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   December 8, 2010  
       
   

The year is only a few weeks away from drawing to a close, so this will indeed be Other Music's final new release Update until early January. We're not stopping our presses though, and in the coming days we will not only be sending out our Holiday Gift Guide, but also Other Music's Top 25 New and Reissue Picks of 2010. In the meantime, any noteworthy album arrivals will be posted on the homepage of our website.

Also of note, we are bringing back Free Domestic Shipping on All Purchases Over $60 for the remainder of the year. So make sure to check out our 15 Year Anniversary Sale on 100 of Other Music's Top Selling CDs of 2010, which is going on through December 31st. (You can view the list of albums on the Charts page of our mail order site.)

Finally, we hope that we can make your holiday shopping for the music lover in your life a little easier. Consider an Other Music Gift Certificate, which is redeemable for purchases made both in the store and from our CD/LP website. You can buy a gift certificate in the shop, or purchase one on-line by going to: www.othermusic.com/giftcertificates.html
There are Gift Certificates available for Other Music's MP3 download site as well, in $25, $50 and $100 increments.
 
 
 
   
       
   
     
 
 
FEATURED NEW RELEASES
Anika
Angola Soundtrack (Various Artists)
Terror Danjah
No Joy
Foster Manganyi
Death in June
Derniere Volonte
The Sound of Siam (Various Artists)
Psych Funk Sa-Re-Ga! (Various Artists)
Horsepower Productions
Mochilla Presents Timeless:
Suite for Ma Dukes (Various)
Arthur Verocai
Mulatu Astatke
 
ALSO AVAILABLE
Sufjan Stevens (All Delighted People EP)
Dirty Water (Various Artists)
Deadmau5

BACK IN STOCK

Jim Sullivan
Washed Out (LP Pressing)

All of this week's new arrivals.
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/othermusicnyc
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/othermusic

 
         
   
   
   
   
   
       
   
 
 
DEC Sun 12 Mon 13 Tues 14 Wed 15 Thurs 16 Fri 17 Sat 18




  TICKET GIVE AWAY TO S. CAREY
Sean Carey's breathtaking solo debut, All We Grow, is an incredibly textured set, born from this classically trained percussionist's love of jazz and modern composition being reshaped by the experiences he has gained touring the world as Bon Iver's drummer. He'll be performing in NYC at the Highline Ballroom next Monday with White Hinterland and we've got two pairs of tickets to give away. Email tickets@othermusic.com, and we'll notify the winners this Friday.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 13
HIGHLINE BALLROOM: 431 W. 16th Street NYC

 
   
   
 
 
DEC Sun 12 Mon 13 Tues 14 Wed 15 Thurs 16 Fri 17 Sat 18


  WIN TICKETS TO THE BUNKER FEAT: SANDWELL DISTRICT & CLONE RECORDS
The Bunker presents another big double-techno header next Friday, when two of Sandwell District's finest, Berlin-based Function and LA's Silent Servant, will be playing in Public Assembly's back room along with Grave Lady (who is one-half of the Tropic of Cancer duo with Silent Servant). The Netherlands' Clone Records will be represented in the front room with A Made Up Sound, a/k/a 2562, Literon, and Steve Summers along with Brooklyn's (by way of Georgia) own Bethany Benzur (Kiss & Tell). Other Music is giving away two pairs of passes, and you can enter to win by emailing contest@othermusic.com. We'll notify the two winners on Monday.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17
PUBLIC ASSEMBLY: 70 N. 6th Street, Williamsburg, BKLN
$10 Advance Tickets Available at Other Music

     
 
   
   
 
 
DEC Sun 12 Mon 13 Tues 14 Wed 15 Thurs 16 Fri 17 Sat 18


  WIN TICKETS TO GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY
Ghostland Observatory's live shows are legendary, and with their new album Codename: Rondo under their collective belt, these glammy Austin electro-rockers are bringing their good time jams to Terminal 5 later this month and we've got two pairs of tickets up for grabs. Email giveaway@othermusic.com, and we'll notify the two winners next Monday.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17
TERMINAL 5: 610 W. 56th Street NYC

     
 
   
   
   
   
   
       
   

 

 

     
    Many of our customers have been enjoying the ease of texting their orders with their mobile phone. To take advantage of this option with the items listed below, go to subports.com where you can create your free Subports account. Afterwards, just text the corresponding subcode listed underneath each item to 767825.
 
