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   October 1, 2008  
       
   
 
 
  OTHER MUSIC SHIPPING RATE CHANGES
After reevaluating our shipping costs, we have decided to make the transition to USPS. The changes in the shopping cart system on our website are forthcoming. For the time being, please note that the shipping charges notated in the shopping cart are invalid. Instead, you will be charged a new and, in most cases, lower, shipping price. For example, 1 CD, which weighs approximately 4 ounces, will now cost $2.00 to ship. In the majority of cases, USPS will be just as quick as UPS on top of being noticeably cheaper. If you enjoy UPS and the tracking number feature, which is unavailable via USPS, simply email orders@othermusic.com and we will accommodate you.

 
   
   
 
 
OCT Sun 05 Mon 06 Tues 07 Wed 08 Thurs 09 Fri 10 Sat 11


  RARE JOHN MARTYN PERFORMANCES IN NEW YORK!
We are very excited to announce that John Martyn will be in New York next week to perform two shows. The legendary British singer-guitarist will be playing at Brooklyn's Southpaw on Wednesday October 8th, and then the next night down the street from us at Joe's Pub. For both of these performances, Martyn will be joined by longtime musical partner -- and founding member of Pentangle -- Danny Thompson. It's a very rare event for this pairing to play in New York, and we're sure that we'll be seeing many of you at these two shows.

 
   
       
   
         
 
FEATURED NEW RELEASES
Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffaloes
Nite Jewel
Dungen
Vivian Girls
Blue Ash
Leighton Craig
Scott Walker
Group Inerane
Grouper / Inca Ore
Madlib
The Clientele
Hippies Hasch und Flower Power (Various)
Koushik
Kangding Ray
Deerhunter (7" single)
Grachan Moncur III
The Sound of Feeling
 

Ernest V. Stoneman
Roots Manuva
Latin Blues Band
Reuben Wilson
Yoshi Wada
Mercury Rev
Donovan Quinn & the 13th Month
Fotheringay
The Three Sounds


ALSO AVAILABLE
Jesus and Mary Chain (Box)
Burnt Friedman & Jaki Liebezeit
The Wire (October '08)

All of this week's new arrivals.

 
         
   
   
   
       
   
 
 


  OTHER MUSIC RIDES FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST MS
Other Music is proud to announce that once again we are fielding a team in the annual Bike MS fundraiser for the New York City chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. On October 5th we will be cycling the streets of NYC to raise money for the fight against MS. Our team has raised more than $10,000 each year since 2001, and we need your support to reach our goal this year. Any donation large or small is appreciated; you can securely donate to Other Music team leader Josh Madell's ride by clicking here. Thanks for the support!


 


 
   
   
 
 
OCT Sun 28 Mon 29 Tues 30 Wed 01 Thurs 02 Fri 03 Sat 4



  WIN TICKETS TO THE BUG W/WARRIOR QUEEN
For Sub Swara's third anniversary blowout this Friday October 3rd at Love, they are hosting a rare NYC appearance from a longtime Other Music favorite, Kevin Martin's The Bug. The Bug's recent album London Zoo was a summer favorite, and we can't wait to see the live set with the Warrior Queen on the mic! We're pleased to offer two pairs of tickets to this great party. To enter, send an email to giveaway@othermusic.com. We'll notify the winners Thursday afternoon.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3
LOVE: 179 MacDougal Street NYC
$10 advance tickets are available here



 
   
   
 
 
OCT Sun 05 Mon 06 Tues 07 Wed 08 Thurs 09 Fri 10 Sat 11


  WIN TICKETS TO SEE THE RESIDENTS
More than 30 years into one of the more enigmatic careers in modern music, it will no doubt be a huge treat to catch the Residents, giant eyeballs, tuxedos and all, when they sneak into the Blender Theater for three nights, October 9th, 10th and 11th, on their Bunny Boy Tour. We have one pair of tickets for each night's performance. You can enter by emailing contest@othermusic.com, and let us know which date(s) you'd like to register for. The winners will be notifed on Monday, October 6th.

THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 10 & 11 BLENDER THEATER: 127 East 23rd Street NYC
You can purchase tickets here

 
   
   
 
 
OCT Sun 19 Mon 20 Tues 21 Wed 22 Thurs 23 Fri 24 Sat 25



 

WIN MAGNETIC FIELDS TICKETS
Other Music is giving away a pair of tickets to see Magnetic Fields and Shugo Tokumaru, a sublime pop pairing that is given one final nudge towards a perfect night by the setting, the majestic Landmark Loew's Theater, in the heart of Jersey City, NJ. The show is Thursday October 23rd, and you can enter to win by sending an email to tickets@othermusic.com We'll be notifying the winner on Monday, October 6th. Good Luck!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23
LANDMARK LOEW'S THEATER: 54 Journal Square, Jersey City, NJ
Tickets available at Other Music (as well as Tunes in Hoboken and on-line.)


