January 27, 2010

		FEATURED NEW RELEASES Ngozi Family Strong Arm Steady Beach House Four Tet Real Estate (Limited 12") Yays & Nays Minimal Wave Tapes Volume 1 (Various) The Drums Charlotte Gainsbourg Magnetic Fields Animal Collective Retribution Gospel Choir Good God! Born Again Funk (Various) Bird Show Band Electric Cambodia (Various) The Editors Fucked Up Muslimgauze   Yuka Honda Tormentors ALSO AVAILABLE Broken Bells 7" Clipd Beaks Pit Er Pat Chicago Underground Duo Scout Niblett Royal Trux Casual Victim Pile (Various) My Brightest Diamond (Remixes) Red Krayola with Arts & Language Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/othermusic

		SOFT PACK ALBUM PRE-ORDER = PERKS You probably remember when we were all raving about these guys a few years ago, back when they were called the Muslims, but with a new band name and a proper label behind them, the Soft Pack's self-titled album debut hits stores next Tuesday, February 2nd, out on Kemado Records. But if you buy the record from us between now (we're taking pre-orders both in the shop and on our website) and next Friday, February 5th, you'll be GUARANTEED ENTRY to their free midnight performance at the Cake Shop on Friday, February 5th, along with a bonus poster and 7", while supplies last. (All customers including those making their purchase off the web will have to come by the shop on Tuesday or after to pick up their CD, poster and 45.) $11.99 CD Pre-order $14.99 LP Pre-order

		FEB Sun 31 Mon 01 Tues 02 Wed 03 Thurs 04 Fri 05 Sat 06 Carl Craig   WIN TICKETS TO UNSOUND FESTIVAL NEW YORK FEATURING CARL CRAIG & NSI. As part of Unsound Festival New York, running February 4-14 at venues in Manhattan and Brooklyn, Detroit techno icon Carl Craig and Berlin duo nsi. (Tobias Freund and Max Loderbauer) will descend upon Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater to play live soundtracks to two Andy Warhol films. Craig will take on Blow Job, and nsi. will play along with Kiss -- both acts armed with analog gear and a mandate to modernize two seminal underground films that flicker richly in the present. We've got a pair of tickets to give away, courtesy of The Film Society of Lincoln Center and Unsound. Just email giveaway@othermusic.com. We'll notify the lucky winner on Monday, February 1st. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5 WALTER READE THEATER: 165 W. 65th St 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 any of 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. "GIVEHAITI" Subports is also gathering donations for the Hatian relief effort, with all proceeds going to Doctors Without Borders, who are providing deeply needed medical treatment for the country. Because a Subports user's credit card is already on file and will be charged (not a cell phone bill), your donation will reach the charity almost immediately. Donate $10: Text "givehaiti10" to 767825 Donate $20: Text "givehaiti20" to 767825 Donate $50: Text "givehaiti50" to 767825 Donate $100: Text "givehaiti100" to 767825 Donate $150: Text "givehaiti150" to 767825

		$24.99 CD   NGOZI FAMILY 45,000 Volts (No Smoke) "Nizaka Panga Ngozi" "Hold On" Last year, a record called My Ancestors by a group of Zambian Afro-rockers named Chrissy Zebby Tembo & Ngozi Family took damn near everyone here at Other Music by surprise. The album combined a lean, loping grooviness with chunky stoner-rock riffage and some classic Mushmouth-meets-Ozzy vocal stylings. It wormed its way onto damn near everyone's staff picks list and remained an end-of-the-year favorite. Just when we thought it was safe to leave the boneyard, No Smoke Records unleashes ANOTHER slice of Zambian damage, this time by the Ngozi Family minus Zebby Tembo -- while Chrissy's inimitable voice was one of the key ingredients that made My Ancestors so unforgettable, it was ultimately down to Ngozi's tight interplay to hold the proceedings together. I'm also not afraid to admit that as much as I LOVE that Zebby Tembo album, 45,000 Volts might actually be an even more ass-kicking record. What we lose in cartoon frontmen, we gain in clearer production, tighter grooves, and thicker riffage. Guitarist and frontman Paul Ngozi keeps his damn phaseshifter on for nearly the entire record, and the constant wah-wah laser damage adds a deep layer of oddity that many Afro-rock records lack; his vocals are soulful and enthralling, and yes, the heavy Sabbath damage returns, most prominently on highlight "Night of Fear." You know things are gonna jam hard before the album even starts just by scanning the damn sleeve; the cover, with its fist grasping a heavy bolt of lightning, and an opening declaration of "Everything Is Over"... well, you know you're in for a treat, now don't you? If you managed to snag a copy of My Ancestors and flipped your wig even a fraction of the amount we all did, you'd be wise to pick this gem up as well. If you missed out on Zebby and need some sludgy Afro-rock damage, you know what to do. I think you know where this is leading, folks... AFRO-JAM OF THE WEEK! [IQ] Order CD by Texting "omcdngozi45000" to 767825