         
   
       
   

 

 

     
 

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  ANIKA
Anika
(Stones Throw)

"No One's There"
"The End of the World"

Hold the presses on your Best of 2010 list, because Stones Throw has dropped a December bomb on us. With hardly any fanfare and practically no blog coverage, this young singer seemed to come out of nowhere and yet has delivered one of the finest albums of the year! Of course, it helps that Geoff Barrow (of Portishead fame) and his band BEAK> are involved. Word has it that Barrow and his group were looking for a local singer to collaborate with, when he came across the young Anika. The musicians quickly bonded over their shared love of post-punk, dub, Krautrock, and '60s girl groups, and a week later the quartet went into the studio for a 12-day session which resulted in Anika's debut. Recorded live with no overdubs and most of the tracks put to tape in one take, the nine-song album is split between originals and covers of the Kinks' "I Go to Sleep," Yoko Ono's "Yang Yang" and even Bob Dylan's "Master of War" (yeah, they really went there), but they make these standards their own. Anika's cool vocal delivery is best described as a cross of Nico and Lizzy Mercier Decloux, and is a perfect match for the band's sparse, vintage sounding post-punk-funk arrangements, a la gritty, dubby basslines, jagged guitars and a mix of real drumming and old, old drum machine rhythms. In this day and age of RSS feeds, Twitter, Facebook, et al., we're not sure how this album snuck out almost unnoticed, but it's a stunning introduction to a young, promising singer, backed by a tight band, and features some of the best production since Portishead's Third. You'll certainly see this sitting in my Year End Top Ten. [JS]

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  VARIOUS ARTISTS
Angola Soundtrack
(Analog Africa)

"Rei Do Palhetinho" Mamukueno
"Fuma" Dimba Diangola

Okay, okay, now I know that last week, I called the Rikki Ililonga two-CD set the Afro Jam of the Year. I acted a bit prematurely, I must admit. As wonderful as that set remains, it takes a close second in my book to Angola Soundtrack, the last release of the year by Analog Africa. The sounds of Angola's remarkable, vibrant Afro-Latin fusions have remained seldom-compiled and rarely heard outside of that country's borders, with what few collections that have actually made it out to the rest of the world giving us glimpses of a scene overflowing with some of the most beautiful, swinging, and soulful Afrosounds. Many of those collections are now sadly out-of-print, so thank Analog Africa with your first-born children for this excellently compiled, exhaustively documented collection of Angolan pop. The artists here combine a hefty dose of Latin and Portuguese influences (mostly due to Portuguese rule in Angola during the period that directly predates the music on this collection) with the vibrant, weightless guitar sounds of West African regions like Mali, Congo, and Guinea, not to mention a whiff of Brazilian and Caribbean tropical breeze. Much of the music here was thought lost and unattainable to the world due to the severe disorganization and near dismantling of the Angolan recording industry after the nation's independence, and a collection like this is like a gift from above. Sit down with this remarkable album, read the astonishing stories documented in the liner notes, and fully immerse yourself in some of the most liberating, infectious, and gorgeous sounds in the entire world. This gets my absolute highest recommendation, people, and for the record, this truly is the Afro-Jam of the Year. [IQ]

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  TERROR DANJAH
Undeniable
(Hyperdub)

"Leave Me Alone"
"Grand Opening"

