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   July 30, 2009  
       
   

 

 

     
 

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  BUY EARLY GET NOW: YO LA TENGO
Yo La Tengo's forthcoming album, Popular Songs, gets the Buy Early Get Now treatment! In addition to the CD or double LP, customers who pre-order the album will also receive:

July 27 - Album stream goes live
August 18 - First Bonus MP3
September 1 - Second Bonus MP3
September 8 - CD or 2xLP will be shipped to arrive at your door on or before the September 8 release date, along with the exclusive live LP of the Adventureland soundtrack and a bonus poster.

Questions? Email: orders@othermusic.com

 
         
   
       
   
     
 
 
FEATURED NEW RELEASES
Conga De Los Hoyos
Night Control
Gary War
Zola Jesus
Jega
Riceboy Sleeps
Tudo Ben - Jorge Ben Covered
John Phillips (Andy Warhol Presents)
Artificial Faces (Various Artists)
Blacklist
 

Dudley Perkins
Georgia Anne Muldrow
24-Carat Black
Si Para Usted 2 (Various Artists)
Blue Roses
Peter Broderick
Bizzy B

VINYL PRESSING
Ty Segall

All of this week's new arrivals.

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/othermusic

 
         
   
   
   
   
   
       
   
 
 
AUG Sun 02 Mon 03 Tues 04 Wed 05 Thurs 06 Fri 07 Sat 08



  WIN TICKETS TO MAURICE FULTON AT SUNDAY BEST
This weekend, resident DJs Justin Carter, Eamon Harkin and Doug Singer welcome none other than Maurice Fulton to the Sunday Best party at BLKN Yard. Enigmatic, incredibly imaginative, super talented and fully capable of rocking any party with his bag of tricks, expect disco, house and off kilter cuts put together as only this man can. Other Music has two pairs of passes up for grabs, and to enter, just email tickets@othermusic.com. We'll notify the two winners this Friday.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2
BKLYN Yard (outdoors by the Gowanus Canal): 400 Carroll St between Bond and Nevins, Brooklyn
Alternate rain venue at the Bell House, around the corner
Cover $10 // $8 before 4PM with RSVP OR $8 in advance at: residentadvisor.net/sundaybest

 
   
   
 
 
AUG Sun 09 Mon 10 Tues 11 Wed 12 Thurs 13 Fri 14 Sat 15



  AKRON/FAMILY IN-STORE: SUNDAY, AUG. 9 @ 7PM
We are excited to welcome Akron/Family, whose live shows are always thrilling. Like their great, recent album Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free, you can expect to hear plenty of celebratory communal sing-a-longs, but it'll be far from a typical stoned love-in. These Brooklyn beardos channel the incredibly soulful poly-rhythms of '70s African groove merchants like Fela Kuti, and combine that with a wild mix of Sun Ra, Animal Collective, Grateful Dead, Fleet Foxes, Funkadelic and of course, most of all, pure Akron anarchy. Don't miss it!

OTHER MUSIC: 15 East 4th Street NYC
Free Admission / Limited Capacity



 
   
   
   
   
   
       
   

 

 

     
 

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  CONGA DE LOS HOYOS
Carnival Music of Eastern Cuba
(WAF / Soul Jazz)

"Ahora Si!"
"Recordando Viejos Tiempos"

Soul Jazz strikes gold with this KILLER album by Conga De Los Hoyos, a carnival group from Santiago de Cuba that boasts (are you ready for this?) over 50(!) drummers and singers, not to mention the unique and striking sounds of the Chinese cornet, a raucous, double-reed instrument that sounds like a cross between a snake charmer's flute and a bagpipe. This album comes out guns blazing from the get-go, with a hypnotic groove somewhere between Haitian vodou drumming and the Moroccan trance-outs of the Master Musicians of Jajouka, or santeria played at hardcore punk tempos. The cornet adds wonderfully alien melodies and vamps overtop, and the odd contextual clashes make for music that's really hard to pinpoint in terms of origin -- it's effective in that the groove is completely enveloping, but the harmolodic elements keep your brain calculating while your hips gyrate holes into your waistband. I'm also reminded at times of Konono No.1, not in the sound per se, but rather in the way this group, much like Konono, sets up a motif and then presents variations on that groove over the course of the record. There isn't much change in tempo or sound over the disc's duration, but that's pretty much the point -- it's trance music; you just surrender and let the music have its way with you. By the time this record is done you're either ravished, sweaty, lightheaded, and ready for more, or you're dead (in some way or another). Submit to one of the most indestructible beats I've heard all year. Highest recommendation!! [IQ]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  NIGHT CONTROL
Death Control
(Kill Shaman)

