The Other Music Update

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	September 30, 2010


	FEATURED NEW RELEASES Sun City Girls No Age Deerhunter Twin Shadow ARP Matador at 21 (6-CD Box Set) Salem oOoOO Lil B Group Inerane (Vol. 3) E.M.A.K. Rick Wilhite Presents Vibes (Various) Aloe Blacc Riley Imaginational Anthem Vol. IV Druids of Stonehenge Black Sabbath: The Secret Musical History of Black-Jewish Relations (Various)		Highlife Women ALSO AVAILABLE Abe Vigoda (+ Free Song Download) Tom Tom Club Jimmy Edgar PRE-ORDERS Belle & Sebastian Avey Tare Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/othermusicnyc Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/othermusic

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TIM KASHER (CURSIVE) IN-STORE PERFORMANCE
Tuesday, October 5 @ 8PM
Celebrating the release of his debut solo album, The Game of Monogamy

OTHER MUSIC: 15 East 4th Street NYC
Free & All Ages | Limited Capacity

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THE BUNKER PRESENTS: PETER VAN HOESEN, MOUNT KIMBIE & MORE
We've got passes to give away to each of these not-to-be-missed Bunker events. First up, this Friday the Bunker will be hosting the North American debut of Peter Van Hoesen, an amazing techno producer and DJ who'll be playing a five-hour set in the back room, along with resident Eric Cloutier. Up front, the vibe is going to be all about dubstep, bass and everything in between with the Bunker debut of Mount Kimbie, plus Cooly G, Sepalcure, Dave Q and resident Spinoza. Enter to win a pair of tickets by emailing contest@othermusic.com.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1
PUBLIC ASSEMBLY: 70 N. 6th Street, Williamsburg

THE BUNKER PRESENTS: MONOLAKE LIVE SURROUND, SCION, DJ PETE & RENE LOWE
Then, on Saturday, October 9, the Bunker will be throwing a special event at Attic Studios, featuring none other than Robert Henke who will be presenting his Monolake Live Surround performance and Chain Reaction luminaries DJ Pete (a/k/a Substance), Rene Lowe (a/k/a Vainqueur), and their collaborative Scion. Enter to win a pair of tickets by emailing giveaway@othermusic.com. We'll notify the winners this Friday.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9
ATTIC STUDIOS: 44th Road and 11th Street, Long Island City


			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.


	$24.99 LP		SUN CITY GIRLS Funeral Mariachi (Sublime Frequencies) The final studio recordings of the Sun City Girls are upon us. Following the death of percussionist and co-conspirator Charles Gocher, Jr. in 2007, Alan and Rick Bishop commenced on a tour as "The Brothers Unconnected," and laid a catalog of material to rest, joining audiences around the world in mournful celebration of the life -- or, we should say, this life -- of their fallen comrade. Funeral Mariachi serves as a coda to the workings of the Sun City Girls, and is so markedly different from many of their recordings that one wonders if it would have ushered in a new path had he occupied the physical form for any longer. It's easily the most tuneful and melodic record the group had made since 1986's Grotto of Miracles, alive in the solace of death, and played with mannered guitars and piano as the lead instruments. While most would hesitate to call this record "pop" in any modern sense, there is a placid chill cast over the proceedings, the turbulence of their '90s activities all but stifled, and the cultural absorption methods of their Carnival Folklore Resurrection series distilled into songs that sound like no other examples in their catalog. It is a plangent, largely peaceful sendoff that ranks as one of the group's most memorable outings. Absolutely recommended. [DM] Order LP by Texting "omlpsunfuneral" to 767825


	$13.99 CD $24.99 LP+MP3		NO AGE Everything in Between (Sub Pop) "Depletion" "Valley Hump Crash" When I read that lo-fi noise-pop heroes No Age's new album, Everything in Between, would be "more mature" than their previous output it made me feel slightly hesitant. What I've loved most about their music is a certain naive quality, and the infectious joy it brings with it. However, after hearing the new record, I wouldn't call this No Ages' grown-up album, but it is certainly more polished, with less noise and a lot more pop. Though still featuring No Age lynchpins of pounding drums, fuzz, and obscured vocals, it's done with more constraint than on earlier recordings, with some more prominent hooks, some bigger choruses, more nuanced guitar sounds and more varied tempos, making this clearly a more accessible set. We lose some of the energy, chaos and playfulness so prominent on both Weirdo Rippers and Nouns, yet there is a newfound depth that was only hinted at in the past. The pop is still scuffed, buried and willfully obscured, but it is irrepressible -- not the soft pop of today's indie, but some of the explosive hookiness of bands like Dinosaur Jr., who were all over the great first single "Glitter" (along with a healthy dose of MBV), or Hüsker Dü, an obvious influence. Yet the highlights here are diverse, a la the Strawberry Jam-era Animal Collective-esque "Skinned" or the shoegaze soundscape of instrumental "Dusted," and "Positive Amputation," similar in style to their 2009 EP Losing Feeling, as well as closer "Chem Trails," a chugging slice of indie pop that, despite the sampled firecrackers, is reminiscent of Beat Happening far more than any noise or hardcore explosion. In fact, the latter half of the album holds many of my own favorite tracks, full of looser, more experimental songs that evolve rather than repeat what was so successful with their previous work, while the first half is loaded with driving pop-punk, or whatever that means for No Age. In the end, I will always cherish this band's early recordings, and I'm not fully prepared to let these guys grow and change. But with or without me they have done just that, making the most varied, deep -- and maybe the best --record of their career. [NC] Order CD by Texting "omcdnoeverything" to 767825 Order LP by Texting "omlpnoeverything" to 767825


