The Other Music Update

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	October 15, 2008

OTHER MUSIC SHIPPING RATE CHANGES
After reevaluating our shipping costs, we have decided to make the transition to USPS for our domestic customers. As for our international customers, we will still be shipping via USPS. The changes in shopping cart system on the website are forthcoming. For the time being, please note that the shipping charges notated in the shopping cart are invalid for both domestic and international customers. Instead, you will be charged a new and, in most cases, lower, shipping price solely based on the weight of your package. For example, 1 CD, which weighs approximately, 4 ounces, will now cost $2.00 to ship domestically and approximately $4.10 internationally. A general reference guide to package weight is available here. You can estimate your shipping cost by using the USPS Postage Calculator. For our domestic customers, in the majority of cases, USPS will be just as quick as UPS on top of being noticeably cheaper. If you prefer UPS, simply email orders@othermusic.com and we will accommodate you.


	FEATURED NEW RELEASES The Clean (Just In!) Headhunter Benoit Pioulard Amplifier Machine Terakaft 1970s Algerian Proto-Rai Underground Bedsit Poets The Alps The Cyrkle Syl Johnson La Dusseldorf The Times O Level Eleanoora Rosenholm Fennesz The Fabulous Stains (DVD) Henri Pousseur		Windy and Carl Betty Botox The Streets NOW ON VINYL El Kinto LimoNada Richard Crandell Harry Taussig PRE-ORDERS Pavement (Buy Early, Get Now) Arthur Russell Deerhunter Crystal Stilts caUSE co-MOTION!

OCT

Sun 12

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WIN TICKETS TO THE BUNKER THIS FRIDAY
MIDNIGHT SPECTRAL SOUND SHOWCASE:
Ryan Elliott (Spectral | Detroit)
Derek Plaslaiko (Spectral, The Bunker | NYC)
Lee Curtiss (Spectral, Dumb Unit | Detroit)

8PM DEEP LISTENING SESSION WITH:
Klimek (Kompakt, Anticipate, Mille Plateaux | Berlin) live
DJ Olive (the Agriculture, Room40 | Brooklyn) deep ambient live set
Daniel Menche (MEGO, Ash Int., Soleilmoon, Important, Asphodel | Portland) live
Keith Fullerton Whitman a/k/a Hrvatski (Kranky, Planet Mu | Boston) live

Enter to win a pair of tickets by emailing: contest@othermusic.com

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17
THE BUNKER AT PUBLIC ASSEMBLY: 70 North 6th Street Williamsburg, Brooklyn

OCT

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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 20th. 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.)

OCT

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Sat 01

WIN PASSES TO ZIDANE: A 21ST CENTURY PORTRAIT
Anthology Film Archives and BAMcinématek present a week-long run of ZIDANE: A 21ST CENTURY PORTRAIT, a visionary meditation on French soccer star Zinédine Zidane by acclaimed visual artists Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno. The filmmakers set Zidane's personal reflections in text over 35mm, HD, and TV images, and blend stadium sound with a score by Mogwai. Comprising something in between an art installation and a sports documentary, the resulting 90-minute film is a rigorous experiment with cinematic space and time, and an arresting study of a sports icon.

PUBLIC SCREENING SCHEDULE, OCTOBER 24-30
Anthology Film Archives: 32 Second Avenue at 2nd Street NYC
Friday, October 24 through Thursday, October 30 at 7:00 & 9:00 nightly. Additional screenings on Saturday & Sunday at 5

BAMcinématek: 651 Fulton Street, in Ft. Greene, Brooklyn Friday, October 24-Thursday, October 30 at 2 (Friday-Sunday only), 4:30, 6:50, 9:15pm

We've got a pair of tickets to offer to the opening and closing night at Anthology (Friday, October 24 at 7PM / Thursday, October at 7PM) and a pair up for grabs for the 6:50PM and 9:15PM showings on Friday, October 24 at BAMcinematek.) To enter, email tickets@othermusic.com and please list the showing and location you'd like to enter for.

JUST IN: WIN TICKETS TO A SCREENING OF DECAMPMENT & A LIVE PERFORMANCE FROM ADULT.
Win tickets to the Thursday (October 16) night screening of ADULT.'s silent, experimental horror movie, DECAMPMENT, accompanied by a live performance of the film's soundtrack by the band themselves! Two showings at Anthology Film Archives: 9PM & 11PM. Enter to win tickets by emailing enter@othermusic.com.


	$13.99 LP		THE CLEAN Compilation (Little Axe) JUST IN! Finally available on LP again, the Clean's Compilation collects twelve songs from their first four 7"s and 12"s (spanning 1981-85), including "Tally Ho!," "Beatnik," and "Anything Could Happen." Some of the finest pop music ever made on one handy piece of vinyl. Who knows how long this'll be around.


