October 20, 2010

		FEATURED NEW RELEASES Sun Airway (Exclusive Advance Release) Small Black (Exclusive Advance Release) Glasser Eskmo Jon Mueller Blondes Teebs The Extra Lens Roots of Chicha 2 (Various) Bob Dylan Martina Topley Bird Zombie Dogs 3 Dag Nasty   David Sylvian Squarepusher Die Antwoord Foreign Exchange Flipper Psychout (Various) The Dead C Golem Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/othermusicnyc Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/othermusic

		OCT Sun 17 Mon 18 Tues 19 Wed 20 Thurs 21 Fri 22 Sat 23   DYLAN LEBLANC TICKET GIVEAWAY This Louisiana singer-songwriter's stunning, sad and sleepy heartbreak recalls Gram Parsons, M. Ward and Harvest-era Neil Young, but even more surprising is how great Dylan LeBlanc's music is, especially considering that he hasn't even reached drinking age. We were totally taken by his set at our SXSW Lawn Party earlier this year, and following a slew of dates since supporting his debut album, Paupers Field, LeBlanc's live show will surely be even more captivating when he performs this Friday at Hiro Ballroom, opening for another singer-songwriter on the rise, Lissie. Other Music has two pairs of tickets up for grabs, which you can enter for by emailing tickets@othermusic.com. We'll notify the two winners this Friday morning. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22 HIRO BALLROOM: 371 West 16th Street NYC

		OCT Sun 24 Mon 25 Tues 26 Wed 27 Thurs 28 Fri 29 Sat 30   WIN TICKETS TO EMPTY MOVES (PARTS I & II) Whether putting an explicitly modern spin on the classics or creating blazingly original works, choreographer Angelin Preljocaj challenges conventional ideas about form and content. At this year's Next Wave Festival, Preljocaj's Empty moves (parts I & II) reveals the body's remarkable facility for nuanced line, clarity, and form -- with each phrase building organically upon the last. Accompanied by excerpts from John Cage's enigmatic Empty Words (recorded at a 1977 performance in Milan), the dancers move with concentrated grace and force, echoing the unwavering calm of Cage's voice. Other Music is giving away two pairs of passes, good for the Friday, October 29 performance. Enter by emailing enter@othermusic.com and we'll notify the two winners on Monday. OCTOBER 27, 29 & 30, 7:30pm BAM Howard Gilman Opera House: 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn

		OCT Sun 24 Mon 25 Tues 26 Wed 27 Thurs 28 Fri 29 Sat 30   ALL OUR FRIENDS ARE IN NEW YORK: AN EXHIBITION OF STEPHIN MERRITT/THE MAGNETIC FIELDS-RELATED HISTORY, IMAGES AND EPHEMERA An exhibition in conjunction with the theatrical release of the documentary film Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields, featuring photographs by Gail O'Hara, Emma Straub for M+E and TMF's guitarist-banjoist John Woo, among others. All Magnetic Fields-related items will be on sale. OPENING RECEPTION: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 5-7PM SPECIAL GUEST DJ: STEPHIN MERRITT OTHER MUSIC: 15 East 4th Street NYC WIN TICKETS TO A STRANGE POWERS SCREENING! Ten years in the making, Strange Powers explores Stephin Merritt's songwriting and recording process, and focuses on his relationships with his bandmates and longtime manager Claudia Gonson, revealing an artist who has produced one of the most engaging and confounding bodies of work in the contemporary American songbook. The film opens on Wednesday, October 27 in New York City at the Film Forum (209 W. Houston), with special in-person appearances by Stephin Merritt and Claudia Gonson, as well as Directors Kerthy Fix and Gail O'Hara at the 8:10PM screenings on October 27th and 29th. Tickets will be available on-line starting October 20th. You can also enter to win a pair of passes that are good for almost all of the showings (except the 8:10PM screenings on the 27th and 29th) by emailing giveaway@othermusic.com. We'll notify the 10 winners on Friday, October 22nd.

		NOV Sun 31 Mon 01 Tues 02 Wed 03 Thurs 04 Fri 05 Sat 06   UPCOMING IN-STORE FEATURING TITLE TK There is not much that we can tell you about this new band, featuring the digital artist Cory Arcangel, curator/New Human Howie Chen, and author/guitar mauler Alan Licht, except that we're pretty sure this rare live performance will be something special. The store will NOT be closed for business during this special event, so please join us for a little shopping, and something else . FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5 @ 8PM OTHER MUSIC: 15 East 4th 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.