"Star 131"
"20 Years Old"

Night Control is the recording alias of one Christopher Curtis Smith, a loner songwriter who's been releasing limited edition CD-R runs of his exquisite little pop gems for some time now. Death Control, his large-scale debut, collects a bunch of these tracks for a generous overview of all that Smith has been up to for the past few years. Given his general preference for lo-fi messthetics and gnarled, slightly chewed pop structures, it's tempting to lump this disc in with others in the revitalized cottage industry of home-recorded weirdo pop that seems to have come back into prominence over the past couple of years. To do that, however, would overlook that the fact that these nineteen tracks are head and shoulders above most of Smith's supposed contemporaries.

Though Smith seems to genuinely dig taking straight-ahead melodies and turning them on their heads with gnarly feedback, off-kilter rhythms, sunken vocals, and other glorious little tics, there's something endlessly comforting about Death Control, even when it does stray pretty far afield. It may have something to do with dude's obvious debt to classic power-pop (think Big Star, especially as evidenced by the intertwining, climaxing guitars of "Two Hard") and chiming, almost Byrds-ian melodies (best exemplified by "Star 131"), or the fact that, no matter how bizarre the proceedings get, there always seems to be a melody buried somewhere in there, like on the disorienting, quasi-anthemic rocker "Life Control." At times it even sounds a little bit like Emitt Rhodes, only if he'd been a little out of his mind instead of just maligned by the music industry as a whole. A great debut, any way you look at, and well worth seeking out even if you've started to reach your quota for leftfield pop. [MC]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  GARY WAR
Horribles Parade
(Sacred Bones)

Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store

Holy sh*t! Gary War's debut LP (New Raytheonport on SHDWPLY) and singles only hinted at the genius that is Horribles Parade. With a fuller sound and blankets of fuzz and swirling feedback enshrouding the tracks, and complete with the trademark underwater vocals, the album plays out like some kind of meeting of the minds of Legendary Pink Dots, Ariel Pink, and Nick Nicely, and thus reinvents psychedelia for the 22nd century. The whole thing makes me dizzy and delirious, the same joyful disorientation I feel when I hear Meat Whiplash's "Don't Slip Up" or Pale Saints' Comforts of Madness. I don't know what else to say. Love it. [AK]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  ZOLA JESUS
The Spoils
(Sacred Bones)

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It's hard to believe that Spoils is only the first proper album from Zola Jesus, the alter ego of Wisconsin's 20-year-old, self-proclaimed banshee Nika Roza Danilova. While her slew of previously released EPs were promising snippets of minimal industrial rhythms coupled with gripping drones, the wide breadth of a full-length record suits Danilova, giving her the time to cultivate a continually evolving, more refined sound. Consequently, tagging Zola Jesus as industrial, goth or no wave is too facile; sure, she's in debt to Lydia Lunch and the Cocteau Twins, but Danilova's voice is more richly embellished and naturally untamed, impressively weaving through the stimulating, repetitive factory machine rumblings with an ironic and effortless grace. Though her persona and music are purposely confrontational and severe, almost always frenetic and unstable, as a whole the result is superbly captivating instead of off-putting. Standout tracks like "Sinking the Dynasty" and "Clay Bodies" prove that sparse, manufactured drum beats, continually throbbing electronics and airy vocals can sound simultaneously primitive and dynamic, but never dull. Yet another great release on Brooklyn's own Sacred Bones.