	$17.99 CD		HEADHUNTER Nomad (Tempa) "Lifeform" "Prototype" The always-solid UK dubstep label Tempa brings forth the debut album from producer Headhunter, and it proves to be one of the best dubstep records not only of the year, but possibly of the genre thusfar -- a heavyweight beast chock full of absolute killers, with massive bass lines and a less forceful approach than some of his contemporaries like Skream and Benga. The focus here feels more on the "dub" and less on the "step", if that makes any sense; imagine at times classic Pole (i.e. numbered albums) with the beat restored, or some of the heavy monsters coming from the Chain Reaction stable of artists, with just enough tech bounce but like a prizefighter, this one bobs, weaves, and jabs before landing the knockout punches. It's rare that an album starts out strong and just grows stronger as it progresses, but that's precisely what happens here. A sample from highlight "Prototype" sums it up nicely: "Too weird to live, too rare to die." An excellent entry point for dubstep neophytes, and a deep slab of quality for the enthusiasts, this will hopefully prove to be a cornerstone in the genre. Let's hear it now, Mikey: "Highest recommendation!" Indeed. [IQ]


	$13.99 CD $9.99 MP3		BENOIT PIOULARD Temper (Kranky) "Ragged Tint" "Ahn" There seems to be something of a Kranky revival in the last few years. Don't get me wrong, I like Deerhunter/Atlas Sound/The Cult Of Bradford as much or more than literally anybody else in the world, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Strong-to-astonishing releases as of late by Valet, White Rainbow, Bird Show, Cloudland Canyon and others have managed to breathe new and interesting ideas of life into the space-rock/ambient drone corpse that Kranky threatened to become. Contributing to this turn-around in no small part is one-man, soundscaper Thomas Meluch known to us as Benoit Pioulard. Following this summer's exquisite Praveen & Benoit collab, Temper is the second official long-player, and sees Meluch stepping even further into a murky, moody pop songwriter mode, leaving behind almost all of the ambient leanings of earlier work. Coming from an electronic music background, the rhythmic element that was played down on initial recordings has gained some confidence and come more to the surface, fighting at times with underwater tape echo folk songs like "The Loom Pedal" or interlude-y found sound bells and tape manipulation fragments like "Cycle Disparaissiant," but eventually wrestling its way up from the muddy water to drive the album. The overall feeling is distant and nostalgic, layered at times, but remarkably present and deliberate sounding. Like the earliest 4AD bands found a way to sonically occupy the same space as memory and solitude at their best, so does Benoit Pioulard, in an updated way. The sound of being in someone else's head, quietly walking around for a minute in the washes of thought. Excellent. [FT]


	$13.99 CD $9.99 MP3 Exclusive Advance Release		AMPLIFIER MACHINE Her Mouth Is an Outlaw (12k) "Her Mouth Is an Amplifier" "Poor People in Church" Following on from the Seaworthy releases, Taylor Deupree's ever-reliable 12k imprint continues to explore the post-rock genre with this gorgeous offering from Australian three-piece Amplifier Machine. Of course being 12k this isn't your common or garden genre exercise, however. Sure there are links to be made, but where the post-rock formula was quiet-loud-quiet-loud, Amplifier Machine are simply quiet. The compositions are often long and mournful, but never trip up and fall into the Mogwai/Slint/Godspeed template and thankfully never end up carbon copying anything that has come before (an almost impossible feat in the genre, surprisingly). A good reference point might be Canadian outfit The Beans who released on Mitchell Akiyama's Intr-Version imprint, but Amplifier Machine manage to strip their sound down even further, leaving only the bare essentials of the rock idiom in their recordings. This is true reductionism, and in this way it makes a perfect disc for 12k who built their brand exploring the outskirts of minimal electronic music. The Aussie band are certainly not electronic producers; an unexpected cell-phone ring mid-album affirms the fact that these recordings are performed live, but they share a similar Zen-like subtlety with labelmates Shuttle 358 or Christopher Willits and an understanding of ambient music which goes far deeper than most traditional instrumental rock acts. It is a carefully produced, tight, thoughtful record reminding me at times of Radian, and at others Mountains as it wisps us through a smudged, cavernous world of hidden beauty and dark, smoky corners. A rewarding experience for the patient listener, and probably should be checked out simply for having a track called "Poor People In Church." Great stuff. [JT]


	$17.99 CD $9.99 MP3		TERAKAFT Akh Issudar (World Village) "Intidgagen" "Amdagh" As far as we're concerned, 2007 was the year of Tinariwen. For a quarter of a century, the nomadic Touareg collective had been creating their distinctive brand of sprawling, North African "Desert Blues," borne from the pain of their tribe's existence. But their last album, Aman Iman, was their best album to date and was just too good to ignore. The record topped numerous year end "best of" lists, including ours, and we were absolutely floored by their soon-to-be-legendary in-store performance last fall, which we featured in our Live at Other Music film series. Heck, even Coldplay's Chris Martin claimed that they were the best band on the planet. Ever since, we've been looking for a record that would match the innovation, depth and soul of Aman Iman, so I guess it's no surprise that the only album that we've found to meet that criteria is a band made up of former members of Tinariwen -- one of which happens to be the younger brother of a Tinariwen co-founder. Terakaft's debut continues down the same musical trajectory of their sister band, blending American blues rock with North African scales, but it's also a bit more stripped down. The guitar leads of Diara and Kedou are the highlights here and there's no real percussion to speak of, except for a lone foot tap here and there. And while the music is primarily upbeat, there's also a moodiness conveyed in Diara and Kedou's slightly mournful, weathered vocal melodies. All in all, a stunning listen, I wouldn't be surprised to see this album on many "best of" lists this year. [DH]