		$12.99 CD   SUN AIRWAY Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier (Dead Oceans) "American West" "Put the Days Away" With CMJ happening all around us this week, Other Music has scored an Exclusive Advance Release for the debut full-length from Sun Airway, who are in town performing at several festival-related shows. Jon Barthmus and Patrick Marsceill previously played together in Philadelphia's A-Sides, a band whose break-up was first announced a few years back with a simple MySpace post that included a couple of links to this new project's web pages. Far from the UK-influenced indie rock of their previous group, the duo's Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier opens with a cascading, Technicolor wash of synthesizers and samples which continue to shimmer throughout the rest of the record. It's impossible not to reference Merriweather Post Pavilion as an immediate touchstone, but that comparison only scratches the surface; whereas Animal Collective often cloak their pop elements in a shroud of experimental sonics, there really isn't anything too difficult about Sun Airway's music. Tracks like "American West" are positively uplifting, Barthmus' infectious vocals gliding through a crackling cloud of synths and celestial atmospherics, while the jaunty "Oh, Naoko" moves in a more tropical direction, with its glittering loop of steel drums trilling above the bouncy programmed rhythms. In fact, Delorean (whom Sun Airway remixed earlier this year) share a similar sun-baked, digital sheen, though Barthmus and Marsceill are less interested in high-flying Ibiza and aren't afraid to let a little bit of their indie rock pedigree poke through the blissful melodies. It's not often that pop music can be as cerebral as it is catchy, but Sun Airway have found that perfect balance here -- songs for dancing in your dreams. [GH] Order CD by Texting "omcdsunnocturne" to 767825

		$12.99 CD $15.99 LP+MP3   SMALL BLACK New Chain (Jagjaguwar) "Search Party" "New Chain" OTHER MUSIC EXCLUSIVE (early release for CMJ)!!! After an intriguing EP of bedroom pop-tronica, Small Black dress things up a bit on their full-length debut, with a little production help from Rare Book Room's Nicolas Vernhes; they have retained the gauzy beauty of their earlier work, but the bass kicks and the rhythms stutter, clatter and wallop in a way that was only hinted at on those tracks. This band's sound is nothing new, these days especially; they combine New Order and vintage shoegaze with a touch of modern R&B production, for a decidedly chillwave sound. But as with the best of all their influences, these guys have a knack for an earworm hook, lovely, engaging vocals, and the restraint to smudge it all up just enough to make the listener dig for the biggest rewards. Cuts like "Photojournalist" and set-opener "Camouflage" are fully engaging headphone hits, bringing a swoon to the dancefloor or a bounce to the commute. [JM] Order CD by Texting "omcdsmallnew" to 767825 Order LP by Texting "omlpsmallnew" to 767825

		$13.99 CD $15.99 LP+MP3 $9.99 MP3   GLASSER Ring (True Panther) "Apply" "Home" Long-awaited debut from one Cameron Mesirow, and for many this will be the West Coast response to the latest Yeasayer record -- pulsing, synthetic pop with an adventurous heart, a beautiful voice, and a lush, lurid sonic palette. Running parallel to the influx of '60s garage-pop simplicity that has swept the indie scene this past year or so, it seems there is another rising trend towards lush '80s-inspired professionalism, as young artists embrace melody and soaring emotion that has long been out of vogue in the underground. You hear it from many of the chillwave artists who draw liberally on slick synth-pop sounds, and you can hear it here too. You could say this album references Kate Bush and even Bjork at points, with its clear-eyed yet almost mystical dreaminess, but current favorites like the new records from Zola Jesus or Wildbirds & Peacedrums are more appropriate comparisons. Ring was produced with Stockholm stars Van Rivers & the Subliminal Kid, whose work with Fever Ray and Bat For Lashes also reflects strongly on Glasser's sound, and this album sits nicely with either of those artists, though Glasser's particular version of electronic pop is her own amalgamation, and is not so easy to pin down with one or two references. It's a powerful listen and a strong artistic statement from someone who's clearly not going to follow anyone else's vision, and proves that in 2010, "underground" music does not have to be raw to be real. [DM] Order CD by Texting "omcdglasserring" to 767825 Order LP by Texting "omlpglasserring" to 767825