		$14.99 CD $9.99 MP3   STRONG ARM STEADY In Search of Stoney Jackson (Stones Throw) "Pressure" "Bark Like a Dog" In Search of Stoney Jackson is the long-anticipated album from Cali's legendary Strong Arm Steady, with production by the one and only Madlib. For a little history, Strong Arm Steady is a storied West Coast collective of eight MCs who came together in the '90s as an alternative to Death Row's gang-affiliated hip-hop, and who made a name for themselves in the underground as mixtape pioneers. But it's all these years later that In Search of Stoney Jackson arrives and ups the ante for all of hip-hop, with Madlib's soulful production and the three core MCs (Krondon, Phil Da Agony, and Mitchy Slick) perfecting their flow on every track. Without a radio-friendly pop song in the bunch, and backed by some of Madlib's best production ever, this album screams instant classic. Take "Best of Times," a soulful, uplifting track with a guest spot from Phonte (of Little Brother). It is a stunning opener with a killer beat, an amazing R&B hook, and an all-around good message. Another highlight, "Get Started" is a gritty underground club jam that transports you back to the early '90s, and features a guest spot from NY's own Talib Kweli. It is just one of those songs that will have you nodding your head in no time. And another cut not to be missed, "Pressure" is a dirty track that recalls the glory days of NY's own Def Jux, and reminds me of something off Cannibal Ox's debut. Yeah, it's that good! It is going to be extremely hard to beat In Search of Stoney Jackson as hip-hop album of the year. Play this one loud, because it is truly, utterly essential! [JS] Order CD by Texting "omcdstrongin" to 767825

		$14.99 CD +DVD $19.99 LP+DVD+MP3   BEACH HOUSE Teen Dream (Sub Pop) "Norway" "Zebra" I never thought I'd be calling my number one record of 2010 before the year was even a month old, but I think this may be it. The Baltimore-based duo of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally have long been one of the most underrated bands on the pop circuit, churning out one near-perfect "dream pop" album after another, but Teen Dream, the group's third full-length and first for indie heavyweight Sub Pop, is sure to be their breakout. Just the other day, I heard someone remark that Beach House paved the way for the recent tropical pop frenzy, and while the actual roots obviously stretch decades back, there is some truth to this -- their self-titled debut on Carpark, which turned the heads of peers and critics alike, defined itself with lazy, sun-kissed drifts of guitar, slow-burning organ, and a lethargic drum machine which sounded like the digital tide coming in. How naive we were to think that these first two albums, minimal as they were, sounded full! With Chris Coady (TV on the Radio, Grizzly Bear) behind the boards on Teen Dream, the band's inherent sonic potential is fully realized, and the results are jaw-dropping. This flawless production, combined with a stronger overall vision and elevated level of songwriting, ironically reveals Teen Dream to be less hazy and far more dynamic than its predecessors, an energetic and cohesive album of ambitious shoegazey pop. Although it's impossible not to play the entire record on repeat, there are songs so heart-wrenching and womblike that they warrant obsession. The cathartic soon-to-be-hit "Walk in the Park" is among the most bittersweet pop songs ever written, bravely beautiful despite its cruelly realistic narrative on heartbreak, with insistent bleeding-heart organ and a teardrop guitar melody. The delicate tune perfectly explodes with glistening guitar and Legrand's aching voice, which vows, "In a matter of time, it will slip from my mind." One of the most compelling aspects of Teen Dream is its wounded strength, which Beach House embody not with a sulky sob, but a phoenix-like grandiosity as visceral and infinite as heartbreak itself. During last night's record release party at Brooklyn's Bell House, amongst illuminated furry Q-Tip sculptures, Legrand snarled into the microphone and headbanged over her organ, her voluminous hair cascading dramatically over the microphone, while Scally fought his guitar to the death, wringing out a flurry of soaring notes. Although earlier comparisons to the Cocteau Twins and Mazzy Star still hold truth, Beach House has resurfaced harnessing a primitive energy that has caused their hypnotic chill-ballads to evolve into thrilling pop that shimmers with life. The package includes a DVD of original music videos for each song, including one directed by Legrand herself. It's been a good long while since I heard a record that I would recommend to any man, woman or child -- Teen Dream will get under your skin. [KS] Order CD by Texting "omcdbeachteen" to 767825 Order LP by Texting "omlpbeachteen" to 767825

		$14.99 CD $9.99 MP3   FOUR TET There Is Love in You (Domino) "Plastic People" "This Unfolds" There Is Love in You marks a change in direction for Kieran Hebden's work as Four Tet. From the 4/4 bass thump of the opener "Angel Echoes," you get a sense that Hebden's sights are set on the dance floor. More focused on the groove that on his previous albums, the pulse of house and techno bubble underneath this outing; the shimmering, sparkling, playfully yet carefully crafted layers of synth chimes, vocal snippets, and warm bass here reference his limited split 12" with Burial. Perhaps that project opened Hebden to new ways of creating music, incorporating new elements into his process. The first half of the album swings, kicks, and punches the dance reference to the forefront, while the latter half feels more like an update of the indie-tronica he has been working since the dawn of this century. And yet throughout, he seems to work with a larger palette for his colorful and at times splashy arrangements, moving like dance music, but possessing a depth and varied sonic awareness. This definitely feels like the freshest record he's made since Rounds. Fans of Kompakt, FaltyDL, or new-schoolers like Joy Orbison and Sigha may be surprised at how well this one fits alongside. A li'l changeup is always good in the ever-morphing world of electronic music. [DG] Order CD by Texting "omcdfourthere" to 767825