Though 2009's Gremlinz, a collection of instrumental versions of Terror Danjah productions released on Planet Mu, may have brought this grime producer to the forefront after years on the scene, the Hyperdub-issued Undeniable is his official debut album, and it's an unexpected slow burner. Moving from tough grime (with MCs this time) to taut dubstep, there's even elastic and bassy R&B and a high-definition sonic fusion of house, hip-hop, and techno -- but of course, his trademarked gremlin giggles abound throughout. One of my favorite tracks is "SOS," a hip-hop/house jam with Morse code bleeps, marching band drum fills, and screeching synths that wouldn't be out of place as a backing track on the new Kanye West album. The cut that follows is another uptempo/downtempo flip-flop called "I'm Feeling U," the title hook sung through a vocoder-esqe effect. The biggest step forward here, however, is the overwhelming infusion of soul, or should I say modern R&B; though undeniably British in tempo, sound palette and energy, there's a strong urban vibe underneath the galactic textures. And having mainly worked with vocalists gives his instrumental tracks a surprising sense of melody, mostly realized through the use of tempo shifts and breakdowns. Though it's not immediate, this is a diverse and full-feeling release; Undeniable may take a few listens to absorb, but it is full of great moments, and you can get lost in the sound, in the best way. [DG]

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  NO JOY
Ghost Blonde
(Mexcian Summer)

"Maggie Says I Love You"
"Hawaii"

Not since Lush have we seen a female-fronted band come on with such an attack as witnessed on the debut from Montreal's No Joy. Guitarists/vocalists Laura Lloyd and Jasamine White-Gluz rip through Ghost Blonde with conviction and vigor, thrashing about to rebuild a wall of thick fuzz and distorted trim not standing since Serena-Maneesh hit these shores, only they do it with an ear towards alt-rock rather than atmospherics and textures. The ballads are sweet, the hooks are strong, and this one is set to rattle your cage hard as the year draws to a close. Fans of early Blonde Redhead, any 1st/2nd generation shoegaze bands, and even those who still love groups like L7 and Hole, your chariot awaits. [DM]

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  FOSTER MANGANYI
Ndzi Teke Riendzo no.1
(Honest Jon's)

"Ndzi Teke Riendzo"
"Fambani"

Honest Jon's comes through again with a domestic release of Foster Manganyi's 2008 recordings of progressive South African gospel music, just in time for Christmas. If you could get on board with Nozinga's deliriously imaginative Shangaan Electro compilation also released by Honest Jon's earlier this year, you'll find a lot to love here. However, where Nozinga's music is built on relentless drum figures to hypnotize the dance, Manganyi's aim is altogether more meditative, befitting his spiritual bent. Using choral figures distilled from indigenous music, the gospel songs of South Africa occupy a special place in the interpretive reflections of African Christendom, as adaptation of local pop music customs has long been the norm. That Manganyi should choose to arrange his traditional religious songs to the popular Shangaan sounds of the hollow tuned drum machine, Yamaha marimba patches and a half-sung, breathy pennywhistle is not entirely surprising, yet the results are a harmonious shocker. The most unique and poignant moments on the record come courtesy of plonky 8-bit synths under cascading Ladysmith Black Mambazo-style dueling choral lines -- one playing bass tones and the other giving lyrical flourish -- while Pastor Manganyi's lackadaisical, prosaic vocalizing anchors the songs. In fact, it is this casual spirituality that is the record's true infectious secret. As the music bubbles along, Manganyi sounds unstirred, his conviction ever-present and reliable. There is something seductive about the comfort in his voice, and even when singing about the most dense of subjects, as on album closer "Vanhu Va Lova (People Are Dying)," a certain wayward appeal in the incantation seems to be a reassurance of life's cosmic balances. Perhaps I can't understand the lyrics themselves, but I can understand that feeling, and the quest for internal peace that religion helps to guide. The joy of gospel music comes from reveling in the conviction of its singers, and that rejoice is clearly on display here. That the sounds behind the singers should be so fresh, contagious and addictive makes listening to the record a blessing in and of itself. [SG]

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  DEATH IN JUNE
Peaceful Snow
(NER)

"A Nausea"
"Neutralize Decay"