As a note, the CD version of Spoils includes the entire Soeur Sewer" 7" as well as the three songs from the Poor Sons 7" on Die Stasi. [PG]
 
         
   
   
   
   
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  JEGA
Variance - Volumes 1 & 2
(Planet Mu)

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It's been almost a decade since Dylan Nathan released Geometry, his last album, but this double-CD epic seems to somehow sum up those nine long years, which included a move for the Manchester-based producer to the States. Variance is a slow burning journey through a variety of electronic styles, rich in melody, mood and texture. The atmosphere is ever-changing across these 18 tracks, beginning with a version of the Cafe del Mar groove that's soothing, pastoral and tranquil to the point of approaching new-age, but with a subtle micro-groove moving things along. The later half of the first disc finds things picking up a bit and getting more distorted and crunchy, all the while still fitting with the previous atmosphere. Disc-two is where Nathan references his noted early releases for Skam by introducing a harder edge to the beats and effects. The mood turns more sinister -- less Boards of Canada and more Autechre -- and stronger grooves take over with some MC samples and more agitated tempos, until you reach the end where drum 'n' bass-influenced, elastic digital beats bounce and dart across the terrain. Overall an interesting journey, Variance feels like a DJ mix as Nathan's sequencing starts off slow yet steadily builds in tempo and feeling, moving through a nice cross-section of electronic styles from the past decade, and skillfully updating some forgotten genres. [DG]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  RICEBOY SLEEPS
Riceboy Sleeps
(XL)

"Happiness"
"Daniell in the Sea"

The first and hopefully not the last release from Sigur Ros vocalist Jónsi Birgisson and his boyfriend Alex Somers is disarming in its earnestness, and dismantles any preconceived notions I had about ambient music. The acoustic arrangements provided by the beautiful string quartet Amiina are immediately soothing, soaring, and dramatically forward. Birgisson, Somers and Amiina possess the unique and wonderful ability to sweep you away with the barest of piano touches and the gentlest of plucked strings; songs like the opening track, "Happiness," never cloy for your affection, or spook you with inventive electronic drones, or substitute reverbed monotone speech for true lyricism. These are gorgeous songs by musicians who cherish and revel in quiet, subtle turning points, sustained notes, and the breathtaking melodies. This is a truly ethereal, almost cinematic listening experience. [MS]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  VARIOUS ARTISTS
Tudo Ben - Jorge Ben Covered
(Mr Bongo)

"Pulo Pulo" Elza Soares
"Vendador De Bananas" Os Increveis

Mr Bongo delivers one of the year's strongest, most satisfying compilations in Tudo Ben, an outstanding (and long overdue, IMO) collection of 1960s and 70s artists covering songs by one of Brazil's most gifted tunesmiths, Jorge Ben. Ben has been a favorite both personally and of the OM contingent as a whole for many years, and this comp serves up a whopping 26 songs covered by a great number of singers from a wide range of styles and scenes in Brazil. Lovingly compiled by Brazilian Beats Brooklyn DJs Greg Caz and Sean Marquand, the collection features versions of songs both well-known ("País Tropical," "Rita Jeep," "Zazueira," "Cosa Nostra" and the ubiquitous "Mas Que Nada") as well as lesser known tunes that pack just as strong a punch. The arrangements are outstanding on the whole with a unifying sound that never distracts, and the compilation is sequenced so thoughtfully that its duration zips by just as you're ready to really start the party. Personal faves include Os Originais Do Samba's gorgeous "Cadê Tereza," Cyro Aguiar's "Rei Do Maracatu," Os Incriveis's "Vendedor De Bananas," the MONSTER jam "Tenha Fé, Pois Amanhã Um Lindo Dia Vai Nascer" by Salinas which opens the set, and any one of Wilson Simonal's seven(!) contributions.

The real testament to Ben's abilities as a songwriter and truly unique figurehead in the scene, though, perhaps lies in how naturally these diverse artists can adapt to his sound, which really wasn't like anyone else's for damn near decades on the scene. The man's got a signature sound, and everyone wears it well, from the MPB crooner Simonal, samba/bossa soul firebrand Elza Soares, the carnival clatter of Os Originais Do Samba, to the post-tropicalist rock stylings of Os Brazões, to name but a small few on the comp. It's also no surprise that many of the artists' contributions here prove to be some of their own best work -- Ben's songwriting brings out the best in all of them; no matter how famous or obscure, they're all on equal ground in his sonic world. This set is hands down one of the best Ben-related CDs ever released (and let's face it, that's really saying something!), not to mention one of the best representations of the samba soul/funky Rio/whatever-the-hell-you-wanna-call-it sound that folks are once again bandwagon jumping for cool points these days. It's obvious that a lot of hard work and deep love for Ben was put into this collection, and anyone interested in his music or that of the soulful Brazilian contingent should be picking this up post-haste. Highest recommendation, and to Greg and Sean -- nice work, fellas! [IQ]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  JOHN PHILLIPS
Andy Warhol Presents: Man on the Moon
(Phoenix Productions)