		$19.99 LP+MP3   REAL ESTATE Reality EP (Mexican Summer) I have to say that I was impressed by Real Estate's recent album on Woodsist; it really captured that lazy, slacker indie vibe. But while a lot of contemporary groups in this vein are more reliant on good drugs than good tunes, Real Estate also add a welcome dose of great playing and songwriting to the mix, pushing the band well ahead of the crowd. Call me crazy, but I liken their sound to some of the dreamiest Pavement songs, but in a contemporary setting and without being imitative. On their limited edition 12" for Mexican Summer (complete with a download code), the boys have managed to make a six-song collection of even more laidback, breezier tunes that add a bit of late Yo La Tengo (via extended, flowing instrumental parts) and Brightblack Morning Light (via heavy-lidded, floating/lingering melodies) to their already effortlessly ambient/melodic, quasi-countrified/ever-so-slightly twangy indie rock sound. The way these songs flow, this stuff can go on for days without ever feeling long-winded or urgent. Feels like spring is right around the corner. (It isn't.) [SM] Order LP by Texting "omlprealreality" to 767825

		$24.99 CD   YAYS & NAYS Yays & Nays (Groovie) "Nature Is My Mother" "Take It Easy, Baby" Here's a super cool reissue of a private press LP from 1968. For those of you that speak underground psych morse code, the Yays & Nays album got 6 stars in one of the Hans Pokora books (which means it's mega rare!) and is featured in the Acid Archives bible of psych/folk/garage obscurities. The group was made up of three ladies and three dudes who look, and occasionally sound, like Lee Hazlewood, and the music is a strange and intriguing mix of dreamy, Mamas & the Papas/Free Design-inspired lounge pop (the vocal harmonizing on here is top notch), Incredibly Strange Music-style exotica and a few inexplicable and out of place garage rock rippers ("Gotta Keep Travelling" is a superb Pebbles raver). Even the lyrics are right on, with a healthy dose of irony and social commentary. A truly multi-faceted album that almost plays like a musical, although I'm sure that's by accident. One of the best, strangest trips I've been on lately. I give it five Yays and zero Nays. 500 copies only. [AK] Order CD by Texting "omcdyaysyays" to 767825

		$14.99 CD $9.99 MP3   VARIOUS ARTISTS Minimal Wave Tapes: Volume 1 (Stones Throw) "Radiance" Oppenheimer Analysis "Just Because" Martin Dupont Many longtime Update readers know that one of our favorite labels is a small operation called Minimal Wave based here in NYC. Specializing in obscure but always interesting synth-based bands from around the world who keep things sleek, stripped down, and heavily stylized, Minimal Wave has over the course of its five-year lifespan unearthed some classic jams which would have otherwise languished forever in obscurity. Nearly all releases on the label have been high-quality vinyl-only products with lavishly designed, hand-numbered sleeves, and many of these LPs have now sold out their small pressings. Stones Throw, seeing the undisputable floor-rocking potential of much of Minimal Wave's output, have seen fit to issue a top-flight compilation of 14 sweaty, ice-cold bangers from many of the best releases of the label's first few years of existence. Considering how precise and laser-focused the imprint's signature sound tends to be, The Minimal Wave Tapes covers a lot of sonic ground, always centered around some kind of pulsating machine groove which paved the way for the revolutionary sounds of the Chicago and Detroit House scenes, but often mixed with 80s new wave and even goth flavors. Highlights are many, but personal favorites include the acid-squelch new romantic croon of Mark Lane's "Who's Really Listening," the steam-powered barbed-wire bounce of "Flying Turns" by Crash Course in Science (one of my all time favorite bands!), Deux's "Game & Performance," which makes over Kraftwerk's robot models in eyeliner and Liquid Sky day-glo facepaint, and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop noir-pop of Somnambulist's "Things I Was Due to Forget." The liner notes include info and photos on all of the artists, and the package is once again stunningly designed by Minimal Wave label boss Veronica Vasicka. If you've always been curious about the label's product but have been too intimidated to dive in, this is the perfect sampler to whet your appetite. If you're a beathead simply looking for a new groove -- and taking a look at the increasingly robotic, new wave-influenced sound many pop, R&B and beat producers have been moving in, it's not terribly far fetched -- this collection provides plenty of new grooves to lock into. Cheers to Stones Throw for continuing to branch out into new territory, connecting the dots between the increasingly eclectic mindsets of the new school of DJ and producer. Highest recommendation!! [IQ] Order CD by Texting "omcdvariousminimal" to 767825

		$6.99 CD   THE DRUMS Summertime! (Holiday) "Let's Go Surfing" "Down by the Water" I can't tell you how happy I am that we FINALLY have enough copies of the Drums' debut mini-LP, Summertime, to be able to feature it in the Update. The Drums have been tearing the blogs up since mid-2009, and have quickly become New York's most buzzed about indie-pop band, garnering fans worldwide with their songs and converting the masses with their stellar live shows. Their faces (and phenomenal '80s hair) have been on the cover of the NME, and they have been touted as 2010's best new band, resulting in a furious worldwide tour and an A&R bidding frenzy. Well, what does the album sound like? Summertime is a gloriously joyous romp through C86 pop and the early Factory and Postcard Records sounds. Think the Wake, the Smiths, Orange Juice and contemporaries like Tough Alliance, Legends, and pretty much any band on Slumberland. "Don't Be a Jerk, Jonny" is probably the most twee track that I've heard in a long time; with its Casio drum beat, boy/girl vocal, and ultra-catchy chorus, it brings a smile to my face every time it comes on the iPod. "Let's Go Surfing" is a sunny California jam that evokes the Wake at their best -- it's a great tune, and the obvious single that has had the masses drooling since it was released. Summertime is filled with seven great songs that will have you longing for fun times, ocean waves, and summer sun. This one is self-released, so pick it up before it's gone and you have to scour eBay for a copy. Don't say I didn't tell you so. [JS] Order CD by Texting "omcddrumssummertime" to 767825