 
   
       
   

 

 

     
 

$31.99
CD

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  AKIRA ISHIKAWA & COUNT BUFFALOES
Uganda: Dawn of African Rock
(Tiliqua)

"Na Tu Penda Sana"
"Pigmy"

Tiliqua Records reissues this motherbomb of Afroconscious cross-pollination, Japanese drummer Akira Ishikawa and his band Count Buffaloes' 1972 album Uganda (Dawn of African Rock), recorded in Japan after Ishikawa's stoned-out life-changing trip to Africa. Count Buffaloes -- here a quartet comprised of Ishikawa on drums and percussion, Hideaki Chihara on bass, Larry Sunaga on percussion, and perhaps most importantly, Japanese stoner-rock guitar god Kimio Mizutani -- embark on a journey that combines Soft Machine/Amon Duul psych-progisms with the bongo fury of Ghanian funeral music and a rock-solid foundation of jazz/rock fusion akin to the fury of Tony Williams' Life Time. Long stretches of tribal hand drum/thumb piano workouts are punctuated by Mizutani's blasted fuzz guitar assault and rock'n'roll primitivism at its most offensive. This one also reminds me in some ways of French saxophonist Barney Wilen's 1970s LP, Moshi, recorded for the Saravah label, also featuring a mix of acid-fried improv and Afro-tribal field recordings and letting off a similar vibe. For those of you who care, this was also one of Julian Cope's top 50 (#27 to be exact) albums listed in the back of his recent Japrocksampler book. Yes, I know this baby's costly, but honestly, you're most likely never going to find it any cheaper, and you'd have to give a limb or a first born child for a copy of the original. This one's got Kraut appeal, weed appeal, and of course, Afro-peal. It's not going to last long (nothing on Tiliqua ever does), so act fast. Probably my pick of the week, folks...HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION! [IQ]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$6.99
CD-R

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  NITE JEWEL
My CD
(Human Ear Music)

"Artificial Intelligence"
"Bottom Rung"

Anutha' Otha' Music exclusive! We have limited copies of the self-released Nite Jewel CD-R, the brilliantly titled My CD which includes pre-mastered versions of tracks (plus more) featured on her forthcoming 12-inch EP on the killer Italians Do It Better label. Nite Jewel also has aesthetic connections with LA's Human Ear Music label (John Maus, Ariel Pink, Vibe Central) that we've been feeling for a while now. Be the first on your block to woo the crowd with these utterly charming, narcotic, bedroom-disco jams. Imagine Calling Out of Context-era Arthur Russell eating opium with a black rubber-bangled Madonna and Mark Hollis huddling in the corner while the 4-track tape is rolling. What's cool is how the stuff conjures thoughts of OM posterchild Russell without making the mistake of just "sounding like" him. There's just something in the lazy, hazy, listless, romantic atmosphere of Nite Jewel that puts you in the same '80s prom-dream, dance-in-the-living room, evening-cuddle vibe. Add to that the dubby, single-note, acid house melodies and beats, plus songs that are ever so distantly related to some memory of a Bangles/Cyndi Lauper/Book of Love hit. Check out the Sylvester-esque "What Did He Say" with the echoed snare slithering across the floor, "Say No Go" synth accents in the background and bobbing Theo Parrish/ Other People Place bass line. I like to imagine this track becoming the standard Casio keyboard demo song. That's a compliment. Yes, recommended! [SM]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$13.99
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  DUNGEN
4
(Kemado)

"Satt Att Se"
"Det Tar Tid"

The latest release from Dungen should establish bandleader Gustav Ejstes once again as one of the most talented young visionaries from Sweden and beyond. Their last record, Tio Bitar, was a bit fragmented and sounded unfinished; the tight musicianship and production was there, but the songs weren't. On 4, however, we see Ejstes and Co. incorporating the new elements that they introduced on Bitar (strings, gentler pace, longer instrumental passages, jazz colorings), but this time the compositions are taken up a notch. Ejstes' instrument of choice here is the piano, half of the tracks being Baroque-prog numbers in the vein of the Soft Machine, Brian Auger and McDonald & Giles variety. And for the most part Ejstes nails it. The finest tracks on this album, "Satt Att Se" and "Mina Damer Och Fasaner," incorporate the heavy, ethno guitar rock of previous efforts with the jazzy chord changes and colorings of his '70s prog-rock heroes. That's not to insinuate that this is a mellow ride all the way through; tracks like "Samtidigt 1" and "2" still feature that swirling, heavy, fuzz-guitar punch of previous efforts. But in all honesty, Dungen sounds best when they're cross-referencing and filtering their influences; which says loads about Ejstes' composition skills. Recommended! [DH]
 
         
   
   
   
   
   
   

 

 

     
 

$13.99
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$9.99 MP3

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  VIVIAN GIRLS
Vivian Girls
(In the Red)

"Wild Eyes"
"Where Do You Run To"

It's really nice to hear a band like the Vivian Girls getting some props, whether it be on stage opening for Sonic Youth or through the efforts of Euro-advantaged folks overseas who've driven the first pressing of their LP up to around the cost of a barrel of light sweet crude. It's nice because this is a band reaching back to a very specific corner of independent music. It's not that any of us don't want to hear another gypsy-cabaret punk outfit, or vaguely Afro-centric ska band, or a bunch of singing hippies crooning about the end of the world. It's just that the familiar can bring out the best in us, and the familiar that the Girls traffic in calls to mind lost rainy-day classics like Black Tambourine or the Shop Assistants. And in an era of macho striped-tee garage addicts, it's been a line in the sand. That these ladies have waltzed their way onto America's premiere garage punk label In the Red speaks to their uncanny ability to layer loss, remorse, even rage into the prettiest 2-minute pop songs, echoing out to infinity. [DM]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$12.99
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  BLUE ASH
No More, No Less
(Collectors Choice)

"Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her?)"
"Smash My Guitar"

Who knew 2008 would turn into the year of the power-pop reissue? Did you wear out your Van Duren and Milk n Cookies records yet? Even if you didn't, you're going to need No More, No Less by Blue Ash. This bunch of Ohio longhaireds (looking like the power-pop version of the Outsiders or something) recorded this stunning LP in 1973 and it should've landed them all the fame and fortune in the world but such is the unfair nature of the music industry. Hell, it took That '70s Show to make Alex Chilton rich. No More, No Less takes one Keith Moon-obsessed drummer, a combination of Byrds jangle and hard rockin' melodies, and brilliant vocal harmonizing to make one of the finest albums of its time. Opening firecracker "Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her)" is a five star rocker and "I Remember a Time" is damn near perfect pop, and if one squints (a lot), Youngstown, OH might as well be Memphis. Better than the Raspberries and on par with Big Star and Badfinger, and one giant FU to the burgeoning prog rock movement in its mid-'60s worshipping simplicity. [AK]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$15.99
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$5.99 MP3

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  LEIGHTON CRAIG
11 Easy Pieces
(Room 40)

To be honest, imagining a collection of low-fi Casio keyboard works recorded on some gent's kitchen table sounds annoying as hell, but somehow Australian composer Leighton Craig has managed to create a disarmingly engaging collection of miniatures that belie their humble origins, the fingers of an alchemist extracting diamonds from coal. To his credit and ingenuity, he processes all these tunes through the warm glow of analog tube amplifiers, and though obviously sketches or doodles, there is a charming sense of discovery you see Craig working out in these little pieces that leave you with that feeling you get when visiting a particularly satisfying show at the Drawing Center, where a sheet of paper worked over with a couple of colored pencils is more exhilarating than all the masterworks in the Metropolitan. I hear more than a little Music for Airports, and perhaps many of the rinky-dinkier moments in Cluster's catalog, yet I'll be damned if I don't find this album to be completely addictive and effervescent. Very pleasant, and it's a no-brainer that I'll be recommending this all year. (Preview tracks on Other Music Digital.) [MK]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$15.99
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  SCOTT WALKER
Til the Band Comes In
(Water)

"Thanks for Chicago Mr. James"
"Stormy"

It's about time that this record -- one of my favorites in Scott Walker's discography -- gets the praise it truly deserves. Unfairly maligned for decades (perhaps most infamously in Pulp's song "Bad Cover Version," produced by Walker himself), 1970's Til the Band Comes In is essentially Scott 5, the fifth and final lost chapter in what was the singer's initial post-Walker Brothers solo career. The record is interesting in that it successfully serves as a bridge between the Eurocentric obsessions (the Brel covers, the Nietzsche lyrics, the Bergman film tributes) of his early solo work and the slide into more overtly Americanized tendencies (jazz standards, country tunes, vaudevillian songs) of his rather underwhelming country/primetime variety show period in the mid-'70s.

The first ten songs of this fifteen-track album are all penned by Walker, and feature some satisfyingly strong work typical of this period; many of the songs revolve around the theme of life during wartime -- "Little Things (That Keep Us Together)," "The War Is Over (Sleepers)" -- and alienation and loneliness in one particular apartment complex during the confusion of the Vietnam War, along with the usual desolate song-portraits of elderly folks being left to wither in nursing care ("Joe"), the solitary man whose only company is the woman on the telephone who tells him the time ("Time Operator"), and of the communist stripper who lives down the hall ("Jean the Machine"). Arrangements are provided as usual by Walker's then main man Wally Stott, and the work proves to be as focused, emotional, and intellectual as his previous albums while putting his characters in a slightly different context.

Then there are the final five songs. These last tracks are essentially what give the record a bad reputation (rather unfairly), as they are covers of differing quality and style -- a breathtaking version of Michel LeGrand's "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life," Mancini's "The Hills of Yesterday," Kenny Rogers(!)'s "Reuben James," Classics IV's "Stormy," and perhaps best of all, a fantastic cover of Jimmie Rodgers's "It's Over," which closes out the album. While I do think they break up the vibe of the preceding 10 tracks (which would have made a classic album on their own), these tracks are not to be discounted and do end up solving more of the riddle of Scott's career path after this record. That cover of "It's Over" proves perhaps to be the most symbolic song on the album, with one particular verse ringing out like a message to his fanbase:

"So I turn my back,
Turn my collar to the wind
Move along in silence
Trying not to think at all
I set my feet before me
Walk the silent street before me
Now it's over."

And with those final words, "it's over," Walker closes the door on one exceptional chapter in his career, stumbles through darkness through the '70s and reemerges at the dawn of the '80s with Nite Flights to reinvigorate and... well, that's a chapter for another day. [IQ]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$15.99
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  GROUP INERANE
Guitars from Agadez
(Sublime Frequencies)

"Kuni Majagani"
"Awal Sptember"