	$13.99 CD $15.99 LP+MP3 $9.99 MP3		DEERHUNTER Halcyon Digest (4AD) "Revival" "He Would Have Laughed" After some calibration with early releases, the band Deerhunter embarked on a journey of no small significance, becoming one of the premiere indie rock outfits of the past five years. Due in no small part to the presence of frontman Bradford Cox, a character in his own right who's put his own upbringing in the public eye as well as his love of music, Deerhunter set the pace for sterling, selective '80s noise-pop revivalism with their Cryptograms album (and subsequent EP Fluorescent Grey), and expanded that template to swallow up the whole of '90s alternative with Microcastle and its companion Weird Era Continued. With their latest, Halcyon Digest, they pull a double-coup: Deerhunter wraps up the childlike innocence that defined the most memorable music of the past decade, and cross it up with a '60s pop sensibility that adds a dreamlike structure to these songs that's totally clean and completely integrated with their sound. It's a near-impossible feat, and yet the band handles it effortlessly, from the self-aware childlike wonder of "Helicopter" and opener "Earthquake" to the catchy garage-pop of "Memory Boy" and the abrupt, grand finale of "He Would Have Laughed" (dedicated to the late Jay Reatard). This is Deerhunter's public moment, a record that will push them to a wider audience and even greater recognition. It's well-deserved, coming from a band that has seamlessly invented and developed itself over and over into something that no one else can do quite the same. Even people who haven't liked their last few efforts will find little at fault here. Get on board, lest you be left behind. [DM] Order CD by Texting "omcddeerhunterhalcyon" to 767825 Order LP by Texting "omlpdeerhunterhalcyon" to 767825


	$9.99 CD $13.99 LP		TWIN SHADOW Forget (Terrible Records) "Castles in the Snow" "When We're Dancing" George Lewis Jr., a/k/a Twin Shadow, was born in the Dominican Republic, grew up in Florida and is currently a Brooklyn resident. A standout of the current BK scene, he has already remixed Surfer Blood, Hooray for Earth, and Lemonade. His debut full-length, Forget, is produced by Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor (with additional production by Prince Language) and released on Taylor's Terrible Records imprint. Filled with tracks reminiscent of so many great non-hit songs of the '80s, the album plays like a nostalgic mix-tape of Lewis' favorites -- think the drum machine punk-funk of early Prince, the dreamy electric pop of Arthur Baker-produced New Order, and even the moody soulful indie vibe of early TV on the Radio. (There are even moments where it seems like he's singing over a Section 25 instrumental.) His infectious hook-filled bedroom pop is so emotional that every phrase seems like a lover's plea. Lewis' refrain of "You're my favorite daydream, I'm your famous nightmare" sinks into your head during the slow-burn rock number "Castles in the Snow;" it's one of my personal favorites which I can't stop playing. (The punk/homoerotic video is definitely worth YouTubing as well.) Lewis has a talent for hitting that spot where decades collide, emotions connect, and genders dissolve, yet sexuality remains. This is another contemporary time capsule of many years past, its pointed and purposeful production technique creating a sense of timelessness throughout. If you can't get enough of the onslaught of new-school dream pop, this will go a long way toward satisfying the craving. Recommended. [DG] Order CD by Texting "omcdtwinforget" to 767825 Order CD by Texting "omcdtwinforget" to 767825


	$16.99 CD		ARP The Soft Wave (Smalltown Supersound) "Catch Wave" "From a Balcony Overlooking the Sea" After delivering two of the year's most satisfying albums via collaborations with his band the Alps and a stunning LP with UK composer/art-rock renaissance man Anthony Moore, Alexis Georgopoulos (who is also an occasional Update contributor) goes for the TKO with The Soft Wave, a new solo LP recorded under his ARP moniker. Touching upon the likes of Klaus Schulze, Takehisa Kosugi, UK library music, John Foxx, and Conrad Schnitzler, The Soft Wave finds Georgopoulos creating an odd yet gorgeous slice of beachy, synth-infused pop ambience that sees Kraftwerk's Autobahn roadster heading straight for the surf, combining clean guitar lines with motorik hypnosis, classical overtones, and soft, sun-saturated synth melodies. I can totally see this record appealing to fans of everyone from the aforementioned artists to the likes of Emeralds, Ducktails, John Cale, and Brian Eno; it aims high with a sophisticated vocabulary, but delivers in a tone and style that crosses genre lines and retains an accessible core that ably straddles pop, classical, and experimental synth wizardry with ease. With The Soft Wave, Georgopoulos proves that even machines dream of endless summers. Most highly recommended. [IQ] Order CD by Texting "omcdarpsoft" to 767825