"There Is a Place"
"Welcome to the Moon Man"

As the Michael Jackson passing is proving in its myriad revelations, the 1970s was likely the strangest decade of late modern history. Across the Afro-Alien Divide from where the once-and-future King of Pop was undergoing his embryonic ch-ch-changes between Mr. Dynamite (Brown) and the Thin White Duke, the far less likely space-rockin' figure "Papa" John Phillips was mounting an astral musical produced by Andy Warhol. Unless one cites the aetheric properties of "California Dreamin'," the oeuvre of that high '60s star Phillips has never seemed about transcendence, but keenly tethered to terra firma -- in particular the hip precincts of Los Angeles. Somehow, though, this long-lost sonic artifact, Man on the Moon (The John Phillips Space Musical), displays the California auteur and godfather of rock festivals engaging with some of the early '70s predominant aesthetic modes -- cosmic country (wavering on the spectrum between canyon idylls on "Welcome to the Moon Man" and electric boogie on "Boys from the South"), glam ("Star Stepping Stranger"), and nostalgia for Weimar cabaret ("Song of Introduction"). Only in the '70s -- which yielded not just Jesus Christ Superstar, The Wiz, and Xanadu, but also the quotidian, acidic horror show of Vietnam -- could such a cocaine collaboration between the fading King of the Strip and Warhol's Factory actually come to fruition, featuring direction by Paul Morrissey, Phillips' fellow Papa Denny Doherty as President/King Can, and South African actress Genevieve Waite (immaculate conceiver of [inevitable?] future Scientologist Bijou Phillips).

Still, amongst these flowers of evil there is fleeting, random (if extremely period) aural beauty like the aptly-titled "The Last of the Unnatural Acts"...the pleasures of which are almost swamped by the grotesque Black Tell of "Penthouse of Your Mind." The only thing missing from this cosmic burlesque is the era's foremost child star and his preternatural yearnings for White Opportunities delimited by Tinseltown's soundstages and searchlights, his ever-morphing physiognomy and paranoia not just marking him as sacrificial lamb for the Civil Rights Movement but the instructive mirror that '70s excess could not be survived, by moonwalks or anything else. Significantly, "Space" was conceived via the Cosmic Trigger of Neil Armstrong's moon landing 40 years ago this month; the role of the astronaut protagonist was originally designated for Jackson's posthumous paw-in-law, Elvis; as Phillips' child star daughter Mackenzie passed along the script to George Lucas, it was later claimed some love and theft begat Star Wars; and the most important interstitial dancers between Jackson and Mr. Brown, L.A.'s Lockers (perennials of Soul Train), were amongst the Disney-costumed cast. Even more telling are Phillips' lyrics for "There Is a Place" demonstrating acute belief in the need to escape Earth and unease in one's skin and the paps' glare, sung by Waite but could have been Jackson's first and ultimate masterpiece before Off the Wall: "People everywhere/are inclined to stare/I have a need for privacy dear/ feel like a sardine/and I don't feel very clean/I'd like a star of my own/there is a place in space for stars."

And it seems an ironic alignment that when Man on the Moon flopped Phillips was commissioned by Nicolas Roeg to work on the soundtrack for Bowie's glam eulogy The Man Who Fell to Earth. This excavation is riveting at least for its portrait of the desiccating hangover of two '60s cultural titans at a ludicrous East-West summit long after they both popped. [CH]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  VARIOUS ARTISTS
Artificial Faces
(Crazy Apple)