		$14.99 CD $9.99 MP3   ESKMO Eskmo (Ninja Tune) "Starships" "Cloudlight" Following their great two-volume 20th anniversary collection, the next era of the Ninja Tune label begins with the debut album from San Francisco-based producer Brendan Angelides, a/k/a Eskmo. Having released singles on both Warp and Planet Mu, as well as his own Eskmo Recordings, this self-titled debut feels right at home on the most leftfield of the big electronic labels. Blending a mixture of electro, glitch-hop and digi-soul, with intricate programming, Eskmo's sound has an undeniable funk. It is loosely in line with the recent releases by Matthew Dear and LCD Soundsystem, but Eskmo creates his nu-new wave song-based jams from a dubstep and hip-hop viewpoint. And while the productions are mainly instrumental, Angelides uses his own treated and processed voice throughout as another dynamic instrument, giving the album, and his music in general, a warm and personal sound. Heavy-handed and intricate like a Technicolor film, at just a minute and forty seconds a track like "My Gears Are Starting to Tremble" is intense and complex, with overloaded bass, filtered voices, jagged and sharp rhythms, and heart-stopping moments where it all cuts out and reboots. Images of forbidden treasures flow underneath Eskmo's songs, and they live in a daydream of bright darkness. As with his occasional collaborator Amon Tobin, Eskmo's music is hard to convey in words because of their similarly rich and varied reference points. There are many elements at work here, and Angelides draws from a fresh cross section of influences, where electronic music can have passion, energy, motifs, AND showcase a use of skills, where every sound is part of an ever-shifting vision. And with so many indie artists exploring dance music these days, it's nice to hear someone on the dance side do something kinda indie. Eskmo's debut is on the leading edge of dance music; it shows how dubstep can become more soulful and funky yet still be experimental -- if you can even call Esmko's music dubstep, it's definitely part of the next progression for sure. A nice album of glitchy soul that should be heard by fans of Radiohead, Super Collider, Avey Tare, or simply those that are looking for the human and American side of the electronic movement. [DG] Order CD by Texting "omcdeskmoeskmo" to 767825

		$15.99 CD $9.99 MP3   JON MUELLER The Whole (Type) "Hearts" "Remembered" The new record by percussionist Jon Mueller, perhaps best known to Update readers for his work on Table of the Elements and as a member of Volcano Choir, is stunning, quite simply. The record consists of two brief, lovely pieces for hammered dulcimer serving as intro and outro to the record's two intense voice and drum rituals which comprise the real meat here; over a tapestry of rolling, powerful snare patterns, throbbing floor toms, and lightning-fast dulcimer melodies, Mueller chants wordless mantras into the stratosphere, hypnotizing not only the listener but seemingly himself as well. "Hearts" and "Hands" echo recent work by Boredoms but also the sounds of early Amon Duul II, early minimalist composition, and even Tibetan Buddhist ritual music. This is half an hour of powerful music from the center of a man's soul, and one of the Type label's best releases yet. I cannot recommend this record more highly to anyone who digs the trance-inducing sounds of any of the artists mentioned above, the dark, scuzzy psychedelia of Yellow Swans and Psychic Ills, or even more adventurous listeners who enjoy the more rhythmic repetition of the Bon Iver/Volcano Choir records. That this record actively combines so many strands of musical hypnosis and rhythm science without creating a pastiche of any of them, and to do so in such a short, concentrated burst is a remarkable achievement. [IQ] Order CD by Texting "omcdjonwhole" to 767825

		$13.99 CD $14.99 LP   BLONDES Touched EP (Merok) "Spanish Fly" "Virgin Pacific" I stumbled upon Blondes' music in the live setting one night at Brooklyn's Littlefield, and was totally entranced -- two guys, standing in front of a slideshow of brownstones and residencies in the borough, jamming out hard on this winning hybrid of Krautrock and dazed house beats, unafraid to go too far in either direction and very liberal with the fuzz and noise. Their debut EP expounds on the best of those features, a collection of five lengthy tracks (hell, let's call this an album proper) that hit the 3 A.M. snooze button autopilot into a dreamy, streamlined land that mutates into agitation at a moment's notice (check the ending minutes of "Moondance" if you need convincing). Forward-thinking, heady beats that rock the mind and body -- we need more groups like Blondes bending the beams out there in clubland, but that club could just as well be your own living room if you like, so flexible their template and adaptable their music is to both atmospheres. Absolutely recommended! [DM] Order CD by Texting "omcdblondestouched" to 767825 Order LP by Texting "omlpblondestouched" to 767825

		$14.99 CD   TEEBS Ardour (Brainfeeder) "My Whole Life" "While You Doooo" Remarkable for an artist who is still strictly an underground sensation, Flying Lotus has been embraced and copied by inspired producers the world over. From FlyLo's own Brainfeeder label comes another beautiful collection of breezy beats and moody atmosphere; the Malawian and Barbadian-American Mtendere Mandowa, or Teebs, moved from New York to live in the same area in L.A. as Lotus, and his music also resides in the same neighborhood, though around the corner. Teebs creates short passages of deep, downtempo slow jams, rich with emotion and warmth, and his debut full-length, Ardour, is an instrumental journey in sun-soaked loops and muted beats, pastoral colors and muscle-relaxing synths. Multiple loops overlap and fade into a beautiful tapestry of melody and soothing ease, no harsh collisions of effects or rhythms, everything is smooth sailing. Combining the electronics with the use of small natural sounds like chimes, bells, marbles, shakers, and woodblocks helps Teebs keep his palette simple, open, and intimate. Filled with more texture than neck-snapping tempos, this is like Dilla's Donuts in dub. Actually the track "Humming Birds" conjures up images of the Art of Noise's "Moments in Love." A great debut and possibly the most lush electronic record I've heard all year, Ardour is yet another sign that the wealth of talented producers in L.A. is nowhere near running out. Recommended for those times when you want hip-hop, but with less beats and more love. [DG] Order CD by Texting "omcdteebsardour" to 767825