		$13.99 CD $24.99 LPx2   CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG IRM (Because) "IRM" "In the End" Had Charlotte Gainsbourg decided to wait a few more years before making IRM, no one could have blamed her. Consider that it took 20 years for the actress and sometime singer to follow-up her debut album Charlotte for Ever (produced by her father, Serge Gainsbourg) with 2006's 5:55, and then factor in an almost fatal cerebral hemorrhage she suffered a year later following a water skiing accident, fans surely would have forgiven her had she needed a longer break. The first clue, however, that her near death experience served as a point of inspiration for this record lies in the album title, IRM -- the French term for an MRI. Perhaps it was fate then that Beck would turn out to be the perfect creative partner for this album; one of the earliest lyrics he wrote for Gainsbourg was "drill my head full of holes," unbeknownst of her accident at the time, the line literally described the emergency surgical procedure that saved her. Like Air, Jarvis Cocker and Neil Hannon, all 5:55 contributors, Beck is also a Serge acolyte, but as the primary songwriter and producer for IRM, he provides a much broader range of sounds, moods and styles for Charlotte's gentle melodies and spoken word. IRM's first two songs are strangely surreal picks to kick off an album. Opener "Master's Hands" skirts along a metronomic beat with spring-tight guitars and banjo playing off of Gainsbourg's breathy cadence, the only tension provided by the appearance of jarring tom-tom drums that finally punch open a hole allowing the spectral strings to come swooping in. The second cut, the title track, is even darker and more economic; the taut bass guitar and drums play against the rhythmic whirrs from a recording of an actual MRI scan, Gainsbourg eerily detached as if she herself were lying underneath the machine, her soft-spoken/sung descriptions moving from scientific ("From the cortex to medulla/Analyze EKG") to what might have been her very own scared, stream-of-consciousness thoughts during the procedure ("Can you see a memory?"). The album quickly shifts moods afterwards, however, the cinematic string work in "Le Chat Du Café Des Artistes" (arranged by Beck's father David Campbell) evoking memories of Jean-Claude Vannier's own orchestrations for Serge Gainsbourg while Charlotte's melodies, sung and spoken in French, assure the listener of her family lineage, as if there were any doubt. Moments later we find her pondering life's final days during the beautiful bittersweet folk of "In the End," a song that is unmistakably a Beck production bringing to mind his Sea Change album. Though a brush with death certainly hangs over IRM, it doesn't weight it down. Over the playful boogie of "Dandelion," Charlotte proclaims in a sultry voice, "I'll take my time before I go under the ground," and it's impossible not to take her duet with Beck in the Beatles-esque duet, "Heaven Can Wait," as a song of triumph. After several listens to IRM, you can't help but wonder who got the better end of the deal -- Beck for discovering his musical muse in the progeny of a man so influential to his work, or Charlotte herself, for finding a creative tour de force who has given a depth and range to her work that she hadn't known thus far, and allowed her to truly come into her own as a musician, as she long ago did as an actress. That premise alone seems very Gainsbourgian, and one is left with the impression that this won't be the last time that these two will be collaborating. [GH] Order CD by Texting "omcdcharlotteirm" to 767825 Order LP by Texting "omlpcharlotteirm" to 767825

		$16.99 CD   MAGNETIC FIELDS Realism (Nonesuch) "Walk a Lonely Road" "The Dada Polka" I'll admit, it's been more than a few years since I've paid close attention to what Stephin Merritt's been up to; I'd heard many of his 69 Love Songs played so frequently in coffee shops, commercials and even the confines of my roommate's bedroom, that I'd simply been overfed. When he released 2008's Distortion, a tribute of sorts to Jesus & Mary Chain noise-gate Spector pop, it piqued my curiosity, but it's that record's companion, Realism, that has brought me back around. The first album that the longtime New Yorker has recorded since moving to his new hometown of Los Angeles, Realism is Distortion's conceptual flipside -- entirely acoustic (all ukes, strings, toy pianos and harpsichords, small hand drums, and a taste of horns here and there), and allegedly inspired by the kaleidoscopic production sound of the UK folk scene and singers like Judy Collins and Judy Henske. And the album is quite possibly Merritt's best since 69 Love Songs (though it should be noted that my personal favorite Merritt album without question is the Magnetic Fields' Holiday LP). Realism's 13 songs are concise, catchy, and balance quite nicely Merritt's biting wit, heavy love of pastiche, and the deep undercurrents of melancholy that made his triple-album opus' highlights so enduring. Nothing here feels like a throwaway, the album maintains an eclecticism that keeps the record surprising and fresh, and everyone's vocals are in top form -- in other words, it's pretty much everything you'd want from a Magnetic Fields album. Do the right thing and get real! [IQ] Order CD by Texting "omcdmagneticrealism" to 767825