	$24.99 LP		VARIOUS ARTISTS 1970s Algerian Proto-Rai Underground (Sublime Frequencies) Oh, man. Sublime Frequencies has perhaps finally outdone themselves here with what may be, in my opinion, their best release thus far: an outstanding LP-only compilation of raw Algerian Rai music from the 1970s, the period where Rai music really began to take on decidedly more modern sound characteristics -- brass sections (mostly trumpets), trap drums augmenting the hand percussion arrangements, and most importantly, electric guitars. A few of the cuts on display here use wah-wah guitars to dizzying effect; their slow burn & deep smolder add new layers to this protest music (the word rai actually translates to "opinion" or "point of view" in Arabic). This LP is all killer, no filler, and I have only two gripes -- the lack of female vocal talents (not uncommon in Rai) and that for once, there simply just isn't enough music here! Let's hope that Volume 2 is a double LP, should it ever see the light of day, and that Sublime Frequencies will act fast to press this monster onto CD as it has with past LP-only titles like the recent Group Inerane disc. A one-time-only 180-gram pressing limited to 1,500 copies, this is sure to disappear quickly, so don't sleep! [IQ]


	$9.99 CD		BEDSIT POETS Rendevous (Bongo Beat) "New Year" "Hardened Ground" On Bedsit Poets' 2006 debut, the NYC band came off like a band wonderfully out of time and place, delivering summery '60s Brit-Folk, a la Fairport Convention, and retro pop a la the Everly Brothers. With a keen ear for a subtle pop hook and the nuanced harmonies of Amanda Thorpe and Edward Rogers, the group's songs can transport the listener. So it is with some real excitement that we popped on their sophomore album, Rendezvous. While maintaining all the elements that made the debut so satisfying, the new one is far from a retread, with a more diverse batch of tunes that incorporate a variety of related '60s sounds into their own, from French Ye-Ye to vintage country to bossa nova and jazz, all held together by the same fine songwriting and relaxed folk-pop aesthetic that the group is known for. [JM]


	$15.99 CD $9.99 MP3		THE ALPS III (Type) "A Manha Na Praia" "Hallucinations" Though the appropriately named III is indeed the third release from San Francisco trio The Alps, their debut for the Type label marks the first time ARP main man Alex Georgopoulos, Tarentel member Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, and Scott Hewicker have made a trip into the studio to document their pastoral-vibed, Kraut-tinged psychedelia. Pulling equally from sun-kissed folk and driving, Popol Vuh-esque soundtrack instrumentals, these three have crafted a bright album of subtle grooves that doses its experimental textures with warm drones, delicate guitars, and locked rhythms. Tracks like "Hallucinations" work through taut bass and drum figures, allowing ample room for chanted vocals and moody strings to stretch towards the heavens. Elsewhere, pieces like "Cloud One" work more of a folk bent, lacing gentle strums with ascendant keys for sounds that eerily evoke Florian Fricke on a hefty dose of downers. Later still, pieces like "Pink Light" and "Echoes" almost eschew rhythm entirely, favoring hazy bursts of gauzy melodics that capably mask their instrumental origins in the service of some truly transcendent sounds. Definitely a surprising and unexpected album from this trio, The Alps' III is simple, stately, and ultimately a pretty impressive entry from a talented group of musicians. [MC]


	$13.99 LP		THE CYRKLE Neon (Columbia) This well-regarded East coast psych folk-pop band is generally remembered for their two AM pop staples, the Paul Simon-penned "Red Rubber Ball" and "Turn Down Day," and these two tunes are some of the best examples of the genre. Discovered by Beatles' manager Brian Epstein, and their band name chosen by John Lennon, this quartet's tunes were rich with the intricate three-part harmonies that were all the rage in 1966. It makes sense that Simon penned a tune for them, because the Cyrkle definitely tapped into the sensitive, collegiate folk-rock image that Simon and Garfunkel represented during that time. While their debut album was a solid effort, their second LP, Neon, was arguably even more accomplished than the first. Released in 1967, all 11 songs here deftly combine the jangly pop sentiments of the Byrds with mellow pysch production flourishes and amazing vocal arrangements provided by famed producer John Simon. Combining a nice selection of pensive, sensitive pop tunes written by band members Tom Dawes and Marty Fried, solid contributions from Bacharach and Paul Simon, and even a killer cover of an early Beatles tune, Neon was a nice suite of songs that gently dealt with the underlying emotional angst of being a young twenty-something male of the time period. "Two Rooms," "The Visit" and "Our Love Affairs in Question" deal directly with loneliness, while album closer "I'm Not Sure What I Wanna Do" is simple and poignant in its honesty of expressing young adult indecision in an increasingly turbulent world. Epstein's untimely death in '67 derailed the Cyrkle's momentum and the band broke up less than two years later. Dawes eventually found amazing success as a commercial jingle writer, penning the "Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz" tune for Alka-Seltzer, but this record has held up over the years as one of the unsung pop gems of that era. It's even lived on as a beat-digger's classic, with J-Dilla sampling "The Visit" for one of his early productions for Tribe Called Quest, and "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" ended up being sampled for a major tech-house hit last year. [DH]