"Midway Down" John Wonderling
"Agora Ninguem Chora Mais" Erasmo Carlos

Another great compilation from the Spanish Crazy Apple Boutique gang, who were the brains behind excellent collections such as Neurotic Reactions and Some Songs Stuck in My Mind. As to be expected, Artificial Faces is crammed with 60s dancefloor delights (for the discerning dancefloor that is, not your average Austin Powers-inspired mod party). The absolute highlight for me is John Wonderling's amazing popsike gem "Midway Down," which was later made famous by the Creation, but Artificial Faces has plenty more top tunes; Erasmo Carlos' totally unexpected psych freakout, the tough blue-eyed soul of Nino Bravo, Sonia's Spanish-language version of "Get Off My Cloud," Giant Grab's phased-out "ESP" and the song that inspired the name of the comp, "Artificial Face" by the Elevators-adoring (one would assume) Hobbits. Throw in a booklet with cover images and informative liners, and you have one top-notch package! [AK]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  BLACKLIST
Midnight of the Century
(Wierd)

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From the icy catacombs of Wierd Records comes the debut full-length of Blacklist, no doubt the New York label's most full-on rock band. Eschewing the cold, Suicide/Liaisons Dangereuses synth-wave minimalism which informs much of the Wierd roster, Blacklist sit in a different corner of the same dark room, playing guitar-driven anthems that bring to mind early- to mid-'80s groups like the Chameleons, Comsat Angels, Mission UK and pre John Hughes-era March Violets. Unlike the post-punk revival of the early 2000s, however, this group sidesteps any watered down "second wave" labeling; Midnight of the Century could have easily been an unearthed deathrock gem from 25 years ago.

Kicking off with the brooding "Still Changes," Josh Strawn's deep, austere voice is reminiscent of Peter Murphy, enveloped by razor-sharp reverbed guitars that cut through the urgent, rumbling bass, while the driving "Flight of the Demoiselles" indeed soars. With James Minor's chiming Gibson leading the charge, the song is a battle cry for misanthropes and disenchanted alike, Strawn singing "Dark angels rise, and cross the horizon." Throughout the album, Strawn's impressionistic observations nicely blur the lines between geo-political and personal, leaving lyrics like "mouths pressed shut in a cease-fire" ("Language of the Living Dead") open for interpretation by the listener. But while Blacklist's music is undoubtedly crepuscular, there's almost always a sense of hope peering through in the melodies. During the shimmering closing track, "The Believer," Strawn is both introspective and optimistic as he sings, "In the dawn another restless morning / every night after a curse's coming / she will believe in me." Perhaps the only difference that separates Blacklist from the paranoid, Reagan-era "dance until the bomb drops" philosophy of their influences is that the bomb has since dropped, and while we may in fact be living in the midnight of the century now, daylight is just around the curve. [GH]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  DUDLEY PERKINS
Holy Smokes
(E 1)

"To Declaime"
"Sally"

Dudley Perkins is back with another collection of smoked-out leftfield funk for all of us to enjoy and learn from. Produced by partner Georgia Anne Muldrow, Holy Smokes is his most offbeat, Funkadelic-inspired release yet. Muldrow's electronic snaps, digital jiggles, and warped basslines create a perfect, vibrant backdrop for Perkins' tales of boogieing, funking, strutting, testifying, and scatting as the world goes to hell. Always an insightful and unashamedly frank and direct MC, Dudley continues to tell tales of a world imploding from corruption, greed and stupidity, and from Wal-Mart to Oprah, isn't afraid to name names.

While his past Madlib-produced releases were truly great in their own way, the combo of Dudley on the mic and Georgia behind the boards seems like a match made in nu-funk heaven. The mood shifts effortlessly from danceable tracks to more eerie and psychedelic funk grooves, padded by a series of unmistakable Perkins interludes. Where Madlib seemed to be a stern and diligent editor, keeping the skits and shout-outs to a minimum, when left to his own devices Perkins has plenty to say and experiment with across the 26 tracks here, and if you can go with the flow it works.

Overall, the mood comes off like a more overly political De La Soul (think De La Is Dead meets Stakes Is High); in fact, Perkins has enough lyrics for three MCs, but he does just fine on his own. He seems to be having a great time, getting loose, singing his truths like a street corner prophet version of Ol' Dirty Bastard reciting Prince's Black Album. Perkins is a true revolutionary and outsider in hip-hop, or any scene for that matter. As he says himself, "If you can't understand this/this ain't for you," and I can't put it any better. The weirdest yet most timely record I've heard in awhile -- true underground hip-hop, and proud of it. [DG]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  GEORGIA ANNE MULDROW
Umsindo
(E 1)