		$14.99 CD $18.99 LP+MP3 $9.99 MP3   THE EXTRA LENS Undercard (Merge) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store The Extra Lens, formerly known as the Extra Glenns, otherwise known as John Darnielle and Franklin Bruno, or...could this just be a new Mountain Goats record? The duo of Darnielle and Bruno is a time-tested one, and there are few surprises here if you're a fan; the Mountain Goats mainman paints sad, deeply moving portraits of the oft-unspoken details of everyday human struggle, colored by Bruno's deft and understated multi-instrumentalism. Loss and loneliness and tinkling piano and strummed guitar and maybe a bongo -- it's a simple, moving formula, if you go in for this sort of thing. Undercard is a fitting title, as Darnielle tells twelve tales of tiny lives. His gift is seeing the poetry and pathos in everyday people and their everyday moments; the adulterous priest is being pried from his car by the jaws of life in "How I Left the Ministry," but we know the freeway exit he missed, and the name of the particular Days Inn he was headed for with the neighbor's wife when it happened. For my money, Darnielle's stories are more affecting when he sticks to his own kind; despite the powerful imagery in "Cruiserweights," of an ex-con trying to box his way out of Cleveland in the mid-'80s, I just don't buy the erudite and sincere Darnielle as the voice of said boxer. But when he sings of the minutia of a struggling film shoot in "Only Existing Footage," broken light meter, poor continuity, space-heater blowing fuses and all, you can feel in your gut the protagonist's raw desire to make his mark on something, and the chorus hits like a roundhouse: "Oblivion's been calling since it found out where I live." [JM] Order CD by Texting "omcdextraundercard" to 767825 Order LP by Texting "omlpextraundercard" to 767825

		$15.99 CD $9.99 MP3   VARIOUS ARTISTS The Roots of Chicha 2 (Barbes) "A Trabajar" Chacalon y la Nueva Crema "Cumbia Del Desierto" Los Destellos The first Roots of Chicha compilation on Barbes Records was one of my favorite records of 2007, and since then there has been a nice, steady flow of chicha and electric cumbia releases both old and new (including those by Roots of Chicha compiler Olivier Conan's own band Chicha Libre) coming out, including the Cumbia Beat 2CD collection that I raved about earlier this year. Barbes returns to the fold to issue the second volume in their series, delivering 16 more dazzling electric cumbias from Peru, recorded between 1968 and '81 and featured here in excellent remastered sound. Where the first volume focused on bands from the inner Amazonian region, Roots of Chicha 2 shifts things over to the coastal scene of Lima. While I'm a bit skeptical of the use of the term "psychedelic" in the comp's subtitle -- these tunes are fiery and filled with electricity, but there's not as much of the overtly mind-bending trippiness to them as was found in Volume 1 or in the Cumbia Beat collection -- this record nevertheless dazzles and sizzles with a galloping pulse and that wonderful South American surf vibe that helps define chicha's signatures. The bands of the Lima scene were hot, but definitely not as "weird" per se. Nevertheless, this is a fantastic compilation and a worthy companion to its predecessor, and in my opinion, it's the second half of the set that really delivers the goods. The collection is worth it for three tracks alone, honestly. Groupo Celeste's "Como un Ave" fills the room with a hard, clapping rhythm, hornet's nest fuzz guitar, and Les Baxter-esque exotica jungle sounds, overtop a soulful vocal. Chacalón Y La Nueva Crema's anthemic "A Trabajar" rides a wicked riff and tops it with wah-wah, powerful group chants on the chorus, and a wicked, clattering cowbell-heavy beat. Last but not least is Manzanita Y Su Conjunto's "Agua," which mutates the chichi sound into a wicked fusion of the cumbia beat and 1970's electric Miles Davis dark ambience, filled with overlapping guitar patterns, throbbing, flittering electric organ, the chatter of the hand drums, and bursts of Tourettes-like atonality. If you've been bitten by the bug before, this one delivers more of the goods, taking the sound in even more directions than previously compiled. [IQ] Order CD by Texting "omcdvariouschicha2" to 767825