	$11.99 LP		SYL JOHNSON Is It Because I'm Black (Twinight) Make no bones about it; this is one of the finest soul albums ever produced. I can say this without blinking, knowing that they are many of y'all out there who agree with me. I could write 1000 words just on Syl Johnson's impact on hip-hop alone. I'm not going to do that, but just know that the RZA has sampled at least two Johnson tunes on each Wu-Tang album, sans 8 Diagrams. Johnson is considered one of the finest soul vocalists that Chicago has ever produced and famed producer Willie Mitchell said that one of life's great tragedies is the fact that Syl Johnson is not a household name. But I digress, slightly. Between the years of 1961 and '67, Johnson recorded a number of well-regarded R&B 45s for the Twinight label. Tracks such as "Different Strokes" from '67 are not only considered classic soul, but that song in particular is even a bona fide b-boy classic. Black was recorded in '69 and it's one of the deepest, socially conscious soul albums you'll ever hear. Like What's Going On, The Young Mod's Story and Innervisons, this record is an unflinching, angry and sorrowful examination of the urban plight of African American emotional struggle. It's all in Johnson's vocals, his bluesy phrasing offsetting a gospel wail, sung in a pure, clear voice, but with the gritty directness of a Sunday preacher. The title track is a devastating first person prayer, asking for guidance and clarity about what's keeping him from achieving. It doesn't stop there. "Concrete Reservation," "Black Balloons" and "Talking About Freedom" are all impeccably arranged blues soul, with a touch of Stepney-esque elegance added to the proceedings. After the release of this album, Johnson signed to Hi Records in '71 and the slew of singles that Willie Mitchell produced for the singer over the next eight years stand up as some of the best music in Hi catalog, with some critics ranking Johnson's output over Al Green's. But no matter how strong the material, he could never get out from under Green's shadow. The good thing is that Johnson continued to keep touring, building a small yet die-hard following, and is still actively recording and performing today. (His daughter Syleena Johnson has established herself a career as a popular neo-soul vocalist, perhaps best known for singing that hook on Kanye's "All Fall Down" single.) But even if Black had been the last thing he ever recorded, Johnson could still hang his hat on this album as testament to his great talent. [DH]


	$15.99 CD $15.99 CD		LA DUSSELDORF La Dusseldorf (Water) "Dusseldorf" "Silver Cloud" LA DUSSELDORF Viva (Water) "Viva" "Cha Cha 2000" Two outstanding post-Neu! records are finally easier to come by, thanks to the Water label. When listening to Neu! '75 -- the last record that Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother would record together until reuniting some 10 years later -- it's easy to contrast the difference between Rother's gorgeous synthesizer and guitar textures against Dinger's aggressive, almost punk approach in his rhythms and vocals. (There's no denying this album's influence on punk, which was still in its infancy wearing safety pinned diapers, no doubt.) But Dinger's first two La Dusseldorf albums, the epic self-titled 1976 debut, produced by Conny Plank, and the even more epic Viva which would follow two years later, are brimming with melodic romanticism. Certainly not the ambient space-ways which Rother would travel with Cluster's Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius in the Kraut-supergroup Harmonia, La Dusseldorf's music was far more dynamic -- grand anthems for exploring the cosmos. With his first La Dusseldorf album, Dinger is joined by his brother Thomas on drums, and Hans Lampe on percussion and electronics (the two also performed on Neu! 75). Though he doesn't play any other instrument besides guitar, that signature restrained, motorik pulse is present throughout, but here it leads to bombastic crescendos that seem fit for bringing a whole stadium filled with spectators to their feet. (For further proof, check out the field recording of the football chant that opens the title track.) The eponymous record is said to have inspired David Bowie's Low album, not to mention the first two P.i.L. records. Listening to the vocals, there are moments where you could imagine an impressionable Johnny "Not Quite Rotten Yet" Lydon trying to master Dinger's indistinguishable growls. In many ways, the first La Dusseldorf LP plays like a poppier Neu! 75, with tempos that crest up to punk speed but then give way to slower, proggy interludes. The record even produced a European hit with the cosmic instrumental, "Silver Cloud." La Dusseldorf's second album reaches even higher, stratospheric heights, and in my opinion, is Klaus Dinger's finest moment. The title track, which opens Viva, is an anthemic sing-along, filled with stomping beats and handclaps; to these ears it sounds like Martian glam rock. The two-minute "White Overalls" could be a Krautrockin' take on Plastic Bertrand's "Ca Plane Pour Moi," while "Geld" simply rocks out, with Dinger chanting "make love, make love, make love not war" over buzzing guitars and crystalline synthesizers. The crown jewel, however, is the 20-minute closer, "Cha Cha 2000." Over a majestic, Olympian score, Dinger makes an earnest, albeit heartfelt, communal plea for a better tomorrow. Futurist rock doesn't get any better. [GH]