	$39.99 CDx6		VARIOUS ARTISTS Matador at 21 Box Set (Matador) Initially run from Chris Lombardi's New York City apartment, Matador Records has spent the past two decades proving that along with impeccable taste, they are more nimble than the major labels that briefly consumed them (Atlantic and Capitol, respectively) and more eclectic than most every other large-scale indie label out there. Their past and current roster is basically the most rockin' history lesson imaginable, sporting generational touchstones like Pavement, Cat Power, Yo La Tengo, Belle & Sebastian, Guided By Voices, Interpol, Sonic Youth and Teenage Fanclub, as well as bands hard at work shaping a new indie future, like Fucked Up, Times New Viking, and Kurt Vile. If you're the jet-setting type, you will be partying with every major Matador band past and present at their blowout "21" party this weekend in Las Vegas; for the rest of us, the label has released one of the best box sets in recent memory, filled with six compilation CDs that chronicle each phase of the label's history. Each era is hilariously titled (the second wave explosion is called The Years of Milk and Honey, while the leaner third era is called Days of Whiskey and Tears), and goes a long way towards establishing the mood of each disc. What's most invigorating is hearing the big plum singles (Guided by Voices' "Game of Pricks," Pavement's "Silence Kit") alongside mostly forgotten classics by 18th Dye, the Arsonists, and San Francisco Seals. Every disc contains its share of dusted-off nuggets and reminders (remember how Superchunk's first album was a Matador release? You can hear their anthem "Slack Motherfucker" on Disc One), and reiterates what Matador has been declaring for 21 years: they have always been, and are, curators of the most eclectic mix of indie rock imaginable. Even better than a 5-disc retrospective of one of the best indie labels ever? A sixth CD of live cuts from their 10th anniversary party, featuring Pavement, Cat Power, and Mogwai. The 6-CD set comes in a handsome case, and also features a gorgeous booklet and 36 poker chips to remind you of how much boozy (it's Robert Pollard, remember?) fun you'll be missing if you're not in Las Vegas this weekend. [MS] Order CD by Texting "omcdvariousmatador" to 767825


	$10.99 CD		SALEM King Night (Iamsound) "Sick" "Trapdoor" Midwest trio Salem (John Holland, John Donoghue and Heather Marlatt) may be the new kids on the blocks to many, but they've earned some attention over the past couple of years with a dodgy and downright creepy web presence and a stream of remixes, mix-tapes, and 7" singles. One of this season's most talked about bands, Salem is of the love it or can't stand it variety, equal parts misfits, burn outs, and visionaries, and the band that best exemplifies America's next bubbling-up genre. As the nights grow longer and the temperature slowly drops, the cool, eerie, thick sound of drag (or witch house/haunted house) begins to make more sense. I prefer the drag descriptor because of the various aspects of appropriation involved, which is an undercurrent in Salem's sound. Using an until-now rare genre mix-up in the indie scene, the ingredients they employ boil down to a mixture of shadowy shoe-gaze, codeine speed hip-hop beats, pitched down dubstep breaks, boomy bass frequencies, and three vocalist, with three distinct styles, making drag the perfect categorization. Much like the mid-'90s explosion of trip-hop, followed by horror-core, and illbient, this is the modern day equivalent: slo-mo indie rock (Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine) seeped through a filter of DJ Skrew, Lil Wayne and Burial. Salem bring the noise-noir in such an unbelievably unsettling way that none of their assumed peers can match. They're white, they rap, admittedly use drugs, ultimately seem to not give a fuck, and will either astound or annoy you. All that seems to add fuel to their growing bonfire. The combination of the haunting and the ethereal hasn't been screwed with to such a startling effect since maybe Tricky's Pre-Millennium Tension; this has none of the pop appeal, however, even with the influence of popular music floating in the undertow. Their use of few elements -- heavy guitar drone, deep and dark synths, thin mechanical beats and odd samples -- shows their selective focus in creating the overall menacing atmosphere. On the upside, however off-putting they may seem, in lieu of recent releases by Lil B and Expressway Yo-Yo Dieting, they seem to be one of the more adventurous and interesting crews on the new outsider scene. Nonetheless, the jury is still out on if this is brilliant or bullocks though. I will say that I like the singing (female and male) more than the rapping (male), and that some of their beats, underneath the smoke clouds, are stunning. I'll leave it to you to see if into their smoldering forest is the way you want to go. After repeated listens, with the overcast weather in NYC lately, I'm beginning to crave their sound. This may be the perfect accompaniment for your haunted house or it just might scare the hell out of both kids and adults. King Night is definitely the most confusing, uncompromising, curious, and, um, infectious release I've heard this year. Even if they haven't, or may never, reach a certain status, they are certainly going for it, despite the haters. [DG] Order CD by Texting "omcdsalemking" to 767825


