Philadelphia, circa 1972. We all know that the city is known for the rich, spiritual leanings in most of the black music coming from there, but the irony was that Philadelphia was also one of the most strife-ridden places in America at the time. Numerous race riots, corrupt politicians, police brutality and a bloody feud between rival gangs over drug turf had spun the city of brotherly love into turmoil by this point. It’s from this environment that a political activist, poet and musician created this amazing record. Borrowing cues from the protest soul-jazz of Gil Scott-Heron, the Pharoahs, Roy Ayers and the Last Poets, Positive Vibes takes those elements and injects a healthy dose of funk to the mix. The aforementioned Scott-Heron seems to be a big influence here, as evident by the indignant, half sung-spoken delivery over the nasty grooves and the unflinching lyrical portrayals of urban decay. As indicated by the album title, however, Jones aims to empower throughout. The album’s standout “Vibe-ing Theme” is a classic example of vibrational funk, complete with a killer electric piano vamp and Jones doing a Sun Ra-esque chant of “We’re viiiibe-ing” throughout. There were only 1000 copies released of this private press LP and an original copy will set you back a few hundred, but for aficionados with a budget, this vinyl reissue is a worthy addition to your collection. [DH]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  VARIOUS ARTISTS
Nobody Knows Anything: DFA Presents Supersoul
(Supersoul/Death from Abroad)

"Lost" Xaver Naudascher
"Pagans" Skatebard

For the past couple of years, the Berlin-based Supersoul label has been putting out a slew of great, dancefloor-tailored electro-house records, that are a bit more electro than DFA, techier than Italians Do It Better, funkier than most Kompakt releases, and more Euro and modal than Ghostly. So how would I describe it then? I dunno, how 'bout "music"...why does everything have to be categorized?? Jeez! Seriously, what label head Xavier Naudascher and Co. have managed to do is successfully release tracks that balance all of those disparate elements, while keeping it melodically interesting. It's no wonder the twelve-inches were so hard to find. Fortunately the fine folks of DFA have remedied that by giving us this collection of highlights from the Supersoul catalog. As stated before, you'll find a bit of every style of dance represented here. Highlights include the Euro-boogie disco of Walter Jones' "Odyssey Sound" and the deep Detroit, mid-tempo techiness of Skatebard's "Flexy." There's something here for everyone and it's good to see this label getting some well-deserved recognition, by way of this great collection of floorburners. [DH]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  VARIOUS ARTISTS
Notwave
(Rong / DFA)

"Elephants Meandering (Sal Principato & Dennis Young Remix)" Tussle

"Weekend Condition" Free Blood

It's possible that the (most) recent surge of No Wave revivalism/nostalgia/excitement is actually a reaction to a musical climate presently as tense and vibrant as was the legendary No Wave scene of late ‘70s/early ‘80s. Take DFA sub-label Rong's Notwave collection -- a highlight-heavy comp of angular jabs, indie-disco and late 2-thousands reconfigured Arthur Russell-isms. The Tim Love Lee dub of London's Striplight is a percussive stomper that’s one part Bush Tetras, one part Slits, and one part Liquid Liquid. And speaking of, Liquid Liquid's own Sal Principato and Dennis Young turn in a dubbed-out club remix for Tussle's "Elephants" (which also includes Other Music's Gerald Hammill on guitar and trumpet, and Pocket turning the production knobs). Rong's recent press releases have gleefully exclaimed that they've coined their own term for the music they're shilling, "Notwave" sounding a lot "like No Wave, but not," which just backs up the first sentence of this review. While there's more than a nod to the No Wave legends (hell, James Chance even shows up on the disc) the sounds don't come off as strict rehash. Welcome Stranger, (a/k/a Rub N Tug's Thomas Bullock) contributes a midtempo burner and Freeblood (a/k/a ex-!!!) gives us the wigged-out "Weekend," both a little lighter on skronky reference points. It might be thirty years before any books get written about the burgeoning Notwave scene, but for now, enjoy it as a reflection of the past or more likely, its own entity, mutating further out of what came before it. [FT]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  GARY USHER
Barefoot Adventure
(Sundazed)

"My Little Beach Bunny"
"Barefoot Adventure"

When someone finally decides to write the definitive book on the musical history of California (or did someone do that already?), Gary Usher deserves his own chapter. In the early ‘60s, he was the king of surf and hot rod music and worked with the Beach Boys, and later on, Usher dreamed up far more heady sounds, and some of the best psych pop ever, with Curt Boettcher and Sagittarius. He also produced the Byrds, Peanut Butter Conspiracy, and Chad & Jeremy’s five star Of Cabbages and Kings album. I better stop before I get too far ahead of myself here as Barefoot Adventure chronicles some of Usher’s early work, at a seemingly stagnant time in American music, before the Beatles went on Ed Sullivan and changed music forever. Usher, however, proves there was plenty going on. This collection is unabashed celebration of sun, fun, and doing donuts (and his trademark pioneering production techniques), the American Dream set to music if you will. Pure pop music at its most distilled and life affirming. This double CD/LP set also features interviews with the man himself, that help tell an interesting story of California in the ‘60s and a struggling producer trying to make it, and comes with a total of 21 unreleased tracks and top notch packaging with essays and photos. Recommended. [AK]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  ZOMES
Zomes
(Holy Mountain)

"Black Magic Band"
"Immanent Songs"

Lungfish devotees should recognize the name Asa Osborne immediately. After all, alongside Daniel Higgs' vocals, his guitar work has been one of the defining characteristics of that long-running and oft-inimitable band's haunting, gorgeous, and so very singular sound since its inception almost twenty years ago. Though Osborne has maintained a couple different collaborations outside of Lungfish, Zomes' self-titled Holy Mountain debut represents his first foray into solo territory. While Zomes doesn't really even attempt to touch upon the same sort of stark emotional honesty that every great Lungfish song is doused in, Osborne applies a similar penchant for minimal structures and near endless repetitions throughout the album's sixteen tracks.