	$15.99 CD $9.99 MP3 $15.99 CD $9.99 MP3		THE TIMES Pop Goes Art! (ARTPOP) "Picture Gallery" "Biff Bang Pow" O LEVEL A Day in the Life of Gilbert & George (ARTPOP) "Pseudo Punk" "(There’s a) Cloud Over Liverpool" I know I go and on about how much we love Television Personalities around here but it's about time we show the Times some affection too. If TVPs was Dan Treacy assisted by Ed Ball, the Times worked pretty much the other way around. Released in 1982, Pop Goes Art! showcases Ed Ball's love for pop art (duh), mod, psychedelia, and The Prisoner, and helped spark a garage/mod/paisley/punk/powerpop revival, and sow the initial seeds of Creation Records (Ed Ball was/is Alan McGee's right hand man), in London at the time. From start to finish, Pop Goes Art! is a perfect album, with instant pop classics such as "It's Time," "Biff Bang Pow!", "I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape" and "Miss London." The ultimate cross-pollination of the Jam and Television Personalities, really, and a close personal favorite of mine. Before the Times, there was O Level. They (Ed Ball with help from Dan Treacy, again, and another Creation alum, Joe Foster) stood out like a massive sore thumb in the London punk scene, which has become stagnant all-too serious by 1978, by injecting it with a much-needed dose of sarcastic humor. A Day in the Life of Gilbert & George compiles their two singles (including the brilliant "Pseudo Punk" and "We Love Malcolm") and a shelved third single, as well as a plethora of rarities. Gilbert & George also includes the early singles by Teenage Filmstars, which sound nothing like their shoegazey Star album we reviewed a few weeks back, instead Ball goes for the 2.5 minute pop jugular with pre-C86/mod hits (check "I Apologise" and "There's a Cloud Over Liverpool"). It's like these records were custom made just for my taste. That perfect. [AK]


	$17.99 CD $17.99 LP $9.99 MP3		ELEANOORA ROSENHOLM Ala kysy kuolleilta, he sanoivat (Fonal) "Tammen varjossa" "Ambulanssikuskitar" While it's become known for helping to define the freewheeling sound of Finn-folk over the past few years, the Fonal label has also played host to a diverse camp of pop experimentalists as well, groups that apply the same general air of experimentation towards slightly more straightforward structures. One of the more surprising recent entries into this arm of Fonal's catalogue was the debut by Eleanoora Rosenholm, a trio that quickly made a mark with a concept album's worth of beguiling strands of haunted pop songcraft from all corners of the spectrum. While they may not share some of their labelmates' anything goes attitudes and expansive conceptualizations of song and structure, Eleanoora Rosenholm still manage to craft some fine, forward-thinking tracks, pulling in a number of styles that never once sound forced or disjointed. Though little has changed on their second album Ala kysy kuolleilta, he sanoivat, the group's gleeful genre-skipping guarantees that the aesthetic retreads are kept to a bare minimum. Beginning with album opener "Tammen varjossa," the band bounds ahead at a full clip, coursing through an urgent synth-pop number that glows with an icy resilience. As the album progresses, however, it becomes clear that Eleanoora Rosenholm's grasp of disparate forms has only increased since their debut, as songs like "Tai-Panin paholainen" effortlessly blend field recordings and sparse, ambient textures with whimsically psychedelic choruses. Later still, "Bolly palkkionmetsastaja" dabbles in the realm of purely anthemic rock, turning up the guitars to match the pounding drums while vocalist Noora Tommila commands the show. Capably showcasing a band quickly coming into their own, Ala kysy kuolleilta, he sanoivat is a fine example of modern, synth-driven, bizarro pop. [MC]


	$15.99 CD $9.99 MP3		FENNESZ Forty Seven Degrees 56' 37 Minus Sixteen Degrees 51'08 (Touch) "012 +- 3.28" "015 +- 8.01" I remember reading on the release of DJ Shadow's seminal Endtroducing (you remember, before he lost the plot) that the producer was the "Jimmy Hendrix of the sampler." This may have been true, but if Shadow was the Jimmy Hendrix of the sampler then surely Christian Fennesz must be the Jimmy Hendrix of the humble laptop? He's certainly the rock star that the electronic community was always waiting for, and with 2004's Venice he captured the hearts and minds of more than just the horn-rimmed, beard stroking elitists and surprisingly did it without losing his core fanbase. Of course, with any success comes re-issues of prior work, but in Fennesz's case it's a worthwhile venture even though many of us bearded folk will have shelf or hard drive space filled with these tracks already. Those expecting the harmonic, tear-jerking near-pop of his more recent work though might be surprised to find a barrage of crushing electronic noise, but underneath the snap, crackle and pop of a faulty firewire cable is something altogether more arresting. The 'songs' are disguised carefully, and over repeat listens gradually reveal themselves, showing slowly their distinct melodic characteristics. Released back in 1999, I've had a while to digest Plus Forty Seven Degrees 56' 37 Minus Sixteen Degrees 51'08, and to strip back the Pita-patented crumbles to open up that lilting heart. Deep down there is a record of almost shoegazing proportions, something which surely influenced the newer wave of noisy ambient producers such as Tim Hecker and Aidan Baker but one which has the mathematical chops of anything Raster Noton might eulogise over. With this record Fennesz created a milestone in electronic noise music, and an album that has possibly even more relevance now, almost ten years on, than it did on its original release. [JT]