		$13.99 CD   ANIMAL COLLECTIVE Campfire Songs (Paw Tracks) "Doggy" "Moo Rah Rah Rain" Now that B'more-bred Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion has been deemed the leading sonic work of the times by the Village Voice's Pazz 'n' Jop poll and anointed throughout the past year in an endless procession of hipster-bait rags, it doubtless seemed the move to begin reflecting on the group's back pages via the reissue of Campfire Songs. Oddly, Campfire Songs, originally released on Catsup Plate -- one of two recordings dropped by them in 2003 -- had gone out of print. Thus this reissue, on the group's own Paw Tracks label, comes off as a rare relic of the relative salad days of Panda Bear, Avey Tare, and Deakin -- recorded as it was (in 2001) on the long-forgotten mini-disc player (plied by Geologist). The disc's stark, rockin'-on-the-porch psych represents a quite different aspect of their aesthetic journey. The five hushed and subtly shifting songs herein offer the opportunity to experiment with how far out one can go hanging on the supposed limitations of three guitars, pastoral atmospherics, and unvarnished harmonies. You can't dance to it but, for all the lyrical darkness, you could trip to the mystic. [KCH] Order CD by Texting "omcdanimalcampfire" to 767825

		$13.99 CD $15.99 LPx2+MP3   RETRIBUTION GOSPEL CHOIR 2 (Sub Pop) "Workin' Hard" "Hide It Away" Low's Alan Sparhawk leads this power trio (minus Mark Kozelek for the long haul), and quite a surprise to these ears: heritage classic rock, big as gods themselves. Big sky production, heart-on-sleeve delivery, earnest lyrics ... it's taken too long for the Bachman-Turner Overdrive revival (thank the Constantines for kicking that off) to take hold, but hopefully Retribution Gospel Choir can carry the torch -- if "Workin' Hard" is any indication, they are truckin' right. There's room for power ballads, including the epic "Electric Guitar," and maudlin blues like "Poor Man's Daughter" which might not sound out of place on a Pentagram record. Carefully-rehearsed vocal harmonies cap off this breadbasket set of sweeping gestures and fist-pumping FM rock. [DM] Order CD by Texting "omcdretribution2" to 767825 Order LP by Texting "omlpretribution2" to 767825

		$17.99 CD $9.99 MP3   VARIOUS ARTISTS Good God! Born Again Funk (Numero Group) "Yes God Is Real" Gospel Comforters "Like a Ship" Pastor TL Barrett & the Youth for Christ Choir The Numero Group brain trust does it again with this stunning collection of excavated holy rollers, bringin' the funk shrouded in the scintillating raiment of faith. For this southern scholar and embryonic sacred artist, Good God! Born Again Funk is a vital watershed in process of kenning how singers and pickers in the Spirit evolved after the mid-century continuum linking the Elder Utah Smith, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sun Ra, Sam Cooke, and Sly Stone. Following from the label's prior blues hymnal drop, this anthology delves deeper into the Jesus freaky-deak made possible somewhere between the twin peaks of Edwin Hawkins' bum-rush of the secular pop charts with "Oh Happy Day" in 1969 and those canyon rockers of the Byrds having been reconnected with their inner holiness courtesy of that transformative God-and-Devil-fearing country boy Gram Parsons. And this assembly of sanctified soul stirrers such as Ada Richards, Sacred Four, and James Austin & the St. Luke COGIC Youth Choir -- although well overshadowed by the 1970s leading lights of sacred-to-secular crossover like Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Donny Hathaway, and newly-deceased Teddy Pendergrass, as well as the last of gospel's golden age embodied by Tramaine Hawkins -- never disappoints. When the electric piano and sleigh bells ring in over an almost ghostly rhythm section on disc opener "Like a Ship," by Pastor T. L. Barrett & the Youth For Christ Choir, it's hard to tell whether one's listening to an artifact from 1971 or one of the myriad collectives that rose from the ashes of freak-folk over 2009 -- think Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros -- re-emerged from a burning bush somewhere in the vicinity of Gram's rock at Joshua Tree with a true understanding of magic. Seamlessly, the stunning and delicate "Like a Ship" could serve as soundtrack at any artistic assembly room from Eagle Rock to Bushwick, but is far more deserving of a Carnegie Hall audience should the Choir's members be still above ground. The lovely lyric that begins with "Just like a ship...without a sail / [...] / I sailed for pleasure, but I found pain / I looked for sunshine...but I found rain..." is delivered with a yearning and purity that outstrips all on the contemporary R&B and Sunday Best circuits, the tune a fitting reminder of the storied dimensions of then-rising Midwest funk that trailed the Parliaments' acid freakout at the Motor City's United Sound and little Michael Jackson's explosion from Gary. It seems no accident that Chi-Town prodigal Barrett, who apprenticed on keys at the Village Gate, drew unto his Mt. Zion Church flock such local visionaries as EWF magus of Egyptian mystery religion Maurice White, Sun Ra/African Heritage Ensemble luminary Phil Cohran (whose eight sons in Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are now bringing vestiges of this sonic moment to the Gran Manzana), and Hathaway -- plus his famed pickin' sideman Phil Upchurch and assorted Chess players who appeared on the "Like a Ship" recordings proper. Pastor Barrett's definitely a master composer who deserves wider recognition and study. Still, the Mysteries keep flowing throughout this disc: the Gospel Comforters' "Yes God is Real" interrogates then-current JB creolized sounds from Bamako, Accra, and Lagos; "If Jesus Came Today" by Gospel Soul Revivals makes a case for disco potency as late as 1983; there's Brother Samuel Cheatham's visceral, otherworldly falsetto screams all over that great composer Traditional's goin' up yonder ode "Troubles of the World," and on and on. John Legend's surprising fourth wall-and-safety zone smashing of "Motherless Child" and Justin Timberlake's gorgeous, humbled reading of "Hallelujah" (viva Charlie Sexton!) during last week's Haiti telethon suggest Good God! is making its (re)appearance in the early stages of another amazing revival of sacred sounds. People, can you feel it? [KCH] Order CD by Texting "omcdvariousgood" to 767825