		$19.99 CD   BOB DYLAN The Witmark Demos 1962-1964 (Columbia) While most would say that Dylan's music is simply undeniable, I've found that if you ask the dreaded "overrated artists" question in any gathering of self-appointed music magistrates, you're sure to find at least one Dylan detractor. He's the cilantro of rock and roll -- indispensable to legions, intolerable to some. The usual issues often boil down to "I understand why he's popular, but I just cannot deal with his voice," or some kind of meagerly rationed gripe about personal authenticity. Listening to these newly released demos Dylan recorded for his label in the early-'60s should convert even the most fervent dissenters. Not only are the performances staggeringly intimate (the only accompaniments are guitar, harmonica and a little piano), the profound growth of the songs themselves over the two-year span covered here is astounding. From tracing Woody Guthrie's silhouettes to writing the most scathingly erudite songs of the time is made to seem like a logical progression. Of course, there are 15 songs here never before released officially (although they've been available since the days of hand-labeled cassette dubs sold alongside pocket Borges in Washington Square Park), which are every bit as captivating as anything on Dylan's early LPs. Basically, if you like Dylan you need to hear this, and if you don't, you need to hear it even more. [SG] Order CD by Texting "omcdbobwitmark" to 767825

		$16.99 CD $9.99 MP3   MARTINA TOPLEY BIRD Some Place Simple (Ipecac) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store The world first heard Martina Topley-Bird's uniquely fragile yet stern vocals when she was only a teenager, the angel to Tricky's devil on his first album, Maxinquaye, from 1994. Their musical (and romantic) relationship would last four years and four albums, ending in '98 when she left to pursue a solo career, though her first album, Quixotic (which Tricky did lend a hand on), wouldn't surface until 2003. She has always worked with a select choice of producers, including Danger Mouse for her second full-length, 2008's pop-psych-soul-inspired The Blue God, and she has also guested on tracks by Diplo, Gorillaz, Common, David Holmes and most recently, Massive Attack. Topley-Bird's latest offering, Some Place Simple, was essentially recorded live in the short span of a week at Damon Albarn's studio and only includes a small amount of new material; instead, the singer mostly focuses on re-working select songs from her previous two solo albums, stripping the originals of their noir-pop dressings and bringing to light not only her beautiful words, but the equally intimate and special presence of her voice. These are very organic and bare-boned re-imaginations, created with instruments like kalimba, tablas, pandeiro, guitar, ukulele, harpsichord, electric piano, brush-stroked drums and hand percussion, all spaciously arranged, allowing the room for Topley-Bird to weave rich melodic tapestries out of layers of her voice. The results are stunning, as elements of blues, acoustic pop and minimalist soul bring to mind Minnie Riperton, Syreeta and Linda Lewis -- or you could even draw a comparison to nu-folk/alt-rock names like Joanna Newsom, Cat Power and Holly Miranda, only more rootsy and soulful. The unexpectedly sparse intimacy of Some Place Simple captures a special moment in the ever-shifting career of one of pop music's underdogs and reflects the inspiration of a maturing singer and songwriter. This is definitely the sleeper hit of the season; intoxicating and hypnotic, passionate and inspired, if you want to go to some place simple and truly special, start here. [DG] Order CD by Texting "omcdmartinasome" to 767825

		$12.99 LP $5.99 MP3   ZOMBIE DOGS Zombie Dogs (Strength in Numbers) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store Wow! It's been awhile since we've had a record like this come through our door. Zombie Dogs are an all-girl, Brooklyn-based quartet who churn out no-nonsense thrash-punk inspired equally by early DC/Dischord hardcore and the feminist politics of the Kill Rock Stars riot grrrl contingent of the early-'90s. While the music certainly owes a debt to the frantic energy of Minor Threat and Bikini Kill, there's an element of lighthearted fun at work that was never present in most bands associated with the aforementioned scenes. The lyrics address and balance the disparate personal themes of growing up female, shy, and queer with universal punk concerns like pit politics, getting drunk, and nerds. Plus, these girls have a secret weapon in the pipes of singer Tamara Waite-Santibanez, whose shredded, gravelly delivery manages to out-tough most of the guy groups attempting to pull this kind of thing off. One of the more exciting and invigorating listens coming out of Brooklyn at the moment, and a hopeful portent of things to come for these ladies. [JTr] Order LP by Texting "omlpzombiezombie" to 767825