	$19.99 DVD		LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FABULOUS STAINS (Rhino) FINALLY!! At long last, a classic film in indie/punk cinema finds its way to DVD for the first time. Originally shot and released in 1981, Fabulous Stains stars a teenage Diane Lane and Laura Dern as dysfunctional cousins who start a band and follow their typical rock'n'roll dreams with somewhat atypical results when they are asked to tour as the opening act for a washed-up glam rock band (fronted by a brilliant Fee Waybill of the Tubes) and a UK punk group (featuring members played by the Sex Pistols' Steve Jones & Paul Cook, as well as the Clash's Paul Simonon). The film's treatment of its subject matter, coupled with the confrontational Shaggs-like music of its female protagonists' band, proved to make this film a document of intense inspiration among the 1990's riot grrrl movement, and its limited initial release and subsequent cable TV following made the film a veritable cult hit. (I first saw the film on a lousy second or third generation VHS tape during my high school years, and that one viewing stayed with me afterwards). DVD extras include audio commentaries by stars Lane and Dern, as well as by director Lou Adler, a photo gallery, not to mention visual and audio restoration from the original masters. I can't recommend this film enough -- it's 100% campy fun, and the performances, while not necessarily Oscar-worthy, are all inspired in the context of the film and give it a surrealistic quality that stays with you after viewing is over. [IQ]


	$15.99 CD $9.99 MP3		HENRI POUSSEUR Electronic Experimental and Microtonal 1953 to 1999 (Sub Rosa) "Prospection" "At Moonlight, Downland's Shadow Passes..." The fifth installment chronicling Henri Pousseur's career is now available from Sub Rosa, the compositions here spanning Pousseur's long and pioneering path as a twentieth century composer. From the Darmstadt school in the fifties, blossoming from Schoenberg and dodecaphonic compositions, and giving rise to Stockhausen, Luigi Nono, and Pousseur, these pieces demonstrate that path from microtonality to electronics, pianos, and noise. The disc ranges from 1953's "Prospection for three pianos tuned in sixths of a tone" to the electronics and noise of Figures Enlacées in 1999. To top it all off, this compilation features some phenomenal musicians including Rohan de Saram and Evert Van Tright, and as a rare treat Sub Rosa included a recording from Pousseur himself. On the avant-Japanese influenced "At Moonlight, Downland's Shadow Passes Along Ginkaku-Ji," the Yonin No Kai Trio makes a resounding performance on the shakuhachi, shamisen, and koto. Overall, Pousseur's compositions pushed microtonal boundaries, crossed classical genres at the skepticism of many of his peers, and opened the door to the possibilities we find in electronic music today. This installment of the series has some really rare performances essential for fans of 1950s avant-garde. [BCa]


	$13.99 CD $16.99 LP $9.99 MP3		WINDY AND CARL Songs for the Broken Hearted (Kranky) "Btwn You + Me" "La Douleur" These days it seems all too easy to dig out a record that describes itself as 'droning', 'beautiful' or 'ambient', but when you're looking at where all this came from it is hard not to bump into the husband-and-wife duo of Carl Hultgren and Windy Weber. These Kranky stalwarts have been with us for over fifteen years now, and are like a dear old friend to many of us -- shimmering, hazy guitars, half-heard vocals and harmonic progressions that take you to heaven and back, providing that's what you believe in of course. Taking cues from the Cocteau Twins their songs sound like smudged out pop paeans to better days, with all the ghostly hiss and fizz you could expect from a Grouper record crammed into their marathon compositions. The band might be on their umpteenth release by now, but in their longevity they have never sacrificed quality control, and while they might not have switched things up much, they have honed their style to a zenith most artists never touch. That's not to say they haven't progressed though; Songs for the Broken Hearted is notable for featuring Windy Weber's beautiful vocals far more than usual, indeed she could even be mistaken for singing words on a handful of tracks. With a Kim Gordon-esque coo, she veils the songs in a melancholic mist guiding her echoing basslines and Hultgren's resonating guitar strings through deep caverns of intimate beauty. "My Love" might be the best example of this, at first sounding like a doom laden Robin Guthrie, then Sonic Youth, before revealing itself as something totally on its own. The highest points for me however still come from the duo's patented long-form instrumentals, "Rhodes" and "When We Were" being the stand-out tracks. Both clocking in at over ten minutes this showcases the band at their best -- dense, textural and totally unsurpassed in the scene. Sure there might be many newcomers and pretenders, but like so many things in life, sometimes it's best to get the real thing... [JT]