One of Sublime Frequencies' most rewarding discoveries is once again available (following a sold-out vinyl pressing that now fetches triple digits), a vibrant, trancelike run through of electric guitars from Agadez, Niger. Group Inerane, led by local youth legend Bibi Ahmed, practices Tuareg guitar music, a sound of protest strengthened in Libyan refugee camps throughout the '80s and '90s. For those of you who like to rock but shy away from world music sounds, this is as good of a compromise as we can offer -- sinewy thirds of raw desert blues that, aside from the decided local bent on composition, delivery and subject material, has more in common with a Dead Moon record than anything in the WOMAD canon. Voices and percussion yelp and skitter around in thirds, but it's Ahmed's guitar (and the rhythm guitar of Adi Mohamed) that animates this music and gives it purpose. Theirs is the sound of immediacy: relentlessness without aggression, the basic need to be heard and to overpower an oppressive world with a heavy, mantra-like screed of burly, sand-chunk guitar. It's a brutal sound at times, but a leavening one for the duration, meditating with wild passion in any number of keys and group dynamics. There's an extra-large Hendrix obsession at play as well, gracing these songs with bursts of raw rock heroics you'd likely never expect to find here. Unbelievable album, one of 2007's best and a necessity for anyone with even an inkling of musical adventurousness within them. [DM]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$15.99
CD

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  GROUPER / INCA ORE
Split
(Auarela)

"Poison Tree"
"Churpa champurrado"

Grouper's most recent album Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill made quite an impression around these parts, grabbing a nearly unanimous top ten status and even getting a few early "album of the year" votes. The gorgeous waves of textural noise and lush-treated vocals and guitar hit the mark in a way most ambient or obtusely washed-out sounds suggest or come close to, but never quite arrive at. So the mention of more Grouper sounds perked up ears in a nearly Pavlovian way. This CD is technically a re-release of a cassette issued on a short Grouper tour with likeminded one-woman drone cathedral Inca Ore. The material, though previously available to maybe 50 people who gripped a tape at the merch table, is brand new to even those lucky few, as the CD mastering strips away easily three generations of tape hiss and unintentional fuzz. Grouper comes with four pieces of moody and drifting murky tones, with a couple piano-based experiments. The standout "Poison Tree" is a small-scale epic of understatement, easily the "hit" of the record. Inca Ore's pastoral and/or quirky vocal drones swim similar reverby waters, but stand apart a bit in feel, cultivating some obscured hippie vibes and lingering less in the 4AD ether. A percussive element comes out of the vocal tones, a sound which snaps us awake and reminds us of itself after floating down a river of sleep for the first half of the record. While this disc doesn't quite reach the majestic heights of either artist's last proper release, it's a great companion piece, and a must for anyone who, like me, flipped completely for the last Grouper record. [FT]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$14.99
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  MADLIB
WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip
(BBE/Rapster)

"Blow the Horns on 'Em" Guilty Simpson
"What It Do" 'Liberation

It's actually been a while since we heard from the blunted one. Besides the stuff he did for Erykah Badu's Amerykah, he's maintained a pretty low profile this year, so it's about time we had some Beat Konducta magic in our lives again. This solo record for BBE's well regarded Beat Generation series is probably the most straightforward release he's put out in a long while. Featuring an impressive array of guest appearances from various Stones Throw all stars (J-Rocc, Georgia Anne, Roc C, MED, younger brother Oh No and Guilty Simpson), the record is solid, leftfield soul and hip-hop. Production wise, he seems to still be mining the murky, textures of Bollywood soundtracks and '70s soul ballads for sampling inspiration. His muted boom bap drums are still in affect, and the first half of this album is pretty psychedelic. The second half is a nice blend of leftfield R&B and excellent collabos with Detroits' Frank-n-Dank, Murs and an un-credited appearance from Talib Kweli. Solid effort 'Lib, now where's Madvilliany II??? [DH]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$8.99
CD-EP

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  THE CLIENTELE
That Night, a Forest Grew
(Acuarela)

"Retiro Park"
"That Night, a Forest Grew"

When UK pop group the Clientele showed up on the scene almost ten years ago, it was like all of indie pop breathed easy for a second. They nailed it right out of the gate with gorgeous and intricate pop songs, reverb-drenched '60s style production and the kind of subtle sadness and self-conscious starry-eyed vibes that reminded us of the very definition of the genre. With a stamp of their own that would set them apart from a billion Belle & Sebastian clones but ensure they never rose that high out of obscurity, they became a gleefully best-kept secret, steadily releasing solid records to the typical critical accolades and more acclaim than wide-spread recognition. Again, a picture-perfect indie pop band. The thing is, underneath that picture the band has been growing out and getting a little bit weirder. Just a little. Most notably in that singer-songwriter Alasdair MacLean is actually a guitar maestro of epic, Satriani-esque proportions and has taken to ripping five-minute fuzz solos during shows that could make the metal heads perk up and the indie kids faint out of confusion. For That Night, a Forest Grew, the most recent in a string of EPs the Clientele have been issuing this year, we get a happy medium. Four songs that come on like more realized demos by the Byrds or Love, filtered through the Pastels' lens, but every so often a crazy-ass guitar line will show up, attempting to disrupt, but actually fitting in nicely. "Retiro Park" and "George Says He Has Lost His Way in this World" stand out as the best tracks, summery and wispy without becoming syrupy, and leaving just enough space for some sick soloing. [FT]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$24.99
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  VARIOUS ARTISTS
Hippies, Hasch und Flower Power: 68er Pop Aus Deutschland
(Bear Family)