	$12.99 12"		OOOOO oOoOO (Tri Angle) Brand new label Tri Angle follows up their debut release of Balam Acab's first EP with another great 12". San Francisco-based Christopher Dexter Greenspan, a/k/a oOoOO (Os for short), has created a stellar mini-album within the broad umbrella of the on-the-rise drag genre. His, however, is not of the dark and foreboding variety; although the beats are slow, the vocals mournful, and the synths weeping, Greenspan infuses his music with brightness, like a thin flame glowing in the night. What really turned me on to the wonderment of this project was his remake of the freestyle hit "Summertime Summertime" by Nocera, sadly not included here. On that track, this bubblegum pop of the '80s got the Os treatment and was stretched out, re-sung, and made into a teary-eyed slow jam with a sparse backbeat and grimy synths changing the reality from basking in the joy of sunshine to longing for lost loves at summer's end. Similarly, on this self-titled EP (six songs/25 minutes), Greenspan creates an at times barely moving, yet emotional and soulful collection of what could be the indie version of an R&B/hip-hop ballad. Over half of the record features female vocals, helping to complete the mise-en-scène with a touch of humanity (a bit of Liz Fraser, a bit of Aaliyah). Os exist in a unique intersection of hip-hop, electronic soul of the past, slo-mo disco, and indie dream-pop without the shoegaze, and more of a synth wash. A few of the tracks, if they had come out a few years earlier, could have been released on the Italians Do It Better label alongside Glass Candy or the Chromatics, however, there's more of a 2010 blissed-out sheen here -- the guitar lines, synth stabs, finger snaps and handclaps of "Hearts" has the slow disco stride of a Pet Shop Boys melodrama. oOoOO are a welcome addition to the class of 2010. A nice slice from the slightly sunnier side of the new American indie-downtempo movement. If Salem are too bewitching, Pearl Harbor too iridescent, or you just wore out your Nite Jewel LP, getting some Os could brighten your day. Recommended. [DG] Order LP by Texting "omlpoooooooooo" to 767825


	$12.99 CD $25.99 LPx2		LIL B Rain in England (Weird Forest) "I Am the Hellraiser" "Birth to Life" Whoa. Internet rap phenom Lil B, he of hundreds of YouTube freestyles and near-countless MySpace pages, and formerly of Berkeley hip-hop crew the Pack, who had a minor hit in 2006 with their sneaker-fetishizing track "Vans," drops one of the straight-up WEIRDEST records of 2010 with Rain in England, an album of -- no joke-- stream of consciousness freestyles spit over entirely beatless ambient synth tracks. As goofy and gimmicky as it may sound to some readers, Rain in England is actually an impressive record due to its brain-frying combination and crosspollination of aesthetics from so many different strains of sound; everything from new age divination, Kraut/kosmiche synth wizardry, William S. Boroughs cut-ups, private press Christian/cult psych releases, and Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreaks are all echoed here in some form or another, most likely (Kanye aside) without Lil B intentionally referencing them. The lack of beats also tends to work in B's favor throughout the album; his flow, unrestrained by the shackles of a 4/4 anchor, actually seems more relaxed and controlled in this setting. This is more direct and less self-consciously wordy than most underground/backpacker rap, and the gooey layers of synth and electronics take the concepts of chopped & screwed and give them new blender settings. He remains positive throughout, eschewing surly streetwise posturing in exchange for surreal monologues about everything from his family, his love for all the beautiful ladies out there, and the concepts of love and hate to bizarre tales of riding a Segway to heaven. This is definitely not for everyone, but it's been surprising seeing the diverse group of inquisitive individuals who have come to the counter to ask me "what's playing?" as I've got this pumping out of the store stereo, and then noticing the purchases they've made. The fact that this record is being released by Weird Forest, home to recent projects by members of Emeralds and Indignant Senitity, as well as the likes of Fennesz, Yellow Swans, and Pita, says a lot about the album's appeal to those who travel deep in the forests of the experimental music world, as well as those who like a little w-t-f in their r-a-p. I can see the label heads brainstorming the marketing of this one: "Hey kid, you like Grouper AND Mobb Deep? Have we got the record for YOU!" The crazy thing is, it really is that f-ed up AND listenable. It's also quite good. Highly recommended for the bold souls out there. [IQ] Order CD by Texting "omcdlilrain" to 767825


	$24.99 LP		GROUP INERANE Guitars from Agadez Vol. 3 (Sublime Frequencies) The liner notes to Sublime Freq's newest excursion into desert guitar search (see also Group Doueh, Group Bombino, and Group Inerane's stunning debut album) speak to a tragedy that most musicians of the Western world could never face. Dispatched from March 2010, SF honcho Hisham Mayet traveled to Niger in the midst of a military coup. Unable to travel safely to Agadez to meet Inerane leader Bibi Ahmed, Mayet was met by Ahmed in the capital of Niamey with tragic news: second guitarist Adi Mohamed had been murdered in the insurrection. With no time to spare, Ahmed assembled a new band, featuring "second wave" Tuareg guitarist Koudede in his late friend's stead. The difficulties of life in their world notwithstanding, Group Inerane has turned in a work as hypnotic and arresting as their first album: rock music in a '50s Bo Diddley tradition, completely turned inside out in terms of scale, style, and motivation. African rhythms roll and shuffle underneath a twisting path of guitar mastery, chords and solos weaving together in a single key as the words of struggle and relief are belted out over top. Inerane remains the crown jewel in the series, even topping Doueh's madman Hendrix appropriation in terms of sheer focus and drive. Another outstanding vinyl release from this beloved label -- don't miss out. [DM] Order LP by Texting "omlpgroupguitars3" to 767825