	$15.99 CD		BETTY BOTOX Mmm Betty (Endless Flight) "Jive Baby on a Saturday Night" The Jellies "Diskomo" The Residents A sweeeet new collection of mutant/disco (not disco) re-edits by Betty Botox, a/k/a JD Twitch of famed underground DJ duo Optimo, Mmm Betty reworks tracks by a diverse group of talents, among them NYC downtowners Love of Life Orchestra, the Residents (with an amazing reworking of their classic rarity "Diskomo"), the Jellies' bizarre funk bomb "Jive Baby on a Saturday Night," former Yello member Carlos Peron's atmospheric "Et," some electro/Italo styles by the likes of Severed Heads, Pankow, and Flying Rhythms, and even a bit of acid/prog damage by Hawkwind(!) with their "Valium Ten." All tracks are reworked in a manner that makes them completely beat-mixable, and all tracks are unmixed -- the disc is presented compilation style as a DJ tool for your, my, and all freaky DJ's enjoyments. Another rousing success from the Optimo camp -- recommended to all leftfield dance heads who crave more after the comps of the past have left them seeking new (old) blood. Get your Botox injection here! 100% freaky, funky fun! [IQ]


	$14.99 CD $9.99 MP3		THE STREETS Everything Is Borrowed (Vice) "Everything Is Borrowed" "Heaven for the Weather" The Streets' fourth full-length, Everything is Borrowed, replaces London's championed rapper/rambler's bedroom aesthetic with a full band and even some unlikely orchestral arrangements. Mike Skinner's unique self-taught and self-deprecating approach to lyrical delivery has unforeseeably garnered him a pop audience, and here he returns the favor by embracing a more traditionally pop sound. His objective: "I wanna tweak every cliche." Perhaps tracks on environmentalism and religion take the concept a bit far, but Skinner does seem inspired on songs like the deep soul-infused suicide meditation "On the Edge of a Cliff" and the forlorn "I Love You More (Than You Like Me)." Far removed from his garage predecessors, the soft-spoken cockney poet of sorts deals obliquely with hackneyed philosophy, generally without coming off preachy. Skinner's found a way to muse on even the most banal subjects introspectively; just look at his take on one love song: "I drew a drawing of you after last time I saw you/I learn't a lot about myself drawing all morning/It was absolutely s**t/I'm awful at drawing." With a more lush sonic terrain to supplement the Londoner's stream of consciousness musings, Skinner's everyman verbosity has never been easier on the ears. Not an ideal starting point for this middlebrow street realist's oeuvre, but newcomers will get the gist of his self-absorbed brilliance on tracks like "The Escapist" and "On the Flip of a Coin," some of the better songs he's recorded. [MG]


	$22.99 LP		EL KINTO Circa 1968 (Lion Productions) By all accounts Eduardo Mateo was a mythic figure, full of contradictions, alternately kind and emotionally unhinged. He was a man unwilling or unable to operate within the expectations of his social scene, let alone those of society. He first gained notoriety as the principle force in El Kinto, a groundbreaking Uruguayan act that was enormously influential despite their seeming indifference towards securing a recording contract. They took their rhythmic inspiration from Uruguayan candombe and their melodic sensibility from British and American rock acts, but unlike most of their peers they didn't simply ape their foreign contemporaries sartorially and with faux English accents. They were unapologetically South American, singing solely in Spanish while refusing to dress up like Paul Revere and the Raiders. They're a revelation, better even than likeminded South American rock bands We All Together and Traffic Sound. It's practically shocking that music of this caliber, with songs this good, from the sixties is still being resurrected. [MK]


	$22.99 LP		LIMONADA LimoNada (Lion Productions) Uruguay is the smallest Spanish speaking country in South America, nestled along the coast of the Atlantic and buffered on either side by the massive countries of Brazil and Argentina. Despite its small stature, Uruguay has long had an incredibly vital cultural and arts scene. Its capital, Montevideo, is a port city who once hosted a massive influx of African slaves trafficked by Spanish and English traders. These slaves, of Bantu origin, brought with them what would come to be known as candombe, a highly rhythmic form of music that would become inextricably linked with Uruguay even as its population of African descendents was diluted in the following two centuries by an ever-rising tide of European immigrants. It was in the candombe that sixties pop acts in Uruguay found their distinctive voice and vision. Groups like Totem (see the release we carry on Vampi Soul) and El Kinto were highly influenced by the international beat and pop scene, but what really gave their music character and set it apart was the synergetic union between the candombe and the beat they were able to achieve. LimoNada was formed in the wake of the dissolution of El Kinto, when its main songwriter Eduardo Mateo left to embark on a solo career. The no less talented remaining members of El Kinto decided to forge ahead under the name LimoNada and push their art in ever further directions. Still utilizing the beat and the candombe, they entered the studio in 1970 with the idea of making an album as a cohesive whole. The results were boundlessly creative, totally insane, and yet still utterly accessible. At first listen Brazilian tropicalia immediately comes to mind, as LimoNada's album could really be the long lost sister to such masterpieces as Os Mutantes' eponymous debut or Gilberto Gil's celebrated Cerebro Eletronica. Candombe rhythms abound as they careen off the crazy production ideas of engineer Quique Abal. They didn't actually play their first live concert 'til more than a year after their sole album came out, which took some of the wind out of the sails of the initial enthusiastic response it generated upon release. A repressive climate due to a military regime was just around the corner as well, and I'm sure that didn't help things too much either. But it's never too late to recognize a masterpiece in art and it was only inevitable that pop perfection like LimoNada would get the belated recognition it was due. [MK]