"Jina Langu Ni Afrika"
"Generation/You Got It"

Since Worthnothings, her 2006 debut EP on Stones Throw, producer/vocalist Georgia Anne Muldrow has made her way around the new school of alt-hip-hop and nu-R&B luminaries, collaborating with Madlib, Erykah Badu, Mike Ladd, J*Davey, Sa-Ra, Mos Def (who lifted her track "Roses" for his own recent full-length, simply overdubbing his vocals around hers), and her partner for the past few years, Dudley Perkins. No longer on Stones Throw, she has not let that slow her down though, having released several solo albums (as Ms. One and Pattie Blingh), a comp of her productions for other people, and a few duo records with Dudley P. However, this beautiful new full-length, Umsindo, feels more like the proper follow-up to her thrilling early work, continuing the Chaka Khan-meets-J-Dilla-meets-Lauryn Hill aesthetic, bridging spiritually minded hip-hop, up-tempo soul vibes and some heartfelt and warm electronic musings. The image of a young head-wrapped Nina Simone surrounded by keyboards, drum machines, percussion and a laptop seems to be the clearest picture that Muldrow's music generates. She has been continuously working to release her life-affirming and progressively individual sound and vision into a genre that seems to be stuck at the bar waiting for their next shot of Patron, and this new one confirms what we already knew; Muldrow is one the best and most soulful artists coming out of the vibrant California scene these days. Recommended. [DG]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  24-CARAT BLACK
Gone: The Promises of Yesterday
(The Numero Group)

"I Don’t Want to Make Up"
"I Begin to Weep"

It's a shame that the only document of 24-Carat Black's unreleased sophomore album, the follow-up to their ingenious debut, Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth, is this truncated release from Numero Group, because these six newly-polished sketch tracks hint at a much larger, darker master stroke. There are only a half-a-dozen songs because the tapes have been busily disintegrating in keyboardist Bruce Thompson's Chicago basement, and hearing this taste is bound to make you wish that someone had sniffed around for these nuggets long ago. This is a woozy, hypnotic adventure in psychedelic post-Wattstax soul, with woeful horns washing over Spartan brushed percussion and lyrics about distraught lovers that leave bruises on the heart. Of course, with about half of the album lost to the mildew of a Southside basement, we can't help but imagine what else might have adorned this heady album, lyrically focused on the disillusionment that follows the first flashes of love, but philosophically in time with the disillusionment that nipped at the heels of the riotous socio-cultural youth movements of the 1960s. [MS]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  VARIOUS ARTISTS
Si Para Usted 2
(Waxing Deep)

"El Siglo De Libertad" Grupo Fas
"Y Aparecio el Trombon" Juan Pablo Torres

Man, it's a solid week for lush, tropical grooves! The Waxing Deep label brings forth the second volume in their great Si Para Usted series of funk, psych, son, and soul music from 1970s Cuba, and wooo, it's good. Mixing up raucous thickets of conga beats, shuffling cymbals, warbling, slightly wonky sounding keyboards, rich, blaring horn sections, and some smoking electric guitar playing, the vibe here juggles sonic references to late-period disco, post-Dark Magus Miles Davis voodoo jazz, psychedelic rock, and a bit of Fania salsa sweat. Overall, the set really works because the tunes are catchy, the grooves are indestructible, and the arrangements are really innovative -- I've never quite heard a collection of Cuban tunes like this before, save for the last Si Para Usted comp! Imagine Santana, Buena Vista Social Club, and Eddie Palmieri all trapped in a room together having to play their way out and you'll catch some of the vibe that's being rocked here. So, so, SO good! [IQ]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  BLUE ROSES
Blue Roses
(XL)

"Cover Your Tracks"
"Rebecca"

A blue rose is always a sight to behold. It retains the form and aesthetic splendor of a traditional rose, but its disarming hue makes for a chilled and frosty appearance. A blue rose seems out of place wherever it goes, caught somewhere between the deadest winter and the loveliest spring. Laura Groves, the UK singer-songwriter who goes by the name Blue Roses, has offered up her own bouquet of strangely familiar yet quirky songs that pinch inspiration from Appalachian folk traditions, Irish balladry, and California freak-folkers like Devendra Banhart in equal measure.