The newest album from Death in June proves that even a 30-year-old veteran post-punk/post-industrial project -- which has survived controversy as well as many personnel shifts and drama with old friends, collaborators, labels and distributors -- can still surprise and delight, while remaining a highly influential creative force. Peaceful Snow is a collaboration with Miro Snejdr, a heretofore unknown Slovak pianist who posted YouTube videos of himself playing songs from 2008's Rule of Thirds on an electric piano, and was subsequently introduced to Douglas Pearce via a Death in June fan site. This new album replaces the usual six-string acoustic guitar and kettle drum of Pearce's recent work with Snejdr's ethereal piano, while still remaining a "neo-folk" record in style. While the keyboard timbre might awkwardly resemble the tone of Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is" upon initial listens, it's dining room-like sound soon becomes the Trojan horse that Douglas P's deliciously soothing voice, delivering his hard, oblique, crepuscular poetry, rides in on.

The resemblance to Scott Walker (old and new), Leonard Cohen, Ian Curtis, Michael Gira and Aslan from Narnia(!) in their darkest (yet romantic) hours remains, as do the allusions to controversial and disturbing subjects of death, misanthropy, bondage and sadomasochism. There are references to Pearce's failed friendships, most likely with past collaborators such as Current 93's David Tibet, though the tone is not of nostalgia and regret, but rather one of stoic disgust and rejection. There are also many allusions to the end of life and the resolve to embrace it, not unlike one of Pearce's icons, Yukio Mishima (see "Wolf Rose" and the title track). As the album develops, the interplay between voice and piano becomes more dynamic, especially in "A Nausea" and the beautiful closer, "Maverick Chamber." To these ears, Peaceful Snow is one of the most direct and plainly spoken Death in June records to date, and it seems that the artist's increasing maturity and, of course, the intimacy of Snejdr's piano-work has had a powerful affect. An excellent album. This limited double-CD version includes the Lounge Corps disc of classic Death in June songs like "To Drown a Rose," "Fall Apart," "But What Ends When the Symbols Shatter?" and "Break the Black Ice," interpreted by Miro Snejdr on solo piano. [SM]

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  DERNIERE VOLONTE
Immortel
(Hau-Ruck)

"Rien A Aimer"
"Immortel"

I've kept France's Derniere Volonte hidden close to my chest for quite a while now, as this nom de plume of Geoffrey D is one of my secret antidotes for those times when current, half-baked trends really begin to get on the nerves. Sure, I'll admit that the music is a bit of a guilty pleasure that taps into my love of classic 4AD records ranging from Dead Can Dance and Wolfgang Press, to post-industrial neo-folk luminaries like Death in June and Sol Invictus. (An old friend and OM regular turned me on to DV years ago, over a neo-folk discussion.) But what sets Derniere Volonte apart from the many other 4AD and Death in June wannabes is that Geoffrey D manages to have a timeless sense of beauty and romance while never sounding retro or too scene-driven. His immaculate sense of melody and his effective use of synths and electronics bring a huge, hall-filling sense of romance, pomp and majesty without getting mired in dark themes, runes and all the other stylistic baggage of neo-folk.

Okay, so maybe not all of the stylistic baggage is left behind, as we do find foil embossed sleeves, old European statuary, and a martial sound. But while many just strap on an acoustic guitar, add a stomping beat, and thumb through a D&D Monster Manual or some Crowley for lyrical inspiration, Geoffrey D takes the bellicose tone of neo-folk and adds an ear-catching yet no less somber blend of synthpop and darkwave (it's too serious and romantic to simply be labeled "club music"), and utilizes a rare level of simple, effective musicality. When describing my favorite contemporary coldwave/synthwave acts, I often reference Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, but no artist earns this comparison more, to my taste, than Derniere Volonte -- think "Joan of Arc," "Sealand" and "Romance of the Telescope"-style OMD.