"Wir" Freddy Quinn
"Molotow Cocktail Party" Vivi Bach und Dietmar Schonherr

This compilation unearths some serious protest gems by these German Schlager rockers. The musicians weave together cover songs, old standards and electric instrumentals with traditional influences for this set of overall kitschy and satisfyingly poppy songs made between 1966 and 1972. Hippies Hasch & Flower Power features hits -- in German (plus a touch of English) -- from French greats like Michael Polnareff and France Gall, British beat band the Spencer Davis Group, and well known hitters from the Deutschland including Bernd Spier, Manfred Krug, and Christopher Michael. Following a similar format to American protest pop of the late sixties, the musicians successfully modernize traditional forms for a powerful call to evoke progress. Here the artists hint at Bavarian folk roots, cabaret influences, and volksleider traditional songs as foundations for their super happy, hippie, and high pop protesting Western hypocrisy in the democracy of West Germany. Students rallied in the movement of '68 and these songs catalogue their interests, successes, and failures. Whether they are singing odes to Jimi Hendrix, hymns on drugs, or passionately subversive folk music, this is a compilation of some of the best kitschy German pop you've never heard. Many of these songs were never available beyond their original 45 format, and with the red Mao-bible packaging, this truly is a must have, and -- with only a few overlapping songs -- a great companion to the In-Kraut series. [BCa]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$14.99
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$9.99 MP3

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  KOUSHIK
Out My Window
(Stonse Throw)

"Nothing's the Same"
"Bright and Shining"

Although his debut EP was entitled Battle Times, Koushik makes some of the most sultry music you'll find in our hip-hop section. You may recognize Koushik's name as a member of the Stones Throw collective from one of his critically revered projects like the "Cold Beats" collaboration with legendary MC Percee P or his Madvillain remix record, but his unique sound is unlike the blunted beatsmiths he's liable to get bunched in with. He basically channels '60s psychedelic sunshine pop through Primo-inspired beats in a markedly trip-hop style, and he often interweaves his own mumble-pop vocals deep within the mix. On his first full-length, Out My Window, he has crafted some dense yet touching lullaby-esque tracks that feature ferocious breakbeats where the folk records he references would feature sorrow-laden guitar. The whole album seamlessly bounces from triumph to defeat to downright nonchalance without ever losing its air of boom bap. Present here are moments of the rawest funk, the most relaxing ambient, the densest electronica, and the most saccharine pop that you have heard or will hear in one place for a long time. A definite contender for debut album of the year. [MG]

This Friday, October 3, Koushik will be the special guest at Duane Harriott's monthly party Tha Get Up!, downstairs at APT. Enter to win a pair of tickets by emailing enter@othermusic.com. Duane also conducted a Q&A with Koushik recently, which you can read in his Splendid Disarray column on Other Music Digital's News Page.
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$17.99
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$9.99 MP3

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  KANGDING RAY
Automne Fold
(Raster-Noton)

"A Protest Song"
"World within Worlds"

Kangding Ray's second release on Olaf Bender and Carsten Nicolai's venerable Raster-Noton imprint is a triumph in pop songs via sound art that could only surface from the mixed media and textured aural exploration that Berlin has embodied for the past decade. It is interesting when a label that relishes in the extreme and refined niches of glitch, clicks, rhythm and tone as produced for years by Alva Noto, Frank Bretshneider, COH and Cyclo puts out an album as accessible as this. Not to downplay the experimental edges to Automne Fold, but Kangding Ray is one of the most immediately appreciable artists coming from the Raster-Noton label, reminiscent of Thomas Brinkman. This makes his second full-length a wonderful jumping off point for anyone interested in the world of uncompromised electronic music that does not know where to begin. Also known as David Letellier, Kangding Ray polishes Automne Fold with strings and piano chords that bring the dichotomized worlds of electronic and acoustic sounds to a bridge, where the resulting songs are gorgeous and lush waves of melody. Still, the clicks are nearly always present and even with hushed vocals pushing things to the extremities of the pop world, electronic fuzz is not far behind, building, deconstructing, and reconfiguring the songs as they unfold. In a holistic and tactile manner, this disc fits into the label's lineup without room for contention. A listener can fully immerse themselves in the uncompromised vision characteristic of Raster-Noton releases while enjoying the playfulness that breaks up the seriousness that can weigh down experimental electronic music. The disc is packaged with absolutely flawless design, as minimalist and contemporary as the music, and like all of the label's records, the music radiates a sense of refined, harnessed, and sculpted artifice in sound. [BCa]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$5.99
45

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  DEERHUNTER
Nothing Ever Happened
(Kranky)

A new seven-inch from Deerhunter, a pre- or post-Microcastle single depending which side of the download fence you stand, features contender for top Microcastle jam "Nothing Ever Happened" paired with the demo take of another cut off their forthcoming album, "Little Kids." "Nothing Ever Happened" is an exuberant and uptempo track by Microcastle standards, but fits as the first band-sanctioned showcase of their newest full-length, which is less rough around the edges than last year's hazy Cryptograms. Just shy of six minutes, the first half of the track is a tight, rhythmic indie punk excursion with several compact and well constructed changes, shifting towards a Krauty second half that lets loose with some serious space-fuzz riffs, highlighting the more esoteric edges of Deerhunter. The demo version of "Little Kids" begins in Atlas Sound territory, with a sparse beat behind subtle atmospherics, eventually flooding the speakers with the cavernous feedback that makes listening to Deerhunter such a special experience. [JW]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$12.99
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  GRACHAN MONCUR III
Evolution RVG Edition
(Blue Note)

"Air Radio"
"Monk in Wonderland"

A few years back, a tag in the jazz section here hepped me to Jackie McLean's Destination...Out! recording, summing up its treasures by saying something along the lines of "a Morton Feldman jazz album." There was a sense of space and suspension of time on that date that did indeed invoke Feldman, as well as showcased a little known aspect of the Blue Note sound, beyond its fame amid fans of the prickly sessions of Cecil Taylor and Ornette Coleman and the label's soul-jazz bent in later years. If the core of that group, including McLean on sax, Anthony Williams on drums, Bobby Hutcherson malleting vibes, and trombonist Grachan Moncur III, appeared on other Blue Note dates, it instantly became a must-have.