		$14.99 CD $9.99 MP3   BIRD SHOW BAND Bird Show Band (Amish) "Quintet One" "Quartet" Like a baby chick learning to fly, Ben Vida's Bird Show project stretches its wings to journey into new territory. Gone are the days of the solo, ecstatic vocal and minimal modern classical references of his earlier records. On the latest release, now dubbed the Bird Show Band, Vida and crew tap into the synthesizer work of Cluster and Sun Ra with nice results. The record is constructed from improv jam sessions recorded in Chicago, then mixed by Vida in Brooklyn. The band consist of fellow Town and Country member, bassist Josh Abrams, Tortoise's John Herdon and Dan Bitney on drums, and keyboards from Jim Baker, with Vida finding joy in his Moog Voyager synth. The overall sound is rich yet resistant and restrained, a less-is-more approach. A web of Krautrock meets jazz-fusion finesse, from vibrant solo synth passages to more rolling quintet jams -- four of the songs are simply titled Quintet (One-Four). Since his work with Town and Country, Vida has continuously drawn inspiration from the beauty of minimalism, a touch of post-rock, and a love of free jazz's swing. This could have been a whole new project of its own, yet including it in the Bird Show catalogue shows the expansiveness of Vida's imagination. Best jazz-not-jazz record I've heard in awhile. Nice one! [DG] Order CD by Texting "omcdbirdbird" to 767825

		$13.99 CD   VARIOUS ARTISTS Dengue Fever Presents: Electric Cambodia (Minky) "Flowers in the Pond" Ros Sereysothea "Snaheha" Pan Ron In 1975, Cambodia's leftist political party, the Khmer Rouge, took control of the country and instituted sweeping radical reforms, aimed at returning the entire populace to an agriculturally-based Communist system. Among numerous, often brutal new policies, Western-tinged music was deemed subversive and capitalist, and the musicians who attempted to make it were amongst the first to be swallowed by the Khmer genocide. Along with millions of their countrymen and women, the lives and the promise of once-celebrated Cambodian pop starlets Pan Ron and Ros Sereysothea were lost, their thrilling musical legacies left to a precious few smuggled cassette tapes that made it out of the country. These mythical ghost tapes are lost treasures of the jungle, and they make up the invigorating and heartbreaking Electric Cambodia, which was compiled by Los Angeles' Dengue Fever, whose own sound is a subtly updated version of this golden age of Cambodian pop. The bulk of the disc is weighted towards the music of Ron and Sereysothea, who claim 12 of the 14 tracks and define the style and sound of the pre-Khmer period. Bouncy electric pianos and organs echo the influence of Jamaican and Caribbean sounds, while snappy electric guitars shrug off pub-rock blooze, psychedelic solos, and soul snap. The American pop influence is most blatant during Ron's "Snaeha," which cops, note for note, the tremolo guitar intro and structure of Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang." In light of the political climate and fate of the artist, the song takes on a heavier double meaning and sounds more like an elegy than it was ever meant to. For me though, the most enchanting songs belong to Sereysothea, who mastered the technique of ghost voicing, in which the singer effectively skips between octaves during a lyric, giving the impression of a very charming and hooky hiccup. Perhaps the spookiest song, and the one that sums up the period better than any other, is the druggy, romantic instrumental "Hope to Meet You," which goes hauntingly un-credited in the liner notes. That no one will ever know who recorded the jam is a testament to the effectiveness of the Khmer regime. The scarcity and diminished integrity of existing tapes means a sacrifice in fidelity across the whole compilation, but the unrestrained zeal of the near-forgotten artists more than makes up for the raw, sandblasted recording quality. [MS] Order CD by Texting "omcdvariousdengue" to 767825

		$10.99 CD   EDITORS In This Light and on This Evening (Kitchenware) "In This Light and on This Evening" "The Boxer" Following two platinum albums in the UK and substantial worldwide success, it's slightly surprising that Editors' frontman Tom Smith recently stated, "If we'd tried to make another more traditional guitar record, I don't think we'd have got through it; for our own sanity, we had to do something we hadn't done before." And yet, the direction they've taken -- eschewing their established guitar-centric style for a slew of catchy melodies and arrangements revolving almost exclusively around synthesizers, or as Smith says their "most Joy Division" album yet -- isn't completely unprecedented, perhaps even a new trend (ie: synth albums from Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Julian Casablancas). Like so many bands before them, Editors have not-so-subtly hinted that they worshipped at the altar of Ian Curtis; it's just more evident in the bombast and affectations of Smiths' vocal delivery, in the subject matter of the lyrics -- just trade Manchester as inspiration for London -- and in the fittingly more minimal production from British producer Flood. Thus, as they put their own spin on this atmospherically gloomy, yet palatable synth music meant for the masses, their reference points are recognizable: Interpol, Joy Divison, Depeche Mode, the Cure and even hints of U2's Bono. And while not every track hits that mark, their efforts on songs like "The Boxer," and the pulsing opener "In This Light and on This Evening," should be applauded as the band changes direction and challenges themselves with aplomb. [PG] Order CD by Texting "omcdeditorsin" to 767825