Seven albums in, Immortel finds Geoffrey D continuing to distill his take on "martial pop," further sculpting his strange blend of neo-folk with the bittersweet melodies of the aforementioned OMD and, believe it or not, Book of Love. While many in the coldwave scene depend on misanthropic play-acting, Derniere Volonte's sincerity is instantly striking, and songs like the beautiful "Trop Tard," "Peut Etre" and "A Jamis" are indeed a dark yet powerfully exuberant and romantic kind of synthpop. Honestly, it's hard to describe precisely what makes DV so magnetic. I often feel a little nervous about putting this on the shop stereo, thinking it might be too 'goth' for most to enjoy, but the wide range of people that stop to inspect the copy of the CD that's on display any time it is playing is uncanny -- all ages and types are attracted to the flowing and effortlessly catchy, beautiful melodies. This will be like a newly discovered gem for any fan of Depeche Mode, This Mortal Coil and Death in June, not to mention Xymox and Trisomie 21. And anyone into contemporary bands like Xeno and Oaklander/Martial Canterel, Automelodi, Cold Cave, the Knife, Zola Jesus and Silk Flowers will also love this. I'm not expecting to see the cast of Twilight sporting Derniere Volonte t-shirts (nor do I want to), but I do think many new heads will finally get turned on to this great music. Excellent stuff! [SM]

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  VARIOUS ARTISTS
The Sound of Siam: Leftfield Luk Thung, Jazz and Molam from Thailand 1964-1975
(Soundway)

"Ding Ding Dong" Waipod Phetsuphan
"Lam Toey Chaweewan" Chaweewan Dumnern

The Soundway label closes out a stellar year with one of their best releases yet. The Sound of Siam collects 19 tracks of groovy funk, jazz and soul from Thailand in the 1960s and '70s, highlighting the mildly psychedelic and experimental sounds percolating underneath the songs' arrangements, which ably combine influence from local molam and luk thung styles with Western pop and rock. As described in the amazing and informative liner notes, Thailand during this period had a musical culture which shared similarities with Jamaican sound system culture, with 45s leading the way as the predominant format for these highly accessible but innovative artists. Also, much like in Jamaica, this rabid music culture was mainly for the working class, with working people saving their hard earned pay for the newest, hottest 45s.

The depth and breadth of music compiled here is simply exhilarating, balancing softer ballads in a psychedelic folk-pop style with groovier numbers showing more of a ye-ye/girl group influence, and some even bending traditional Thai instrumentation to fit into funk tunes. It's brilliantly sequenced, flowing effortlessly and making for a collection that, despite the schizophrenic blend of styles, displays remarkable coherence. Fans of leftfield funk and freaky worldbeat along the lines of the Ethiopiques series, the pre-YMO 1970s recordings of Haruomi Hosono, or many of the compilations on Finders Keepers (who also have an amazing Thai pop/funk collection of their own on the way in the new year) should pick this up post-haste -- it's been a fixture on my stereo for the past week, and I can't stop rockin'. [IQ]

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  VARIOUS ARTISTS
Psych Funk Sa-Re-Ga!
(World Psychedelia)

"Bairaag Dance Music" Kalyanji Anandji
"Dum Maro Dum Live (Edit)" Asha Bhosle w/ R.D. Burman

The third entry in this fun and crucial exploration of particularly "head-expanding" sounds in the world music category digs deep into the riches of India. This set covers a lot of artists, but keys in on the contributions to Indian music made by two brothers who composed for Hindi film soundtracks under the collective name Kalyanji Anandji, and Bollywood composer R.D. Burman (while also showcasing a fascinating detour by Germany's Klaus Doldinger on "Sitar Beat"). Kalyanji Anandji mixes driving garage beats, shimmying girl choruses and raunchy horn blasts on their tracks while Burman's entries defy categorization: a bit of Perez Prado, Lalo Schifrin, surf rock, and David Axelrod, but all funneled through Burman's vision. Elsewhere, astute ears can pick up on strains of Curtis Mayfield, Jefferson Airplane, and on "Phir Teri Yaad," Boney M's Eurodisco classic, "Nightflight to Venus," all of it spiced up by these Indian maestros. [AB]

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  HORSEPOWER PRODUCTIONS
Quest for the Sonic Bounty
(Tempa)

"Exercising (Horsepower Remix)" Lee Perry
"18th Special"