Well, that is if you could track down the way out of print Grachan Moncur albums recorded for the label. Aside from that Actuel twofer (which is great but different sonically and from the late 60s) from a few years back, it was hard to assess the man's talents as player and singular composer (McLean's astounding One Step Beyond remains OOP as well). Evolution features four long, exploratory, abstract tracks featuring Moncur, McLean, Hutcherson, Williams, trumpeter Lee Morgan and bassist Bob Cranshaw floating through some new previously unglimpsed worlds. This isn't "fire jazz" "free" or "out" or anything of the sort, and I'd say "alien" but it's not in the Sun Ra way either, but rather along the lines of Eric Dolphy's Out to Lunch date, so attuned and telepathic that the group can freely move through these elusive, oddly-metered numbers with great skill. A divine cul-de-sac of sixties jazz opened up once more. [AB]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$15.99
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  THE SOUND OF FEELING
Up into Silence
(Sunbeam)

"Waltz Without Words"
"The Sound of Silence"

This is probably the first record I've ever heard that combines Rodgers & Hammerstein with Bela Bartok. It's amazing. The Sound of Feeling were a far-out LA vocal group touching on elements of psych, jazz, exotica, and even avant-classical music, working with heavyweights like Oliver Nelson and Paul Beaver on a record that swings, swirls, and enchants its way through songs like "My Favorite Things," "The Sound of Silence," Bartok's "Mixolydian Mode"(!) and a totally bonkers rendition of Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man." There were plenty of groups doing this sort of thing at the time, but these gals (and guys) go above and beyond with their reach, their chops, and above all their uniquely cross-pollinated viewpoint. Scat bombs a plenty are dropped amidst heavy jazz grooves (Oliver Nelson's touch of quality is unmistakable here), and their sound will definitely appeal to fans of our Decadanse section, many of the Finders Keepers reissues, soul/Afro jazz like Leon Thomas and Abbey Lincoln, and even groups like Broadcast, Free Design, and Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger. Splendid autumn listening. [IQ]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$34.99
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  ERNEST V. STONEMAN
Ernest V. Stoneman
(5-String Productions)

"Sweeping through the Gates"
"The Old Hickory Cane"

The king of clawhammer, and the much underrepresented father of country music, Ernest "Pop" Stoneman gets a tiny measure of his due on this meticulous compilation. Stoneman had the phenomenal repertory of a true songster, and he was highly skilled at guitar, banjo, autoharp, Jew's harp, and harmonica. However, as so well demonstrated on these choice recordings, his clawhammer banjo became a paradigm in true Appalachian folk and country. These recordings include disaster songs, love songs, murder ballads, and gospel hymns not to mention comedy skits and sermons. All the man needed was "three chords and the truth," and he relentlessly delivers.

This compilation of old-time Blue Ridge country music includes two discs, 46 songs, a 44-page booklet, and a window into the bridge between field recordings and the origins of commercial music. The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers both got starts after Stoneman's early recognition, when he began putting out recordings with Okeh and Victor in the twenties. Here we have Stoneman with 20 unreleased songs, impeccable packaging, as well some of his earliest recordings. Brought to you by the designer behind People Take Warning: Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs 1913-1938 and Charley Patton: Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues, this release should not be missed. [BCa]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$14.99
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$9.99 MP3

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  ROOTS MANUVA
Slime & Reason
(Big Dada)

"Kick Up Ya Foot"
"Do 4 Self"

Through the years, Rodney Smith, a/k/a Roots Manuva, has become one of the most noted in the UK's hip-hop scene. Never one to mimic the current hip-hop scene on either side of the ocean, RM is a trailblazer in his own right, his fanbase running the full spectrum, from backpack to urban. With his newest release, Slime & Reason, he continues his unique fusion of ragga, dancehall, glitchy digi-dub, and hip-hop, and what results is his most mature and spicy yet -- a blend of party jams, original rhymes and themes with a great twist of British, African and Jamaican vibes. Working with a fresh, young crew of producers this time 'round seems to have given Mr. Manuva an inspired energy. Throughout Slime & Reason, he references the bass-heavy sway of Studio One, a touch of France's micro-edit techniques, and an occasional embrace of dubstep style rhythms and, of course, the bouncing swagger of hip-hop. His best effort since his debut Brand New, Second Hand and his follow-up, Run Come Save Me, and if you're tired of the same old thing in the hip-hop game, then definitely take this one for a spin. Roots Manuva, still keeping UK hip-hop alive, without an ounce of grime. Well done! [DG]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$14.99
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  LATIN BLUES BAND
Take a Trip, Pussycat
(Emusica / Fania)

"Take a Trip"
"Lay an Oz on Me Baby"