		$13.99 CDx2 $17.99 LPx2+MP3 $9.99 MP3   FUCKED UP Couple Tracks (Matador) "Ban Violins" "No Epiphany" This is Fucked Up's second singles collection, and while the first one (Epics in Minutes) summed up the story of their pre-blowup years, when they were busy thrashing in basements instead of in, say, China, Couple Tracks tackles the monstrous feat of sorting through their output from 2005 onwards. Well, not exactly -- opener "No Pasaran," a staple of the band's early sets, came out in 2002. See what I mean? Fucked Up releases singles as often as teenagers sprout zits -- there's even a single out in conjunction with this collection, which you're going to have to get creative in order to obtain. Likewise, if you weren't at their London show with Hard Skin, you may not have the FU/Hard Skin split 7"; if you missed their annual Toronto fest a few years back, you likely never got their single featuring covers of the Shop Assistants and Dolly Mixture. They're all here, though. B-sides from endless country-specific variants of their releases, live tracks, all the general madness you'd anticipate from this positive, forward-thinking hardcore band. There are a couple tracks on here for everyone. [DM] Order CD by Texting "omcdfuckedcouple" to 767825 Order LP by Texting "omlpfuckedcouple" to 767825

		$17.99 CDx2 $11.99 MP3   MUSLIMGAUZE Uzi Mahmood (Soleilmoon) "Uzi Mahmood 7" "Uzi Mahmood 11" Another Muslimgauze reissue, Uzi Mahmood is from the mid '90s and is the one Muslimgauze album that was touted as being a release intended specifically for dance floors. (Originally a five-song EP only, this extended 13-song, two-CD full-length features unreleased tracks with new, slightly awkward cover art.) It's worth mentioning that this was an era when mutated hip-hop, "illbient" and block-rockin' beats were all the rage. So instead of militant Middle Eastern high-energy disco/house/techno, what we have here is a smoldering plate of fat BREAKS. Thirteen heavy, clobbering (though at times distorted, grainy and chopped-up) boom-bap breaks! [SM] Order CD by Texting "omcdmuslimgauzeuzi" to 767825

		$15.99 CD   YUKA HONDA Heart Chamber Phantoms (Tzadik) "Little Hope" "Heart Chamber, Part 1: Rock" It's been six years since Yuka Honda's last full-length, and about fifteen since she soared close to the indie-rock sun with Miho Hatori in Cibo Matto. During that decade and a half, she has been featured in the fine print of hundreds of great musical moments with many marquee names, including Sean Lennon, the Beastie Boys, Vincent Gallo, and Jim O'Rourke, and most recently was a touring member of Yoko Ono's Plastic Ono Band. Since the late 1980s, Honda has been a fixture in the New York City scene. Her early work with Cibo Matto revealed her to be a sly satirist ("Baby bake it, make it funky/let's get greasy/let's get chunky" are some of my favorite lyrics ever, from their classic "BBQ"), who knew exactly how to demystify hip-hop's showy aggressiveness with chopped beats and an unassuming, all-smiles stage presence that was contradictory to the whole dour and dangerous hip-hop image. She has since become a wizard programmer with a focus on more obviously mature music, but the sense of humor that spawned "Shut up and eat! Too bad for you, no bon appetit" still bubbles up underneath the jazzy, electronic soundscapes on this new album on Tzadik, Heart Chamber Phantoms. Honda is not above using any sound to enhance her sonic vision, from the pizzicato of a violin to the barking chants of a monkey. Songs like "Little Hope" churn beautifully, constantly changing shape thanks to loose and airy harmonies, while opener "Phantom with Armor" plunks us down in a drafty, deserted house, surrounded by Tinkertoy samples, the haunted cry of Mariachi horns, and quickening mechanical breathing; somewhere in the distance, a tuba grimaces in pain. "Heart Chamber, Part I: Rock" might be the sound of a desperate soul lost in a neon-noir city. Her affinity for natural sounds and mechanical tones spliced together testify to a mind that continues to be imaginative and quixotic -- Honda is still a storyteller, still quite funny, and the most of engaging contemporary composers. [MS] Order CD by Texting "omcdyukaheart" to 767825

		$13.99 CD   TORMENTORS Hanging Round (Gear Fab) "Capricious Lolita" "It's Not Over" Fairly random, yet kinda cool garage reissue of some private press job from a Los Angeles group, circa 1967. The creepiness is what you'll likely remember from this album, played in a variety of sad-psych styles, from brassy Golliwogs stance to lite R&B stomp a la "Black Coffee," to a surfy Beau Brummels cover. Aside from that, all the songs are originals, though much could be said about gospel-belting opener "Didn't It Rain" to think otherwise. None of the members of the group could be located prior to this Gear Fab reissue, and ominously, the trippy, hand-drawn cover art depicts all of the band members standing around an oak tree with nooses around their necks. Weird stuff, for sure. [DM] Order CD by Texting "omcdtormentorshanging" to 767825