Using a palette of sunken organ tones, distant percussion, and back-masked guitars, tracks like "Crowning Orbs" thump with an insistent urgency, creating cyclical patterns that burn passionately. Elsewhere, tracks like "Membranous Plane" work slowly, with chiming guitars etching themselves across simple beats, with only a jarring tape cut to break the mood, while "All Together" deals in a winsome, music box-like melody that unfolds again and again throughout the piece. Low-key and unassuming, yet still richly textured and impeccably crafted, Zomes will undoubtedly give Lungfish fans more than enough to chew on as they wait with baited breath for the band's next full-length. [MC]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  THE AGGREGATION
Mind Odyssey
(Erebus)

"Looking for the Tour Guide"
"Flying Free"

This totally overlooked 1967 dream psyche record opens with mellow atmospheric chamber music and a voice-over straight out of a hyper-saturated late-‘60s hippie-culture movie talking about "taking a journey... into YOUR MIND!!!" Now, on paper, this sets the scene for a cliche-laden bummer of corny psychedelic histrionics free of ideas or even tunes, but luckily for us, this is one case that's better experienced than discussed. Recorded for Lee Hazelwood's LHI label, Mind Odyssey sounds like a studio project, though little biographical info is available on the band. A winner throughout, airy instrumental passages wind through over-the-top pop-psyche jammers, constantly introducing new sound elements. There's tastefully trippy use of both flute and brass, and some occasional nods to Eastern influence. The choral vibes on "White Light" bring to mind Electric Prunes Mass in F Minor experiments, and the more rocked-out moments come on like early Floyd or even David Axelrod-esque production. We're gonna have to start a new genre for records like these, mellow summery psychedelic chamber pop records so obscure it takes you half the record before you realize it's incredibly smart and soaring, despite some possibly lame trappings. [FT]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  JESU / BATTLE OF MICE
Split
(Robotic Empire)

"Falling from Grace"
"Yellow Stream"

Jesu seem to be at their best when they are slow and heavy, and this split release proves both slow and heavy on the tracks that bookend the relatively brief four-song EP. Both bands lend one light track and one heavy one. Like Jesu's album Conquerer, the first track, "Clear Stream," builds ever so gradually, resulting in the just the right amount of dark post-rock shoegaze with a nod towards doom. The second Jesu song, "Falling from Grace," is in the vein of the split 12" Jesu did with Eluvium on Temporary Residence and Hydra Head last summer. The final track is a nearly eight minute jolt from Battle of Mice, also largely successful, it plunges even more towards the doom end of the spectrum, as Julie Christmas' vocals rip out into suppressed screams but fall back into Bjork-esque harmonies. A notable effort on the track is Tony Maimone's bass as it provides the song's power, shaping a long and sludging closer. Both the Jesu and the Battle of Mice songs in the middle of the album drift and meander in the lighter shoegaze genre, with a tendency towards the Sigur Ros or M83 end of the spectrum. Overall, the album is a fitting meeting between the two bands, and displays a general affinity for a style of music easily overdone, undone, or redundant. [BC]
 
         
   
       
   

 

 

     
 
Jobriath
$12.99
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Creatures of the Street
$12.99
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  JOBRIATH
Jobriath
(Collector's Choice)

"Take Me I'm Yours"


JOBRIATH
Creatures of the Street
(Collector's Choice)

"Heartbeat"

Hailed by fans from Morrissey to Mark Stewart as an under-appreciated glam rock icon, Jobriath was the first openly gay rock star and one of the biggest major label failures of the 1970s. Unfairly criticized as a cheap Bowie rip-off, in retrospect, it's quite clear that Jobriath was an immensely talented songwriter and performer in his own right. Originally released on Elektra, these two highly sought after albums from 1973 and 1974 are reissued to a new generation who may finally be ready for all the lavish production and theatrics within. Think a Broadway musical directed by Klaus Nomi and starring Major Tom, or how about Velvet Goldmine meets The Rocky Horror Picture Show? Essential stuff!
 
         
   
   
   
   
 
   
       
   
         
  All of this week's new arrivals.

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THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS

[BCa] Brian Cassidy
[MC] Michael Crumsho
[MG] Max Gray
[DH] Duane Harriott
[IQ] Mikey IQ Jones
[MK] Michael Klausman
[AK] Andreas Knutsen
[KS] Karen Soskin
[FT] Fred Thomas







THANKS FOR READING
- all of us at Other Music

 
         
   
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