The Fania catalogue reissue program continues with this excellent re-release of rare-groove monster Take a Trip, Pussycat by Luis Aviles & the Latin Blues Band (originally released on Speed Records in the late 1960s). This group had one of the best cuts ("I'll Be a Happy Man," included here) on the recently reviewed El Barrio Vol 4, and the rest of the record does NOT disappoint -- Latin boogaloo with heavy doses of psychedelic soul, R'n'B vocal stylings, horns a plenty, and heavy, swinging grooves sure to get feet tapping and booties wiggling. I've said this in the past, but this is all killer, no filler, 40 minutes of quality, and an affordable alternative to the hundreds of dollars you'd most likely have to spend on an original. Wild, wonderful stuff, and one of the best records of its kind! [IQ]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$12.99
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  REUBEN WILSON
Set Us Free
(Blue Note)

"Sho-Nuff Mellow"
"Tom's Thumb"

Reuben Wilson's ambitious, funky, and righteous final recording for Blue Note is finally available again! Wilson's Hammond skills lend themselves to a soulful version of Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me," a very jazzy "Tom's Thumb," and the super groove-laden "Sho-Nuff Mellow;" this is really one of Wilson's finest performances. With a backing cast of Jerome Richardson on sax and David Spinozza on guitar, this album extends deeply into the funk, soul, blues, and jazz that made Wilson's keys so outstanding. For all the beat-craving vinyl junkies, this reissue provides samples for days, and for all the funk enthusiasts you can finally have a copy of this that is not played beyond thin. Set Us Free hits its stride in the restrained righteousness and wisely hip fluctuations Wilson seems to lay down with such ease. [BCa]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$21.99
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  YOSHI WADA
Off the Wall
(Omega Point)

"Off the Wall l"
"Die Konsonanten  Pfeifen"

EM Records in Japan strikes gold again with the third of their amazing reissues of works by Japanese bagpipist/sound sculptor/drone avatar Yoshi Wada. This is the one I've perhaps been waiting for most of all, 1984's Off the Wall, first issued by Germany's FMP label, and here augmented by a 28-minute bonus track originally released on cassette in extremely limited quantities. Off the Wall finds Wada jamming out in a group consisting of two bagpipists (himself included), a percussionist (primarily playing timpani and tam tam), and someone playing "adapted organ" (it's the odd-looking creation pictured on the front cover). This may be my favorite of the batch so far in that, compared to the previous two reissues (Lament for the Rise & Fall of the Elephantine Crocodile and The Appointed Cloud), this one's more direct, decidedly less serene as the others, but as always with Wada's music, entirely listenable and hypnotizing. The cassette fidelity of the bonus track (still re-mastered quite well, I must say) adds an extra dimension of psychedelic swirl to the proceedings, with the tympani holding forth on a heavy ceremonial pulse that keeps the intertwining of the two bagpipes' overtones fully majestic and utterly spellbinding. Gorgeous, heavy s**t! [IQ]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$15.99
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  MERCURY REV
Snowflake Midnight
(Yep Roc)

"Senses on Fire"
"Runaway Raindrop"

It's hard to believe that ten years have passed since Mercury Rev's ethereal Deserter's Songs was released. When I first heard it in the store -- my first winter in New York -- it seemed to be the perfect soundtrack for staring out Other Music's glass windows at the gently drifting snowflakes which seemed so starkly white against the night sky. Growing up in the Southwest amongst the echoes of psychedelic rock heroes the Flaming Lips made Mercury Rev my new local fix. It was the perfect transition to something familiar yet curiously different in both locale and sound. Even though three other albums followed, that magical wintry day never materialized again (despite enough snow to get lost in). So when lead singer Jonathan Donahue, during their recent show at the Stone, said no two snowflakes were alike, a smile crossed my face and I thought Mercury Rev is back!

With Snowflake Midnight, the band reinvents themselves, adding electronics to the experimental mix. The bombastic, multi-instrumental vibe is there, but the analog instruments used to pique ears on Deserter's Songs (musical saw, Theremin) are replaced by open-source audio software. Hints of the electronic direction appeared at the beginning of September with remixes by James Holden and Fujiya & Miyagi, so it's no surprise to find a dance pop undertone, like on the percolating "Butterfly's Wing" along with the driving yet shimmering "Senses on Fire." Although marked by electronic pop, Mercury Rev manage to still keep it experimental at times with swaths of ambient drone, as on "October Sunshine." They skate a dangerous line, adding so many new-for-Rev styles, but, like the unique collaborations unveiled at the Stone with the electroencephalograph and Feedtank, Mercury Rev thrives on changing it up. Chances are there are many magical moments on this one for fans, longtime and new. [LG]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  DONOVAN QUINN & THE 13TH MONTH
Donovan Quinn & the 13th Month
(Soft Abuse)

"October's Bride"
"Take the Cross Off the Mantle"

Far away in a kingdom of redwoods and ocean breeze, the Jeweled Antler Collective shelters and nurtures artist upon artist of immaculate revisionist visions and subtle charm. And Donovan Quinn, mostly known for his participation in Skygreen Leopards, is the new prince of the Jeweled Antlers as far as I am concerned. Gathering just enough influence from all the right places (Gene Clark, Nikki Sudden, 70s Dylan, and Skip Spence just to name a few), these songs elegantly take flight with their sweet understated poetry and rambling nature that envelop a whole lifestyle within a few simple verses. Top that off with sweet pedal steel solos, loose shuffling drums, and classic guitar licks, and you have got the sweetest alt-country psych record ever to grace this decade since Beachwood Sparks' debut.