Groves' deft touch makes every instrument bloom; she tends toward the faintest of picked acoustic guitar arrangements, complemented by melancholic strings, in order to anchor her serene, dramatic vocal work. In particular, she reveals just how classically talented she can be on the love-lost "Can't Sleep," pitching her vocals higher and more fervently through an extended coda that rises and falls like the most tempestuous relationship. Her prolific musical abilities already hint at a larger, darker masterpiece underneath the sunspots of this exquisite debut. [MS]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  PETER BRODERICK
Music for Falling from Trees
(Western Vinyl)

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Peter Broderick may be better known as a supporting musician, as his violin has graced the stages of the world with some great and diverse artists, from Efterklang to M. Ward and She & Him, but the multi-instrumentalist and composer has produced a wonderful body of work under his own name in his twenty-something short years. Last year's Float, on Type, was a favorite at the shop, a lush and pastoral work that explored modern composition with warmth and depth that nodded towards both ambient and classical; this new set is a simpler but no less satisfying recording. Commissioned by Adrienne Hart to score a dance piece about a patient in a mental hospital fighting to retain his identity in the face of the most extreme circumstances, Hart asked for a piece based on piano and strings, and Broderick took these limitations as a challenge. He crafted a haunting suite of seven songs that blend composition and improvisation, using simple themes as a leaping-off point for these melancholy explorations. Lovely stuff for sure. [JM]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  BIZZY B
Retrospective
(Planet Mu)

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Seemingly ages ago but really in the not so distant past (a/k/a the early '90s), in a basement deep in England, producer Bizzy B was "busy" concocting a plethora of tracks that would soon become the bridge between the waning era of hardcore and the dawning of jungle/drum n bass. Now thanks to Planet Mu (arguably one of the best and freshest electronic labels around), we are offered the chance to re-experience -- or more likely be introduced to -- the wildly imaginative chopped, screwed, and time-stretched production techniques of Brian Johnson (a/k/a Bizzy B). Retrospective features 14 tracks, including a few choice collaborations with Peshay (from drum n bass past) and Equinox (current dubstep producer on the rise), which nicely illustrate just how forward-thinking Bizzy was, stepping from d-n-b's rough and rugged pace to the tumbling and collapsing beats that would later form the framework of dubstep. These tracks have many now-common elements, like the all too familiar "amen" break along with dancehall MC vocal drop-ins, and the occasional emotive wailing of various screaming divas, delivered with an equally fun and fierce approach. Still, the frenzied pace and primal craftsmanship quickly pulls you in and amps you up. One of the most surprisingly vibrant and enthusiastic collections of "old-skool" beats I've experienced in some time, from the screaming lion blasting laser beams on the front cover to the cut-up tigers on the back, this is guaranteed to rip things up. [DG]
 
         
   
       
   

 

 

     
 

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  TY SEGALL
Lemons
(Goner)

"Standing at the Station"
"Rusted Dust"

Last year, San Francisco youngster Ty Segall showed up on a lot of folks' radar with a really great album on the John Dwyer (Thee Oh Sees) affiliated Castle Face label, and he seems to be quite the multi-tasker because in addition to his own records and playing in the Traditional Fools, he is also reportedly now drumming for Sic Alps. So it's a bit of a stretch to say he's come out of nowhere, but Segall's solo stuff has a lot more going on than the T.F.'s juvenile garage slop (compliment) ever hinted at. On Lemons, Ty seems to have found a magical balance of songs with total pop hooks like "Favorite One" and distorto-grit brilliance of a track like "Can't Talk," which has a riff so insistent that resistance is futile. The whole record clocks in at just over 25 minutes, which is really the perfect length for something like this, so by the time you get to the Captain Beefheart cover, a trashy run-through of "Drop Out Boogie," the ride is almost over, and a lot like the Coney Island Cyclone, you very well may want to just stay where you are and go again. [DMa]
 
         
   
   
   
   
 
   
       
   
         
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THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS

[MC] Michael Crumsho
[PG] Pamela Garavano-Coolbaugh
[DG] Daniel Givens
[GH] Gerald Hammill
[CH] Crazy Horse
[IQ] Mikey IQ Jones
[AK] Andreas Knutsen
[JM] Josh Madell
[DMa] Dave Martin
[MS] Michael Stasiak








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