	$18.99 CD		E.M.A.K. A Synthetic History of E.M.A.K. 1982-88 (Universal Sounds/Soul Jazz) "Alhara" "Bote Des Herbstes" Soul Jazz hit paydirt once again with a stunning, revelatory compilation of 1980s synth experiments by the German Elektronische Musik Aus: Koeln (or E.M.A.K.) collective. A collective of four producers operating out of the 8-track Originalton West recording studio in Cologne, E.M.A.K.'s music builds bridges between Germany's Krautrock bands of the 1960s and '70s -- which influenced them, the then-contemporary Neue Deutsch Welle/post-punk scene -- and the minimal dance/techno scene that lay just ahead on the horizon. This collection compiles tracks from their three privately pressed eponymous albums, and what is perhaps most astonishing is the way that their music really sounds overtly like very little else that surrounded it at the time. Echoes of Eno, Cluster, and early Cabaret Voltaire are present, but these tracks stand on their own, overflowing with dubby drumbox rhythms, classically informed synth melodies, and pre-sequencer sampling and studio effects that make these pieces throb with a deeper importance than what can sometimes pass as "obscure so therefore important" archival material. Any coldwave fan worth their weight in eyeliner owes it to themselves to check this comp ASAP, not to mention fans of the recent string of Meobius/Roedelius reissues on Bureau B, kosmiche synth pilots like Manuel Gottsching, Tangerine Dream, and Conrad Schnitzler, as well as the current crop of groups like Oneohtrix Point Never and Emeralds who have taken that torch and ran with it. E.M.A.K.'s music deserves your full attention, and thanks to this stunning collection, people will finally be crossing the bridges they built thirty years ago. [IQ] Order CD by Texting "omcdemaksynthetic" to 767825


	$17.99 CD		VARIOUS ARTISTS Rick Wilhite Presents Vibes New & Rare Music (Rush Hour) “Kaleidoscope” Derwyn Hall "Ninja" Glenn Underground Rick "The Godson" Wilhite, one of the esteemed "3 Chairs" (the other two being Theo Parrish and Marcellus Pittman, both also featured on this comp ) and proprietor of the Vibes New and Rare record shop in Detroit, has put together a Detroit Beatdown-styled compilation that is a who's-who, young and old, of house producers from the fertile Midwest. I'll spare you a dissertation on the crazy, influential relevance this compilation represents and just ask one question: when did these guys' lo-fi basement sound suddenly get so hi-fi and dynamic? All the raw, gritty, textures are still there, but now this camp is displaying a new level of dynamism and sound placement. In Parrish's "When I'm Gone," all the strings, snare pops, cymbal/bell clangs and soul-satisfying crashes exist in separate layers of reality previously unheard in this region's output. And the rest of the collection is just as good, full of beautifully mastered, varied, percolating psychedelic house and techno innovation -- this is forward moving, high quality heartfelt music. Tracks like the Godson's "Analog Love" stomp and shuffle forward with ease and confidence while ecstatic dream vocals of "Looooove, makes ya wanna do righhhhttttt..." are truly transcendent. Then there's the vapor-like, foot-sliding feel of Derwyn Hall's "Kaleidoscope," the killer "Microbust" from Wilhite and Kyle Hall, Marcellus Pittman's piano stab extravaganza "In Due Time" and Kyle Hall's "After Fall." This stuff has classic elements, sure, but the structures and the fresh sounds come across as something altogether new, altogether now. This is a record that makes one thing extremely clear: it's not about remaking/imitating the classics, it's about taking the foundation created by those classics and running with the inspiration they bestow. Super highest recommendation, and another for my best-of-the-year list. Hear and believe!! [SM] Order CD by Texting "omcdrickvibes" to 767825


	$14.99 CD		ALOE BLACC Good Things (Stones Throw) "I Need a Dollar" "You Make Me Smile" Aloe Blacc's sophomore solo effort for Stones Throw pairs him with the Truth & Soul players and solidifies his makeover from homeboy to soul man. Good Things is a refreshing and inspired reintroduction to the talented singer (and former rapper). A modern take on vintage soul, Blacc channels his inner Bill Withers and Marvin Gaye with his conscious everyman storytelling and beautiful melodies. Trading in his backpack for a bow tie and dinner jacket, he moves away from the sampled soul of his Madlib-produced debut, Shine Through, and into the territory journeyed by other modern soul men like John Legend and Raphael Saadiq. Co-produced and directed by Truth & Soul's Leon Michels and Jeff "Dynamite" Silverman, the band spins a warm and soulful acoustic backing for Blacc's political and social themes, and manages to sound fresh and modern while sticking to a palette of vintage R&B instrumentation. From the stellar first single, "I Need A Dollar" (which has already gotten a lot of play as the theme song for HBO's How to Make It in America), they set the retro-soul motif with a strong piano stride, as Blacc sings a tale of the downtrodden searching for the currency that would make everything better. Elsewhere there's the Blaxploitation flavored wah-wah guitar of "Hey Brother" with a funky horn rundown, the mellow organ groove and uplifting lyric of "Green Light," or the lazy Maytals skank and paternal anti-materialism of "Miss Fortune." Good Things sounds like Aloe Blacc had been listening to the current flashback styles of the Daptone label, and became inspired to work in that genre with a live band, but the sound is much more than an homage to the Dap-Kings. His revision of the Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale" is filled with spooky electric organ, sweeping strings, sparse drumming and an emotional delivery, and it is one of several indelible standout tracks that make this record a real original, and a lot of fun too. A soulful exploration, with a strong sense of finding the positive aspects of everyday struggle. [DG] Order CD by Texting "omcdaloegood" to 767825