The British collective known as Horsepower Productions is essentially Benny Ill working in various duo and trio configurations. Starting out as an artist on mid-'90's drum'n'bass label No U Turn and their sister garage imprint Turn U On, HPP released several 12" singles which often found the sparse and dubby versions of the hyper-bollocks lead track gaining as much attention as the A-side. Jump forward to 2002 and we find the Tempa label releasing their In Fine Style album (a collection of new and previously issued tracks), a record that could be considered the impetus of dubstep. Now, eight years later, comes Quest for the Sonic Bounty, another HPP full-length that again culls together 12" singles, remixes and new music. Working with a steady formula of sparse and minimal, yet fluttering percussion, effective dub accents, samples, and loads of sub-bass, this feels like a back-to-basics outing. Though the bass is full throttle, the overall pace and reggae inflections feel slightly reminiscent of Rhythm & Sound, but with a stronger punch. Throughout the tight-knit rhythms, you'll hear the use of movie dialogue, which adds an old-school feel and brings to mind images of colonization, voodoo, water shortages, and Jamaican gangsters. Their remix of the On-U Sound-produced Lee Perry track, "Exercising," is included, along with a cut that amazingly samples both Liquid Liquid and ESG. Horsepower Productions effectively blend humor and a dark world consciousness across the seventy minutes here; so if you're looking for a solid and off-the-beaten-track dubstep album, without all the singing-synth flourishes of the new school, this will do you right. Good stuff. [DG]

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  VARIOUS ARTISTS
Mochilla Presents Timeless: Suite for Ma Dukes
(Mochilla)

"Reminisce"
"Welcome 2 Detroit"

Mochilla, one of LA's best, most promising labels of recent vintage, offer up new CD and LP pressings of the concerts in their Timeless series, previously only available in a deluxe three-DVD boxed set.

The Suite for Ma Dukes performance saw a 60-piece orchestra playing a full program of the music of the hugely influential hip-hop producer J Dilla, arranged and conducted by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and featuring a plethora of guest appearance, from Bilal, Dwele, Shafiq Husayn, Illa J, Amp Fiddler, Talib Kweli, Posdnuos from De La Soul, and others. Dilla's music is taken to new heights and depths with the orchestral arrangements that are perhaps easier to overlook when trainspotting for samples and beat constructions. The performance ably demonstrates both the complexity of Dilla's craft and the way the tunes swing heavier than a wrecking ball, covering both hits and obscurities from his own catalogue and his deep well of productions for other artists. It's an essential addition to any Dilla fan's collection, and it rivals similar recordings by the likes of David Axelrod and Charles Stepney in its gorgeous fusion of baroque orchestral flourish with deep grooving funk. [IQ]

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  ARTHUR VEROCAI
Mochilla Presents Timeless
(Mochilla)

"Yègellé Tezeta" Mulatu Astatke

Brazilian composer/arranger/musician Arthur Verocai's set had him conducting a 30-piece orchestra including heavies like Airto Moreira, Ivan Conti, and Carlos Dafe, and was the first time Verocai had performed his self-titled 1972 debut solo album in its entirety, along with eight other pieces he'd written and arranged contemporaneously. The music is sublime, filled with lilting melodies, lush strings and horns, and a subtle samba soul groove that fills the concert hall and intoxicates the listener as the players stretch the tunes out with added solo turns and extended interludes. The new material fits in quite nicely with the songs from his classic debut, and Verocai's humble, quiet presence onstage can't hide his gratitude, astonishment, and above all, his craft. This set was the dark horse of the series, its understatement unable to hide the powerful music presented that evening. [IQ]

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  MULATU ASTATKE
Mochilla Presents Timeless
(Mochilla)

"Yegelle Tezeta"
"Yekermo Sew"

Ethiopian vibesman and bandleader Mulatu Astatke's concert saw him perform a repertoire of classic songs from his 30-plus-year career along with new tunes written for the occasion with a band including jazz heavyweights like Phil Ranelin and Bennie Maupin. He thrives in a live setting, letting his grooves breathe while giving the players ample solo space and a bit of improvisational leeway. It's an absolute trip to hear the tunes documented on the early Ethiopiques volumes performed like the hits they deserve to be, and hearing the crowd go nuts for them is even more smile-inducing.