		$10.99 CD $11.99 LP+MP3 $9.99 MP3   3 Dark Days Coming - Remastered (Dischord) "Empathy" "Dark Days Coming" By the mid-'80s the original and even the second wave of DC hardcore groups were dropping like flies as band members hit their late teens and started heading off to college. While this is the case with many teenage bands (and usually a good thing), the situation seemed much more severe in DC because the scene was already so well documented. Guitarist Mark Haggerty's departure to attend college ended Gray Matter; drummer Dante Ferrando joined Ignition, and that left guitarist and bassist Jeff Turner and Steve Niles looking to form a new group. They enlisted former Minor Threat drummer and Dischord co-head honcho Jeff Nelson to play drums and soon enough Mark Haggerty was back and you've got what is, in essence, the third Gray Matter album. Overall the tempos are still at almost hardcore levels but every so often they ease up a bit, and the songs have a vibe of late-'60s rock filtered through hardcore. As a kid who was growing out of hardcore, records like this one were important to me, opening me up to new worlds of music and giving me a context in which to appreciate sounds of new and old. This transformation was happening all over DC, with hardcore luminaries showing up at garage and neo-psych shows and a whole new crop of '60s-damaged bands like Senator Flux, Vile Cherubs, and Thee Evolution Revolution all playing out and releasing records. It was a real, vibrant scene that both ran parallel to Dischord and intermingled with it. 3 had a foot firmly in each camp with some songs clearly showing Kinks and Beatles influences and others being classic "Revolution Summer" DC anthems. The band played just a handful of out-of-town shows before calling it quits, in that classic DC tradition, with a farewell performance on New Years Day 1988. It's a shame, as more touring would have given them time to hone the ideas in the mostly instrumental bonus tracks included on this extended reissue into a really killer second album. As it stands, excluding the great "Shitberries Demo," which became "Swann Street," I'm not sure that all the extras on this CD (also available on the download version, and as a download included with the vinyl) are the sort of thing that stands up to repeated listening, so you might want to police yourself a bit. [DMa] Order CD by Texting "omcd3dark" to 767825 Order LP by Texting "omlp3dark" to 767825

		$10.99 CD $11.99 LP+MP3   DAG NASTY Dag with Shawn (Dischord) "Thin Line (Ragu)" "Under Your Influence" As a kid just a couple years too young to have seen Minor Threat, I couldn't have been more excited about Brian Baker's new group, Dag Nasty. By the time my friends and I got our hands on their debut LP and saw the band live we had already heard that there was an earlier version of the album recorded with original (and future Swiz) vocalist Shawn Brown. Letters were written and favors called in and finally we were able to obtain multi-generation cassette dubs of this stuff and we listened to it obsessively, praising it as far superior to the commercially released LP. Sure, part of it might have been because we were kids just trying to hone our indie snobbery, but the fact is, it was true. The differences in the recordings are subtle and they ultimately come down to Shawn Brown vs. Dave Smalley. Brown comes straight out of the Ian MacKaye school, and overall his voice is harsher than Smalley's who, it seemed, was trying to leave his own hardcore growl that he perfected with DYS as a thing of his past. But to me these songs really seem to have more of an edge and everything seems to hit harder than Can I Say, especially the frantic "I've Heard" and the Minor Threat-esque "Never Go Back." Over the years a few songs were officially (and un-officially) released, but it is fantastic to finally have great sounding versions of these songs all in one place. Great stuff. [DMa] Order CD by Texting "omcddagdag" to 767825 Order LP by Texting "omlpdagdag" to 767825

		$14.99 CD   DAVID SYLVIAN Sleepwalkers (Samadhi Sound) "Sleepwalkers" "World Citizen (I Won't Be Disappointed)" Over the course of his solo career, begun after fronting influential rockers Japan, David Sylvian has worked with a huge list of luminary musicians and absorbed the sonic atmospheres of many different scenes and subcultures, managing to avoid looking fashionable or desperate to cling to a passing trend. Sylvian's too good a songwriter and too tasteful an aesthete for that, and his work with Holger Czukay, Robert Fripp, Derek Bailey, Yellow Magic Orchestra, and countless others reflects that. Over the past ten years, though, Sylvian's albums have become more desolate and oblique, encompassing the sounds of the European and Japanese improvisation scenes and the experimental electronic soundscapes of the Mego and Touch record labels. While recent Scott Walker comes to mind as one of Sylvian's few contemporaries, Sylvian has always remained more tied to the anchor of the song than Walker's splintered laments and industrial sound paintings. While Sylvian's last record, Manafon, was one of my favorite releases of last year, its emotional bloodletting giving stark contrast to the reductionist textures of the sounds provided by Evan Parker, Otomo Yoshihide, and Polwechsel (amongst others) may have been way too much for some listeners. The solitary territory he's mining is raw to say the least, and on his newest release, Sylvian aims to salve some of the more barbed wounds of that last album with a compilation of collaborations showcasing what David himself calls his "more playful side." Sleepwalkers compiles work made with a wide, diverse array of creative sonic alchemists, from Ryuichi Sakamoto and Christian Fennesz to Burnt Friedman, Arve Henriksen and Sylvian's brother and former Japan bandmate Steve Jansen, amongst others. Sylvian has compiled, remixed, and sequenced the songs to play as an album proper rather than an odds and sods compilation, and I must say, he does a remarkable job. A few of these tracks come from the Nine Horses record made with Friedman and Jansen, some come from albums on which Sylvian made a guest vocal appearance, a few are album outtakes, and a few are new pieces that preview what's to come on David's next release with modern composer Dai Fujikura. He touches upon smoky Euro jazz ballads, acoustic ruminations, orchestral chamber music, a bit of glitchy fractal chanson, and lots of minimal beatscapes, restoring the rhythmic element missing from much of his recent albums' landscapes. Sylvian uses these songs to explore less "personal," more character-based song studies, and it's refreshing to hear him loosen up after the intense catharsis of Blemish and Manafon. As with his other albums, Sylvian presents a literal global culture of forward-thinking experimentalists who all work extremely well with his velvet voice, and the songs are as strong and surprisingly sonically unified as anything else he's offered before. Highly recommended to fans and newbies alike. [IQ] Order CD by Texting "omcddavidsleepwalkers" to 767825

