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When I see a new Sahko release come in, I know it has to be something special. The early Mika Vaino records are among my all-time favorites, so I expect a lot from the Finnish label. Nsi. Plays Non Standards is a minimal piano record, a surprisingly poplar genre of late, but this really is a special and original album that lives up to my expectations -- it initially smacks us in the face with its own distinct "coldness". There's warmth space-wise, but the tone is distinctly wintry and beautifully solitary. (Check out track 6 -- I will go as far as to say that it has the Noto/Sakamoto collaborations beat in this category.) The variety of pieces and treatments also dispels any images of a bearded new age composer on a white Steinway, complete with matching candelabra. Instead it is strangely both faceless and emotive as the focus is on the sounds and the non-standard (of course) yet simple/linear, and unabashedly lovely compositions. To put it simply, the Nsi. record comes across as minimal, pretty, arctic doom-classical, made with processed piano. There is obviously much consideration given to creating pieces that play with form, time and against expectations while using a consistent sound palate. Much ground is covered as the album progresses through each of its tracks, each averaging a short and dynamic two-minutes. Number 11 sounds like a slower, heavier yet still gentle Gavin Bryars or Harold Budd, while track 13, with its intimately majestic vibe, is reminiscent of something Mountains would have released. Again, don't expect the record to be bogged down by these reference points; it really has a way with grabbing the ears and commanding our attention. The sequence of tracks seems designed specifically with that intent, actually. Definitely a fresh one, this is one of the best of the season so far. It's always great to have your high expectations outdone! -Scott Mou
They might have shot to alt-popularity in a cloud of cheap mascara and cheaper cocaine, but Portland hipster outfit Glass Candy are really far better than their reputation might suggest. The brainchild of super-producer Johnny Jewel, they did what has been a staple of the cynical music industry since its inception -- stick a cute girl up front and wait for the dollars to roll in, and in this particular scene it really does feel apt. Mysterious blonde Ida No (I'm guessing that ain't her real name, unless her parents were pally with Marc Bolan) fronts the duo and howls arty nonchalance with a limited range and effortless charm reminiscent of a pre-burnout Debbie Harry. The Blondie connection doesn't stop there either; Jewel's production is firmly rooted in the past, from cheesy cop films to Italian prog to the most disco-centric Chris Stein would allow the group to get -- even the duo's first album jumped on Debbie Harry's notorious Warhol session. So, I hear you ask, why should you not simply pop down to the local thrift store and pick up Parallel Lines? Well Glass Candy bring a boatload of lo-fi DIY charm into the mix -- maybe this is from doing time in Cascadia or maybe it's from Jewel's far-reaching knowledge, but at times it genuinely feels like they're doing very much their own thing. Jewel might also be behind the similarly fantastic Chromatics, but Glass Candy are a grimy, decadent, infected and difficult-to-resist stain to Chromatics' polished charm. They make dance music, but this is dance music for a club of fifteen half-awake junkies, not the kind of Euro-centric pap we've been subjected to for the last twenty years. Deep Gems rounds up the band's singles and B-sides making this quite the collection of tracks for any budding DJ out there. B/E/A/T/B/O/X may have been their darker, listening record but Deep Gems is unashamedly focused on pure disco. There's even a cover of Isaac Hayes' "Geto Boys" which proves that while skinny, white and bunking down in Portland, there's still more than enough funk to go around the GC studio. It's like "Rapture" all over again. Completists among you will no doubt have a bunch of these tracks already, but it's nice to have them bundled together in one place finally, and the album makes for a surprisingly cohesive listening experience. Through the stifling haze of dry ice and cigarette smoke there's a vulnerable beating heart that's just waiting to be broken. How can you possibly resist? -John Twells