All three CD editions also include the DVDs of their respective concerts, though it should be noted that the LP editions do not. The recordings of the concerts are top-notch, both in quality of material and sound. If you were hesitant to grab the set while it was available, these individual volumes are more easily digestible servings of some of the most beautiful, soulful documents of live music released this year. [IQ]

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  SUFJAN STEVENS
All Delighted People EP
(Asthmatic Kitty)

Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store

Originally a digital-only EP (only SS releases hour-long EPs), now available to fans of old-fashioned formats, this came out earlier this year not long before The Age of Adz. But with eight exclusive tracks and the extensive running time, this is far from an odds-and-sods type release. All Delighted People kicks off with an epic, 11-and-a-half-minute title track which twists and turns around a dense orchestral arrangement and a soaring choir. (A "Classic Rock" version of the song is reprised later.) Other highlights include the gorgeous funereal ballad, "The Owl and the Tanager," and the 17-minute-long "Djohariah," a heady slow-burner that takes its time to crescendo, with a pretty great, lengthy guitar solo juxtaposed against a lovely chorus of voices.

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  VARIOUS ARTISTS
Dirty Water: The Birth of Punk Attitude
(Year Zero)

"Dirty Water" The Standells
"Nadir's Big Chance" Peter Hammill

Kris Needs (formerly of the ZigZag 'zine) approached this collection like the DJ he is, selecting tracks that spring from a similar emotion whether or not they can be tied together in a straight line. The subtitle is The Birth of Punk Attitude, and Needs includes more expected artists like MC5, Deviants, Monks, Stooges, Suicide, New York Dolls and Dictators alongside initially surprising, but equally essential proto-punks like Culture, Sun Ra, Gene Vincent, the Silhouettes ("Get a Job"), the Last Poets, Mott the Hoople, and David Peel and the Lower East Side. It's a massive two-CD set with an extensive booklet, and if you love that Dirty Water like we do, check it out.

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  DEADMAU5
4X4 = 12
(Ultra)

"Some Chords"
"Cthulhu Sleeps"

Over the past year or so this young Canadian has become ubiquitous in the "mainstream" dance scene, from DJing the VMAs to plastering that big-eared evil mouse logo from here to the moon. While that's just the sort of flash that generally turns off our customers, if you've heard Joel Zimmerman's music, it's not so easy to write him off, and it is increasingly hard to deny those who say he is changing the face of dance music. The elements of his tracks are nothing new: straight pulsing rhythms, a couple of drops, and layered synth hooks. But those hooks are usually unforgettable, simple, powerful and melodic, and he skillfully and respectfully draws on everything from trance to dubstep to hip-hop to color his tunes. This new album will read more like a hits collection to the heads, as half of the tracks have been live staples and club hits for a year or more, but it is a great listen from start to finish for fans and newbies alike -- Deadmau5 brings a party, but also crafts some pretty stunning compositions, and the record is a blast.

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  JIM SULLIVAN
U.F.O.
(Light in the Attic)

"Jerome"
"Highways"

Okay, first things first. This is not the same fella as "Big" Jim Sullivan, who was a British session musician also known as Lord Sitar and who's responsible for some of the world's most wicked licks on such classic albums as Gainsbourg's Histoire De Melody Nelson, the Walker Bros' Nite Flights, and a little ditty known as "The James Bond Theme." No, this is a record made by a Los Angeles singer/songwriter and guitarist who quite literally became lost in the peripherals of the Hollywood machine. As detailed in this reissue's excellent, detailed liner notes, in 1975 Sullivan was en route to Nashville to begin work as a session musician but he never completed the trip; his car, wallet and guitar were discovered un-tampered in New Mexico, and to this day no other trace of Sullivan has ever been found. Rumors and conspiracies developed; one such theory explaining his disappearance was his abduction by a UFO, and this debut album was perhaps the main piece of evidence fueling that particular fire. A privately pressed Frankensteined beast of Sunset Strip folk and psychedelic orchestral funk, UFO finally sees the widespread reissue it deserves courtesy Light in the Attic -- it was actually reissued once before in a drastically remixed form not long after its initial release, but that version also vanished rather quickly.