	$19.99 CD		RILEY Grandma's Roadhouse (Delmore) "Picture" "Field of Green" Somewhere between the 1953 passing of Hank Williams and the circa-'57 rise of the Nashville Sound (prime architects Chet Atkins and Owen Bradley), questions about "purity" and "authenticity" in country music arose and, no matter how illegitimate, by and by had some hand in the emergence of such subgenres as "cosmic" country-rock (see Gram Parsons), outlaw country, and late-century alt-country (a/k/a No Depression a/k/a Y'Allternative). By now, the fusion of country with pop, rock, rhythm & blues, whatever, seems ubiquitous and seamless yet once there was a very real sonic and social divide -- one in which long-lost 1971 gem Grandma's Roadhouse made a brief splash then sank. Founded on the twangtrust of future "King of the Honky-Tonks" Gary Stewart and band namesake Riley Watkins (North Carolina native later transplanted to Michigan), Riley is the intriguing meeting of a Music Row maverick with a shitkicking bar band, Stewart's eerie high lonesome tenor and guitars blending with Watkins' gritty white chocolate soul tones and pickin' to hollerback to then-dominant, exogamous rustic auteurs like John Fogerty and Robbie Robertson. Grandma's Roadhouse was cut in the belly of the beast as it were -- at Owen Bradley's famous Barn -- but it's significant that it was under the aegis of the younger generation -- Owen's son Jerry had signed Gary Stewart to a publishing deal and facilitated his employ as an engineer's assistant at the studio. Nowhere apparent is '60s countrypolitan syrup; the three-way conversation between country, rock, and soul this group of players had first assayed at Muscle Shoals back in 1965 reaches its zenith herein. Often, Grandma's Roadhouse sounds like what the Burritos might have been had they been formed in Nashville's environs rather than Los Angeles, especially through the middle section when Stewart steps out on the Parsons-friendly "Love, Love You Lady" and the funky-fuzzy "You Been Cheatin' on Me Honey." Later in the 1970s, when Stewart hit with "She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)" -- after a stint in Charley Pride's group -- and became beloved of Alex Chilton (who covered Stewart's bar blues masterpiece "Single Again" on Loose Shoes & Tight Pussy), the Allmans, and Mr. Nashville Skyline hisself, that peculiar crossover was complete. However, thirty-odd years before Nashvegas got overly jiggy with rock (see Garth Brooks, Gretchen Wilson, Sugarland ad nauseam), it was still rarefied and its wilder shores commercially unsuccessful: folks forget today about Gram Parsons' toil and trouble behind all that Keith Richards and Elvis Costello shine; Riley failed in lodging their LP with Berry Gordy at Motown (perhaps due to Watkins' cannabis ode "Field of Green"?) and saw most of their 500 copies molder away. Grandma's Roadhouse shines now as a fascinating artifact of the wide-open gap between such ornery lone stars as Johnny Cash, Gene Clark, Tony Joe White, and Stewart's Kentuckian homeboy Jim Ford; and the imminent rise of southern rock, Waylon and his "Outlaw" bred'ren, and the superstardom of the Eagles. The current explosion of young bearded/mustachioed (unsigned) players worshipping at this altar of grease shows we ain't nigh done mining that seam. [KCH] Order CD by Texting "omcdrileygrandmas" to 767825


	$13.99 CD $16.99 LP $9.99 MP3		VARIOUS ARTISTS Imaginatonal Anthem Vol IV: New Possibilites (Tompkins Square) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store The fourth volume of the always-enlightening Imaginational Anthem acoustic guitar series from Tompkins Square is subtitled New Possibilities, which pretty much says it all; rather than stacking the deck with a few established masters of the genre, this edition focuses strictly on younger, emerging talents. There are plenty of artists here you may already know in other contexts, like Tyler Ramsey of Band of Horses, whose fleet-fingered, lilting "Our Home Beyond the River" spins a joyful tale that is as nuanced and emotional with just six strings as any track his full band has ever cut. Or William Tyler, who has recorded and toured extensively with Americana-influenced indie artists like Lambchop and Silver Jews, but on the achingly beautiful "Between Radnor and Sunrise" makes a strong case for a solo career (he has an upcoming full-length on Tompkins Square). The tone varies throughout, from the relatively modern approach, with accompanying organ drone and bass guitar on Chris Forsyth's set-opening "Paranoid Cat," to the traditional lap-steel swagger of Micah Blue Smaldone's "Rose March," or C. Joynes closing jig on "Jemmy Steel." Another home run from Tompkins Square, keeping the flame alive, if not single-handedly, then at least leading the charge. [JM] Order CD by Texting "omcdvariousimaginational" to 767825