		$13.99 CD $21.99 LPx2 $9.99 MP3   SQUAREPUSHER Shobaleader One: d'Demonstrator (Warp) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store It looks like we're not alone in highly anticipating the new Tron movie, complete with Daft Punk soundtrack. Squarepusher's Tom Jenkinson seems strangely affected by the robot rockers himself on this new project of his. After releasing a solo bass album last year, he now fronts a band featuring "players" named Company Laser and Arg Nution, all wearing Sunn O))) robes and Daft Punk-styled masks. It reminds us of producer Maurice Fulton's "band" Syclops in a way, but this album really comes in from left field in a most pleasing and --alright -- super-cheesy way. Satiny vocoded jams like "Plug Me In" and "Into the Blue" will make Dam-Funk put down the blunt and put the talkbox tube back in his mouth. Soft jazzy bits, filter house, R&B maneuvers in the dark, Squarepusher dabbles in a bit of it all, cheeky bastard that he is. [AB] Order CD by Texting "omcdsquarepushershobaleader" to 767825 Order LP by Texting "omlpsquarepushershobaleader" to 767825

		$11.99 CD   DIE ANTWOORD $O$ (Interscope) "In Your Face" "Rich Bitch" As a viral sensation, South African trio Die Antwoord caused an uneasy wave of interest earlier this year. Their debut, $O$, is an intense and confrontational assault of beats and rhymes that makes good on that unease, and does a lot more. Main vocalist, Ninja, raps in the aggressive local Cape Town style of Zef, a brash collage of pop references, masochism, and third world ghetto style. This aspect has grabbed the attention of other worldly conceptual artists like M.I.A (who had them opening for her on a few dates) and Diplo (who produces one track here). Their sound is a wild and dirty, silly and sassy ride through the bowels of South Africa's current electronic music scene. Happy hardcore, rave, dubstep, dancehall, new wave, and hip-hop conspire in a hyper genre melange here. Alongside work from other S.A. producers (DJ Mujava and Spoek Mathambo), DJ Hi-Tek's beats are ridiculous, an intricately layered and fevered tempo of digital clangs, erratic gun shots, elastic low-end bass, '80s pop samples, and lots of digital funk and energy. However, the vocals are where things get really exhausting. From Ninja's constant accented slang and bravado, and Yo-Landi Vi$$er's high-pitched, gothy swan songs, to the hyper atmosphere throughout, the listener needs major stamina to withstand the onslaught. Like Salem, their horror is real and the beats are banging; I would love an instrumental version of the album, yet I also understand the verbal message in the music. Lots of voices need to be heard and hip-hop seems to be the most confrontational method these days. From the often unrepresented comes a true sign of the times. Die Antwoord clearly isn't for everyone, yet their humor, horror and brash politics will be a dose of much-needed tonic for many. Fans of Spank Rock, Detroit Grand Pubas, Sleigh Bells, Gravediggaz, Amanda Blank, or Gold Chains, should feel at home here. [DG] Order CD by Texting "omcddieantwoord" to 767825