The music on UFO is extraordinary. Sullivan, backed by LA's famous Wrecking Crew of session giants, ably combines the sort of troubadour bluesy folk of artists like Gene Clark, Gram Parsons, or Fred Neil circa Everybody's Talkin', but backed by the dark, sparse chamber funk of David Axelrod. Imagine Rotary Connection covering "Wichita Lineman" and you're on the right track. Sullivan's in good voice, and his lyrics ache with the desolate tones of a man who knows he's a loner, but who is grasping for a tenderness which is just at the tips of his calloused fingers. He eerily foreshadows his own fate in so many of the album's songs that it gives the record a retrospective heaviness that is impossible to ignore. It's one of those LPs that really does sound like it should have been much, much bigger than the short shrift it was dealt, and if you dig the likes of Tim Buckley, the Burrito Brothers, or Terry Callier -- preferably all at the same time -- you need to hear this ASAP. I don't fall prey to the private press diamond in the rough trap very often, but this is the real deal. It deserves your full attention, and as the autumn days turn gray and the colors on the landscape start to fade, it's just you and Jim as he beams his beautiful blues down from some faraway star. Give the man some of the love he deserved way back when. He'll pay you back with interest.

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  WASHED OUT
Life of Leisure
(Mexican Summer)

"New Theory"
"Lately"

There's been a good deal of buzz surrounding Ernest Green's Washed Out project, and deservedly so. In the humble opinion of this listener, Green is responsible for what is one of the most effortlessly refreshing, infectious records of the past year or two. Back in August of 2009, Mexican Summer released Life of Leisure solely in the digital format -- not surprisingly, catching the attention of the hyperactive blog community -- and a few months later issued the EP on vinyl, which sold out of a few pressings. It wasn't until very recently that Life of Leisure was finally issued on CD, and now we're happy to have the LP version back on our shelves for vinyl buyers who might have might have missed out before.

Much has been made of Green's music; Pitchfork described it as "bedroom synthpop that sounds blurred and woozily evocative, like someone smeared Vaseline all over an early OMD demo tape," and that's not far off. Another way to sum up tracks like "New Theory" and "Hold Out" might be to say this is what Cut Copy might sound like if they intended to soundtrack 5AM instead of 1AM. Some tracks wallow in a sweet teen nostalgia, a John Hughes movie feeling that you'll always be safe, protected in a cocoon of hazy, high daydreams and good friends, while the world outside your window is for nothing if not benign mischief, all night adventures and romantic discovery. Ultimately, it all inevitably leads to watching the sun come up over a bright and smoggy LA morning. Yes, Washed Out is evocative of such a world.

"New Theory" is a make-out jam for the ages, and will fit snugly on the crush mixtape of my mind with "Crimson & Clover" and Martin Rev's "Mari." "You'll See It" is, like many tracks here, somehow able to be epic in under three minutes, sounding like Panda Bear collaborating with the Dial or Kompakt guys. Meanwhile, though it's clear Green has an ear for hip-hop -- "Get Up" might appeal to fans of Flying Lotus or J Dilla, and his low-fi approach to recording/sampling is not worlds away from Madlib -- and equally has an ear for leftfield dance tracks, he doesn't pick style over song. Sure, there are traces of classic electronic pop, Hacienda-era club jams, '80s movie theme atmospherics and wonky hip-hop, but he doesn't let genre dictate. Which is part of what makes Life of Leisure such a perfect listen, and such a lovely narcotic. Here's hoping there's much more where this came from. [AGe]

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THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS

[AB] Adrian Burkholder
[SG] Simon Gabriel
[AGe] Alexis Georgopoulos
[DG] Daniel Givens
[[IQ] Mikey IQ Jones
[DM] Doug Mosurock
[SM] Scott Mou
[JS] Jeremy Sponder



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