	$17.99 CD		DRUIDS OF STONEHENGE Creation (Axis) "Speed" "Earthless" New York's Druids of Stonehenge, whose 1968 LP is reissued here, are in many ways the sort of band that has fueled the collector's market over the years, as the hard-to-find Creation fulfilled all of the requirements for a classic '60s garage-psych album and then some. The group took a snotty Rolling Stones and Pretty Things obsession and mixed it with the burgeoning psychedelic sound, and made a record that is packed solid with great originals and some really worthy covers. Seriously, the screams that singer, David Budge lets rip throughout "I Put a Spell on You" are alone enough to get me to recommend this, but the rest of the LP keeps pace as well. Opener "Six Feet Down" sets a great, eerie tone with pretty much just harpsichord, organ and vocals; "Earthless" is one of the best '60s folk-rock deep cuts out there, and "Speed," about the magical qualities of that drug, with its "Hey, hey, hey, I'm talkin' about speed" chorus, blows my mind every time. After serious gigging around NYC the band relocated and this LP was cut on the West Coast with producer Jerry Goldstein. The group were reportedly unhappy with songs penned by Goldstein being forced upon them and with the album as a whole, but really they do such a great job with all of the songs it is hard to find fault. Who knows how long they had to live with a song like "A Garden Where Nothing Grows" but they play it with an attitude that few bands of any era can match, and when Budge starts shrieking about "territorial rights" near the end it evokes all of the elements of rock'n'roll that have terrified squares since the 1950s. If that isn't a ringing endorsement then I don't what is. [DMa] Order CD by Texting "omcddruidscreation" to 767825


	$14.99 CD		VARIOUS ARTISTS Black Sabbath: The Secret Musical History of Black-Jewish Relations (Idelsohn Society) Well, grease my bagel! This new collection from the Idelsohn Society is confusing some, but it has got nothing to do with the purveyors of Paranoid, nor is it focused on the "kosher gospel" of current Matisyahu antipode brotha Joshua Nelson. Sure, I have myriad friends who could serve as portrait subjects for this set, instead of Cab Calloway and Billie Holiday; mine is the generation wherein angsty narratives of growing up black and Jewish on the tightrope between the implosion of the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power exploded -- but this is also not a literal soundtrack for coming of age biracial. Black Sabbath inverts the typical history of Jewish presence in black music business and appropriation of rhythm & blues (as coined by my beloved funky atheist New York Jew Jerry Wexler) to highlight instead black popular artists of the 20th century taking on Jewish religious music, folk songs and standards of the American Songbook. The bulk of the collection sits smack between the early 20th century, when black popular and activist artists' covers of "Eli, Eli" were de rigueur, and George Clinton/Parliament's 1978 Bar Mitzvah-blitzed dancefloor burner "Flash Light." The quartet behind Idelsohn (so named for the musicologist Abraham Idelsohn, potential author of "Hava Negillah"), David Katznelson, Roger Bennett, Courtney Holt, and my friend/sometime colleague Josh Kun, have been querying this black - Jewish intersection for some time; indeed, this scribe held forth about the Temptations' stunning "Fiddler on the Roof Medley" from 1968 at a Joe's Pub event a few years back for Kun and Bennett's tome, And You Shall Know Us By the Trail of Our Vinyl. Now, though, the serendipitous discovery of Johnny Mathis' recording of "Kol Nidre," unearthed while crate digging, serves as catalyst for a more thorough exploration of this under-recognized vault of song. Mathis' epic recording done with the Percy Faith Orchestra is the product of a San Francisco childhood spent visiting at Temple and internalizing the cantors' delivery. Holiday's interpretation of Abel Meerpol's "Strange Fruit" is world-renowned, but not so her tossed-off living room take on LES tenement tearjerker "My Yiddishe Momme," made famous by disputed queen of blues Sophie Tucker. Aretha Franklin's 1966 version of Al Jolson's blackface blockbuster "Swanee," with its rollicking reclamation of black southern culture, presages her immortal work at Muscle Shoals with Wexler. Even more compelling than the recordings by no-brainer suspects (Johnny Hartman, Lena Horne) are those by pop jesters with a facility for Yiddish Jive, like Slim Gaillard, whose "Dunkin' Bagel" of 1945 anticipates Clinton's space-rock wit and "Vout/Floogie" language is nimbler than the hyphy-inflected lexicon of Clinton heir Snoop Dogg, or towering women of folk-blues (see Alberta Hunter's "Ich Hob Dich Tzufil Lieb" and Nina Simone's "Eretz Zavat Chalav" that made her the toast of Israel). Marlena Shaw's funky ratification of "Where Can I Go?" (1969) as civil rights anthem is right in step with where I live, but the outstanding favorite remains the "Fiddler on the Roof Medley." David Ruffin was gone on his downward spiral by the time the Tempting Tempts joined forces with the Supremes for the G.I.T. on Broadway TV special (featuring Diana Ross' swan song), but the spectral, conga-heavy arrangement of "If I Were a Rich Man" and Eddie Kendricks' keening high vocals proffering southern/shtetl soul overshadow his absence. When Kendricks brings the lyric "Lord who made the lion and the lamb / You decreed I should be what I am / But would it spoil some vast eternal plan...If I were a wealthy man?" back to a 'Bama church, his sweet croon is equally channeling Tevye's peers in cold, Tsarist Russia 1905 and my father as young man in midcentury Jim Crow south Georgia in possession of little more than a passion for the voices of Mathis and Kendricks. Black Sabbath is a heartfelt and challenging reminder that we colored folks and the Chosen People are one in suffering, exile, and the will to overcome. If we can truly remember to live our lives the way we have lived for a century or so in our sounds, eschewing conflict and notions of difference, then we all shall make it to the Promised Land. [KCH] Order CD by Texting "omcdvariousblack" to 767825