		$10.99 CD   FOREIGN EXCHANGE Authenticity (Hardboiled) "All Roads" "Make Me a Fool" Since 2004, the duo of producer Nicolay and rapper-singer Phonte (formerly of Little Brother) have been sculpting and creating a unique sound, a cross-cultural mixture of soul, R&B, jazz, Latin, and of course hip-hop. What started as an intercontinental Internet relay of tracks between the Dutch producer and American vocalist has grown into a mature soul outfit sounding more live than programmed, somewhat due to other members on the same side of the ocean. Unlike their rap-heavy debut, Connected, Phonte has shifted into soul-boy mode, mainly focusing on singing. This shift has opened up their music to embrace classic soul without going the retro route, and even earned them a Grammy nomination in 2009 for their album, Leave It All Behind. Their latest, Authenticity, is full of nice, easy and breezy melodies, a mix of thoughtful lyrics and crisp production. Released on their own FE Music label, they showcase the talents of their crew of artists, Darien Brockington, Zo!, YahZarah, Jesse Boykins III, and Median, and the eleven songs form a tight and accomplished set of acoustic-electronic soul. Another solid album from one of the best modern soul groups around, fans of Bilal, John Legend, Dwele and the like, will find a wealth of sound to snuggle up, get close, and get down to. Authentic and original for sure. [DG] Order CD by Texting "omcdforeignauthenticity" to 767825

		$18.99 CD   VARIOUS ARTISTS Flipper Psychout (Vampisoul) "Spleen"Luigi Lopez "Trip" Emma De Angelis Vampisoul delivers one of its best releases yet with Flipper Psychout, a compilation of tracks from the Italian library music label Flipper Music, recorded between 1968 and '75. The tunes all deliver heavy doses of psychedelic funk, filled with lean chicken-scratch rhythm guitar, propulsive electric bass grooves, jazzy, cymbal-heavy drum flourishes, and tons of organ and synth bursts, with hefty spoonfuls of extra flavoring from bottles of progressive rock (there's some serious fuzz riffage oozing from some of these cuts), space-age exotica/lounge (lots of great Esquivel/Gary McFarland inspired "zu-zu-zum-zum"/"ba-ba-bum-bum-bop" vocals), and cinema/soundtrack sounds. Almost none of these tunes have seen reissue until now, and on the whole this stuff is great -- folks who regularly dig the Finders Keepers/B-Music label, many of Emarcy France's excellent soundtrack and film score reissue series, the many volumes of The In-Kraut series of German funk/groove compilations, and even those who just want to cut a rug to some good old fashioned space age bachelor pad porno funk (and let's face it, there are more of those out there than you'll ever admit to!) will find MUCH to enjoy here. Even a seasoned skeptic like myself, who has heard waaaay too many of these types of collections over the years, has been putting this bad boy in high rotation. [IQ] Order CD by Texting "omcdvariousflipper" to 767825

		$13.99 CD $9.99 MP3   THE DEAD C Patience (Ba Da Bing!) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store God bless New Zealand's finest, the Dead C. For well over 20 years they have been confounding anyone within earshot, and after a few fallow years in the early 21st century, they've been downright prolific since Brooklyn's fine Ba Da Bing! imprint reissued their first efforts and gave them a new label home. Squalls, wheezes, and shrieks arise from the guitars of Michael Morley and Bruce Russell while drummer Robbie Yeats pounds on as if he's in the next practice space, powering through their guitar storms (no vocal moans this time). Four huge improvised slabs of rock (yes, in the Dead C lexicon this would be called a "rock" record) riding right off the rails here, all loving and rendered in glorious lo-fidelity. [AB] Order CD by Texting "omcddeadpatience" to 767825

		$14.99 CD   GOLEM Orion Awakes (Lion Productions) "Orion Awakes" "The Returning" Who knew Germany was this weird in 1973? Oh wait -- everyone did. It was the height of the cold war. Everything about living in Germany was totally brutal and weird. This is the place that made Can, Faust, and Ash Ra Tempel, and you can hear the similarities to those acts in these tracks from Golem, which feature powerful metronomic rhythms and hypnotic bass lines. What goes on above the low end is another story all together. Sometimes ethereal, sometimes brutal, and sometimes sounding like a high school garage band playing a talent show of evil, Golem takes their style of rock to new, uncomfortable, and bizarre places. Songs like "The Returning" and the title track "Orion Awakes" blast off into the stratosphere with pulsating, anxious organ and the sweet, sweet sounds of evenly layered fuzzed guitar. "Jupiter and Beyond," the longest track on the album, is a journey beyond the asteroid belt into the cold, dark reaches of space, with constant tempo changes and multiple sections stitched together to create the narrative of that trip. I recommend this album for any student of Krautrock, and for fans of staring off into space while sitting on a couch for 44 minutes. Best listened to with a fog machine and a light show. [AS] Order CD by Texting "omcdgolemorion" 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 [AB] Adrian Burkeholder [SG] Simon Gabriel [DG] Daniel Givens [GH] Gerald Hammill [[IQ] Mikey IQ Jones [JM] Josh Madell [DMa] Dave Martin [DM] Doug Mosurock [AS] Andrew Siskind [JTr] Jon Treneff THANKS FOR READING - all of us at Other Music

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