This record collects the recorded output of Free Blood, who blend dance music, avant-pop and indie squall in their own decidedly NYC way and get things bumping on both sides of the East River with their modern disco/future-funk sounds. Featuring former !!! percussionist John Pugh and fashion designer Madeline Davy, Free Blood's "bring the party" vibe is meant for the 12" single scene, but with their adventurous, varied songs, this full-length holds up great. "Never Hear Surf Music Again" is a bizarrely catchy funky mess of elastic bass, four-on-the-floor beats and layers of vocal harmonies, all awash in dubby atmosphere, followed by "Quick and Painful" which marries vintage NYC mutant disco with little bits of noisy electronics. Another highlight, "Royal Family" is infectiously fun with a commanding bass groove and overlaid come-hither vocals. Also included are remixes from notables like Barfly (whose version of the aforementioned "Never Hear Surf Music Again" is stripped to its barest rhythm and vocal essentials), Scott Coats and Wes the Mes, Tim Love Lee (who trims out some of the experimental elements of "Parangatang" and reshapes the track for the dancefloor), and a pretty awesome reworking of "Grumpy," from legendary UK re-edit extraordinaire Greg Wilson, that's less tribal than the original, placing more emphasis on the cellos, transforming the track into a dark, epic indie-disco thriller. It goes without saying that this is a must for fans of !!!, Out Hud, Invisible Conga People, and of course, all things future and funky. -Baxter Cardona
Imagine if Ian Curtis hadn't popped his clogs -- would Joy Division have sunk into mediocrity and embarrassment? Would they have become Manchester's answer to U2, peddling iPods and other such lifestyle enhancements to the middle classes? I don't think we can ever really know, but with two peerless albums under their belt, the band's achievement and lasting influence is legendary and permeates every facet of the modern rock underground. Blank Dogs is an artist who probably wouldn't doubt the influence of Curtis on his home-taped compositions. He has notched up a steady stream of releases already in just about every medium around, so Woodsist has cornered Mr. Blank Dog for this mini-album before the imminent full-length drops on In the Red. Those expecting the noisy abandon of the artist's earlier efforts might be disappointed -- where previously he would disturb his love of Manchester's finest with a chunky layer of hiccupping SY-worship, The Fields is almost straight doom-pop. These are the Joy Division offcuts that never happened with wonky synthesizer, down-tuned guitar and cycling drum machine in check. It works too -- with the Woodsist-patented Walkman hiss acting as the perfect accompaniment to Blank Dogs' navel-gazing post-punk. Occasionally we get a hint of Depeche Mode, occasionally early Pet Shop Boys (seriously), but for the most part The Fields sounds like Ariel Pink covering the best of early Factory. And that's no bad thing in my book. -John Twells
Despite the name, psychedelic-inspired cover, and time period in which it was released, Ray Barretto's Acid is not some trippy blend of hippy rock and Latin rhythms. Though the album artwork was certainly attune to the young, popular white culture of the late-'60s, musically speaking, the Brooklyn-born conguero/band leader's classic record effortlessly captured the sound and spirit emanating from Nu Yorican streets, clubs and parties. An inspired fusion of Latin jazz, boogaloo, funk and contemporary soul music, Acid would not only expose Barretto's music to a much larger Latin audience, it would also be one of the fastest selling albums in the Record Shack, a black music store in Harlem, while its single, "The Soul Drummers," would garner airplay on WWRL, one of New York's soul stations. Barretto got his start in the '50s, playing congas with Latin jazz greats like Eddie Bonnemere and Jose Curbelo, flautist Herbie Mann, and then a four-year stint with Tito Puente. In 1962, he signed with Tico Records and soon after had a million selling single with "El Watusi," a song which would set the stage for the swinging boogaloo movement to come. But in spite of his early successes as a session player and bandleader, Barretto still wasn't totally embraced by the Hispanic community. This all changed in 1968, when Fania Records released Acid. Barretto and his ensemble are on fire amidst hxard-handed conga and timbale playing, soaring trumpet solos and shout-outs of "Yeah baby!" With classics like "Deeper Shade of Soul", "El Nuevo Barrretto" and the aforementioned "The Soul Drummers," this is one of the funkiest and exciting Latin music albums of the '60s. -Gerald Hammill
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