Though it is even more than that. Where Beachwood Sparks' structure replicates the Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers and Buffalo Springfield, Donovan Quinn & Co. (which notably includes Jason Quever of Papercuts and Karl Bauer of Axolotl -- two other amazing artists from San Francisco) take things into their own playing field and just nail each and every song with a sweetness that is never over the top or retro feeling. They keep their cool and let the songs meander in and out, embracing a swagger that is distant yet warm and so familiar. For fans of Vetiver, Clientele, David Vandervelde, Dr. Dog, Moondoggies, Feathers, Skygreen Leopards, and Beachwood Sparks, of course. [AC]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  FOTHERINGAY
2
(Fledg'ling)

For the casual British folk listener, one might assume that Fotheringay was merely a stopgap between enchantress Sandy Denny's time in Fairport Convention and the launch of her own solo career. There was but one studio album before the group went their separate ways (and Ms. Denny to stardom before her tragic end). Or so we thought. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Fledg'ling label, we now have a second full-length from this short-lived band in our hands. Were it not for a few stars getting crossed (such as the band having opener Elton John steal their thunder live and Denny deciding midway through recording to initiate her solo career) we might've had the album (which was near completion when it was aborted) rank alongside other early 70s folk-rock documents from the likes of Ian Matthews Southern Comfort and Richard & Linda Thompson. Regardless, the album is a fine one, with strong turns from both Denny and her boyfriend Trevor Lucas, and a lingering "What if...?" hanging above the proceedings. [AB]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  THE THREE SOUNDS
Soul Symphony
(Blue Note)

"Repeat After Me"
"Popsicle Pimp"

Soul jazz trio the Three Sounds -- led by Gene Harris on piano (here with Henry Franklin on bass and Carl Burnett on drums) -- released a number of swinging (and popular) albums on Blue Note in the late '50s and '60s, but their final studio outing, from 1969, is one of their finest, and grooviest moments. Produced by the great Monk Higgins, Soul Symphony adds strings, woodwinds and some soulful background vocals to the trio's sound. From the 26-minute title track to album closers "Popsicle Pimp" and "Black Sugar," Soul Symphony is just that, a deep, funky, symphonic treat that has been thoroughly sampled, often imitated, but rarely matched. [JM]
 
         
   
       
   

 

 

     
 

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  JESUS AND MARY CHAIN
Power of Negative Thinking
(Rhino)

Just in! An amazing 4-CD box set of Jesus & Mary Chain b-sides and rarities that gathers 80 rare tracks including a demo from '83(!), the Creation 7", killer Psychocandy- and Darklands-era b-sides, and too much more to mention. Housed in a hardcover book-style box with a giant booklet, a ridiculously good pop band like this one deserves no less. We can't wait to give this a full review next week!!
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  BURNT FRIEDMAN & JAKI LIEBEZEIT
3 Secret Rhythms
(Nonplace)

"Trittbrettfahrer"
"Wirklich Version"

This tried and true collaboration has completed its third chapter, and with the usual breadth, imaginative instrumentation, and magical conjuring of sounds. As always, Liebezeit's musical past (Can) is on display, with Friedman adding organic elelctronic touches, but the sheer amount of styles that are blended here (without feeling forced or novelty) is staggering; dub, ambient, jazz, Krautrock, exotic jazz flavors. Great record, and here's to number four.
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$9.99
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  THE WIRE
October 2008
(Magazine)

Pasted onto the Richie Hawtin cover is the Wire Tapper 20, a 19-track CD featuring Grails, Mike Osborne, Paavoharju, Pantaleimon, Zavoloka and more. Also inside, Makoto Kawabata's Invisible Jukebox, The Primer: The alternative Neil Young, Lucky Dragons, David Grubbs on brief encounters and more.
 
         
   
   
   
   
 
   
       
   
         
 
1. TV on the Radio Dear Science
2. High Places s/t
3. Jenny Lewis Acid Tongue
4. Kings of Leon Only By Night
5. Calexico Carried to Dust
6. Max Richter 24 Postcards
7. Crystal Stilts s/t
8. Brightblack Morning Light Motion...
9. Ribbons Surprise Attacks
10. Yo La Tengo They Shoot, We Score
 
11. Mogwai The Hawk Is Howling
12. Clientele That Night, a Forest Grew
13. Vivian Girls s/t
14. Shugo Tokumaru Exit
15. Chrissy Zebby Tembo Ancestors
16. Fleet Foxes s/t
17. Various African Pearls: Congo 70
18. Okkervil River Stand Ins
19. Scott Walker Til the Band Comes...
20. Growing All the Way
 
         
   
       
   
         
  All of this week's new arrivals.

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THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS

[AB] Adrian Burkeholder
[BCa] Brian Cassidy
[AC Amanda Colbenson
[LG] Lisa Garrett
[DG] Daniel Givens
[MG] Max Gray
[DH] Duane Harriott
[IQ] Mikey IQ Jones
[MK] Michael Klausman
[AK] Andreas Knutsen
[JM] Josh Madell
[DM] Doug Mosurock
[SM] Scott Mou
[FT] Fred Thomas
[JW] Josiah Wolfson







THANKS FOR READING
- all of us at Other Music

 
         
   
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