		$5.99 45   BROKEN BELLS High Road (Columbia) James "The Shins" Mercer and Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton got together to make a major label blockbuster, and all we got (for the moment) was this 7" rekkid. The track has been burning up the blogs for a few days now, but maybe you want vinyl? Laid back, soulful, strutting, a little bleepy too, it sounds a bit like the Verve, American style. What were you expecting? Order 45 by Texting "om45brokenhigh" to 767825

		$12.99 CD $9.99 MP3   CLIPD BEAKS To Realize (Lovepump United) "On One" "Home" Droning, pounding, pulsing art-punk that swirls and surges as it builds and builds and builds, rarely offering release. Besides their wonderfully textured guitars and hypnotic rhythms, the subversively hooky vocals are this band's secret weapon, and they deploy with genius throughout. Order CD by Texting "omcdclipdto" to 767825

		$14.99 CD $9.99 MP3   PIT ER PAT The Flexible Entertainer (Thrill Jockey) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store Pit Er Pat's new album, The Flexible Entertainer, finds Butchy Fuego and Fay Davis-Jeffers streamlining their sound and becoming even more unclassifiable in the process. The group shape-shifts from track to track, moving from the esoteric hip-hop of "Water" (think Telepathe meets Snoop) to the haunting "Godspot" to the exotic "Emperor Charms," which marries Fever Ray's icy detached melodies with wiry guitars and clanking percussion befitting of a Sublime Frequencies release. Order CD by Texting "omcdpitflexible" to 767825

		$14.99 CD $9.99 MP3   CHICAGO UNDERGROUND DUO Boca Negra (Thrill Jockey) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store The first new one in a bit from Rob Mazurek (cornet) and Chad Taylor (drums), and it is a beauty. The spare duo adds shadings of electronics, both noisy and groove-centric, vibraphone, and more, to create a lilting version of jazz, post-jazz, improv, ambient -- whatever, it's good stuff. Order CD by Texting "omcdchicagoboca" to 767825

		$13.99 CD $15.99 LP   SCOUT NIBLETT Calcination of Scout Niblett (Drag City) "I.B.D." "Lucy Lucifer" Niblett's MO, with an overdriven electric guitar joined occasionally by clattering percussion, loud-soft dynamics, bare, icy lyrics and aching, hooky melodies, is as beguiling as ever here on her fifth full-length. PJ Harvey and Nirvana are both buried in there somewhere, but this is wholly original, and far quirkier than either of those icons. Order CD by Texting "omcdscoutcalcination" to 767825 Order LP by Texting "omlpscoutcalcination" to 767825

		$17.99 LP   ROYAL TRUX Untitled (Drag City) Drag City is re-releasing this near-perfect album from the Trux, the untitled (as opposed to self-titled) third album. This might be their finest moment, definitely their finest from the post-freeform freakout, pre-boogie rock period, and the tension of that crossover is what makes this album so special. They started writing songs (like "Air," and the stunning "Junkie Nurse"), and performed them in a beautiful, shambling nod. Order LP by Texting "omlproyaluntitled" to 767825

		$10.99 CD $17.99 LPx2+MP3 $9.99 MP3   VARIOUS ARTISTS Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010 (Matador) "Older Than You" The Golden Boys "Spirits Roam" Woven Bones Gerard Cosloy, one of the best and most-acomplished A&R guys in the history of indie rock, moved to Austin. This is what he found, the cream of the always-booming Austin scene, mostly noisy, guitar-driven rock and roll. Order CD by Texting "omcdvariouscasual" to 767825 Order LP by Texting "omlpvariouscasual" to 767825

		$21.99 CDx2   MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND Shark Remixes (Asthmatic Kitty) "A Thousand Stars Against A Dark Sky" Alfred Brown Mix "The Diamond" Son Lux Mix Shara Worden's meticulous orchestrations and exquisite voice are ripe for remixing, and after the release of My Brightest Diamond's stunning A Thousand Shark's Teeth, Worden commissioned four artists to each create a distinct EP of versions from that record, which have trickled out digitally over the past year or so. This double-disc collects diverse and stimulating works from Alfred Brown, DM Stith. Son Lux, and Roberto Carlos Lange. Order CD by Texting "omcdmyshark" to 767825

		$13.99 CD   RED KRAYOLA WITH ARTS & LANGUAGE Five American Portraits (Drag City) Mayo Thompson, with longtime on-again-off-again cohorts Art & Language, delivers five pointed (not painted) portraits of five great Americans; Wile E. Coyote, President George W. Bush, President Jimmy Carter, John Wayne, and Ad Reinhardt. Lyrically, these are largely filled with minute descriptions of visual details, not grand or goofy accomplishments. The larger commentary is musical, with stylistic directions and outright borrowed melodies saying more about the subjects than Thompson's words do. Order CD by Texting "omcdredfive" to 767825

		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 [PG] Pamela Garavano-Coolbaugh [DG] Daniel Givens [GH] Gerald Hammill [KCH] Kandia Crazy Horse [IQ] Mikey IQ Jones [AK] Andreas Knutsen [DM] Doug Mosurock [SM] Scott Mou [KS] Karen Soskin [JS] Jeremy Sponder [MS] Michael Stasiak THANKS FOR READING - all of us at Other Music

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