	$12.99 LP		RICHARD CRANDELL In the Flower of Our Youth (Tompkins Square) 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 this album 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. [MK]


	$12.99 LP $9.99 MP3		HARRY TAUSSIG Fate Is Only Once (Tompkins Square) It really is just the tip of the iceberg, as this lovingly rescued document of solo guitar gets brought back by Tompkins Square. Taussig was featured on the first volume of Imaginational Anthem, and this full-length disc, released only as a private-press disc in 1965 (and Taussig's only extant recordings aside from the hallowed Takoma Contemporary Guitar set from 1967). It's a shame there's not more tenable stuff, as this set shows him to be not only a fine technician but a curious man in general. He references the styles of Elizabeth Cotton, John Hurt, and Rev. Gary Davis in the notes, but also adds that he finds playing to be "like dark birds sitting on a farmer's fence. The notes not played are those that often mean the most." To further unwrap the enigma, why not find out for yourself about this most intriguing guitar player. (Preview songs on Other Music Digital.) [AB]


	Pre-order $24.99 CDx2		PAVEMENT Brighten the Corners: Nicene Creedence Edition (Matador) Pre-order Pavement's Brighten the Corners: Nicene Creedence Edition and you will become part of Matador's Buy Early Get Now pre-order promotion! You will receive the following: October 10th: Instant stream of the album October 15th: Bonus track #1 November 4th: Bonus track #2 November 18th: Your record will be shipped along with a vinyl LP containing an unreleased live Pavement show and a free poster! That's right. A free LP if you Buy Early Get Now. The bonus live LP was recorded during the first Brighten tour and scheduled for release as OLE-324 in July 1998, but was then shelved... until now. Complete info on our mailorder website's News Page.


	Pre-order Sale $12.99 CD		ARTHUR RUSSELL Love Is Overtaking Me (Audika) Staff and customers are going to be thrilled for this next installment in Audika's series of Arthur Russell releases. The latest CD, Love Is Overtaking Me, is filled with unreleased gems from his vaults, and it collects previously unreleased tracks that explore Russell's singer-songwriter side, as he ventures into folk, pop and country. Shipped to arrive on or near the October 28 release date.


	Pre-order Sale $12.99 CDx2		DEERHUNTER Microcastle (Kranky) Deerhunter's follow-up to last year's Cryptograms is the definition of "highly-anticipated;" so much so, in fact, that the album made an unscheduled early appearance on the web months ago, to the ire of the band and label. What choice did they have, but to record an entire second bonus album for their actual paying fans! Their extended studio time finds Deerhunter making some of their most beautiful, hook-filled music to date. Shipped to arrive on or near the October 28 release date.


	Pre-order Sale $9.99 CD Pre-order Sale $6.99 CD		CRYSTAL STILTS Alight of Night (Slumberland) CAUSE CO-MOTION! It's Time! (Slumberland) We are also proud to offer two albums on the newly resurrected Slumberland label, the debut full-lengths from two of our favorite Brooklyn bands. Crystal Stilts' Alight of Night is one of the finest records of the year, a masterpiece that is filled with minimal post-punk rhythms, C-86 melodies, distorted feedback and jangling guitars, and a distant vocal delivery. And finally, caUSE co-MOTION present us with It's Time!, a singles collection that compiles all four of their seven-inches and their track from the Jowe Head split. A stunning foray into frantic, lo-fi power pop, not a track comes close to the two-minute mark, and that is just perfect with us. Catchy as hell, and one to be played over and over, It's Time! is on sale for only $6.99! There really is no excuse not to add this to your collection! Shipped to arrive on or near the October 28 release date.


	1. TV on the Radio Dear Science 2. Vivian Girls s/t 3. Department of Eagles In Ear Park 4. Deerhoof Offend Maggie 5. High Places s/t 6. Antony/Johnsons Another World 7. Jay Reatard Matador Singles 08 8. DJ/Rupture Uproot Mix 9. Yellow Fever Cats & Rats 10. Crystal Stilts s/t		11. Juana Molina Un Dia 12. Night Jewel My CD 13. Dungen 4 14. Marnie Stern Exit 15. Ribbons Surprise Attacks 16. Bob Dylan Tell Tale Signs 17. Yo La Tengo They Shoot, We Score 18. Akira Ishikawa Uganda Dawn of... 19. Blue Ash No More, No Less 20. Lambchop OH (Ohio)


	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 for any reason, please visit: digital.othermusic.com/subscribe.php		THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS [AB] Adrian Burkeholder [BCa] Brian Cassidy [MC] Michael Crumsho [MG] Max Gray [GH] Gerald Hammill [DH] Duane Harriott [IQ] Mikey IQ Jones [MK] Michael Klausman [AK] Andreas Knutsen [JM] Josh Madell [FT] Fred Thomas [JT] John Twells THANKS FOR READING - all of us at Other Music

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