	$9.99 CD $4.99 MP3		HIGHLIFE Best Bless EP (Social Registry) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store With a name like Highlife it's hard not to expect just another straight-up Paul Simon-esque indie-Afrobeat record. But hearing the creative and much less "pop" mix of songs on this five-track EP restores one's faith in the possibility of good ol' communal positivity being harnessed for the cause of good music. I've seen "Sleepy" Doug Shaw play live in various formations, sometimes solo, and I always hoped his recorded output would capture the way he projects his voice. Thankfully Best Bless indeed captures both Shaw's lively, Kora-esque finger-picked guitar and distinctive singing (somewhat reminiscent of an exhilarated, whirling Simon Finn) backed beautifully by the always gorgeous voice of Mira Bilotte of White Magic. Both Shaw and Bilotte are joined on bass by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti member Tim Koh and an assortment of rolling toms/percussion and psych atmospheres -- check the pulsing, then soaring psychedelic pop of "Burying Stones." The ultra positive Afro-tropical qualities are consistently grounded by some substantial folk tradition found in artists like Richard and Linda Thompson which is then tweaked ever so slightly by an additional psych element. Great stuff!! [SM] Order CD by Texting "omcdhighbest" to 767825


	$12.99 CD $9.99 MP3		WOMEN Public Strain (Jagjaguwar) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store Calgary's Women refine and develop their sound on their second album, Public Strain -- where the debut featured undeniably bright moments in a sea of turbulent lo-fi, the follow-up masterfully blends Brian Wilson-esque harmonies and beachy pop with strains of no-wave dissonance and drone that complement one another in the strangest and most appealing ways, across the entire enterprise. They have the ability to charm those looking for pop without harshing them out with abrasion, though their tendency for chiming guitar architecture and abstract themes keeps the band far to the left of indie pop central. If you could imagine the dreamlike qualities of a Fleet Foxes, but applied to a real live band that isn't afraid to go deep -- something for the young at heart, if you will -- look no further. It's a great record with a natural resonance that solidifies over a handful of spins. [DM] Order CD by Texting "omcdwomenpublic" to 767825


	$12.99 CD $9.99 MP3		ABE VIGODA Crush (Post Present Medium) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store Crush is Abe Vigoda's fourth record, and it marks another turning point in the band's malleable sound. As graduates of Los Angeles' now-legendary art and performance space, the Smell, AV have proven themselves to be constant tinkerers, one second leaning towards jagged, angular guitar rock, the next towards spazzy, tropical punk. With Crush, the band incorporates gauzy synthesizers and new wave signifiers to galvanizing effect. We're also currently offering "Throwing Shade" off the album as our Free Song Download of the Week on Other Music Digital.


	$13.99 CDx2		TOM TOM CLUB Genius of Live (Nacional) "Genius of Love" "Happiness Can't Buy Money" "Genius of Love 2001" Money Mark Remix David Byrne was clearly the brains of Talking Heads, but just as sure, Tina Weymouth and Chris Franz were the heart; one of the best, most soulful rhythm sections in pop music, and as their Tom Tom Club side-project made clear, they didn't need a mouthpiece to make funky, phenomenal music. The group earned a top-40 hit with "Genius of Love," from their self-titled 1981 gold album, and tracks like "Wordy Rappinghood" and "The Man With the 4-Way Hips" are irresistible. The group never really toured during the 'Heads heyday, but they were a smokin' live band, and this double-disc collects the best tracks from their Live at the Clubhouse album, all their hits and more, often better than the studio versions, plus a full disc of "Genius of Love" remixes from the likes of Money Mark, Ozomatli and Señor Coconut. Order CD by Texting "omcdtomgenius" to 767825


	$12.99 CD		JIMMY EDGAR XXX (K7) As the title suggests, the subject matter of Edgar's latest is raw, lurid after-hours escapades, a visit to the strip club with some bros who truly enjoy the visceral thrill of neon and nudity, and some sweltering grooves to move the night along. Edgar's funk is more old-school than new electronica, and the sentiment is old-school too. Order CD by Texting "omcdjimmyxxx" to 767825


	Pre-Order $13.99 CD Pre-Order $17.99 LP+MP3		BELLE & SEBASTIAN Write About Love (Matador) Belle & Sebastian's anticipated new album, Write About Love, comes out on Matador, on Tuesday, October 12th. Pre-order the CD or LP and we'll ship it to arrive at your door on or near the release date.


	Pre-Order $13.99 CD Pre-Order $16.99 LP		AVEY TARE Down There (Paw Tracks) We are also taking pre-orders for Down There, the new solo album from Animal Collective's Avey Tare, which hits stores on Tuesday, October 25th. Will be shipped to arrive at your door on or near the release date.


	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 [NC] Nicolina Claeson [DG] Daniel Givens [KCH] Kandia Crazy Horse [IQ] Mikey IQ Jones [JM] Josh Madell [DMa] Dave Martin [DM] Doug Mosurock [SM] Scott Mou [MS] Michael Stasiak THANKS FOR READING - all of us at Other Music

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