The Other Music Update

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	April 5, 2012


	FEATURED NEW RELEASES Burial 12" Zammuto House Masters: Murk (Various) THEESatisfaction Mi Ami Bear in Heaven Monolake Lotus Plaza Willis Earl Beal We Acediasts LP Nude Beach LP Christian Naujoks Axxess LP The Host Bola (Awesome Tapes from Africa) Mac DeMarco Derdiyoklar Ikilisi White Fence LP Kool and the Gang		Buzz LP Sic LP Thieves Like Us Makeup Monsters 7" ALSO AVAILABLE Poor Moon Robert Pollard SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT April's Customer of the Month Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/othermusicnyc Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/othermusic

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		WIN TICKETS TO NADA SURF & AN HORSE If you slept on getting your tickets to Nada Surf's now sold out show at Webster Hall on Saturday, we might just make your weekend. Other Music is giving away two pairs of tickets to the concert, courtesy of Nada Surf and up-and-coming Aussie duo An Horse who are opening the night. To enter, email giveaway@othermusic.com and we'll notify to winners on Friday. SATURDAY, APRIL 7 WEBSTER HALL: 125 E. 11th St. NYC

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		TICKET GIVE-AWAY TO ALABAMA SHAKES The buzz behind Alabama Shakes has reached a fever pitch, and rightfully so. Fronted by the incredible singing of Brittany Howard, this Athens, AL group's bluesy Muscle Shoals-influenced rock belies their young age, and the band's forthcoming album, Boys & Girls, is very well one of the most anticipated debuts of the year. The record hits stores on Tuesday, April 10th, and that night Alabama Shakes have just announced a "secret show" performing at The Studio in the basement of Webster Hall. Other Music has two pairs of tickets up for grabs, and to enter, email enter@othermusic.com. We'll notify the two winners on Friday. TUESDAY, APRIL 10 THE STUDIO AT WEBSTER HALL: 125 E. 11th St. NYC

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		WIN TICKETS TO PULP AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL! Next week, the recently reunited Pulp, featuring all of the band's original members, will be playing two nights in New York at Radio City Music Hall! With the group performing songs from all periods of their career, this is a show not to be missed. We've got a pair of passes to give away to the Tuesday, April 10 show, (Pulp's first North American concert since 1998!) with Chromatics opening. All you have to do to enter is email tickets@othermusic.com, and we'll notify the winner on Friday. Good luck! TUESDAY, APRIL 10 RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL: 1260 6th Ave (Avenue of the Americas) NYC


	$15.99 12" $9.99 MP3		BURIAL Kindred EP (Hyperdub) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store If you've been reading our newsletters for a while, you know that each release by the mythical and mysterious British producer Burial is greeted like a special, almost sacred moment; taking his time between records, when Burial does put out something, it's usually for a reason, and always worthy of our close attention. Continuing on from last year's Street Halo EP and the expansive 12" collaboration with Massive Attack, Kindred delivers a subtle shift in scope and tempo, but Burial's music is such that even subtle changes often feel like bold leaps. Here, clanking, metallic sounds are still churning, yet seem to be moving faster than before, finding his beats more in line with slower drum-n-bass than dubstep proper on the title track, or nodding to 4/4 structured house on "Loner." Vocal samples pulled from cell phones, LPs, films, and who knows where, loop, smear, accent, and narrate the crumbling and rolling rhythms, filled with grimy textures, lots of beat drop outs, lonesome synth washes, and of course, deep bass. This won't win over any haters of this divisive producer, yet for those who understand and appreciate his aesthetic and mindset, this is one of his best. Fans of Actress, Zomby, Demdike Stare -- hell, you dudes probably already have it -- well if you're at all curious, don't wait, unfortunately the vinyl won't be around forever. [DG]


	$13.99 CD $16.99 LP+MP3 $9.99 MP3		ZAMMUTO Zammuto (Temporary Residence) "Too Late To Topologize" "Idiom Wind" After more than a decade collaborating with Paul de Jong on their influential experimental pop outfit the Books, Nick Zammuto has followed the band's breakup with a great solo effort that jettisons his old group's sampledelic trickery in favor of a more organic, yet no less mind-bending sound. The carefully constructed layers of found sound that underpinned Books' music gave their sweetly melancholy folk-pop songs a new context in the face of machine music, and now Zammuto turns the tables; here he crafts weirdly timeless future-music out of living, breathing human elements. Vintage synth, glittering guitar, breathy bass and fluid jazzy drumming mix it up with sweet, often radically processed vocal melodies, as well as occasional orchestral flourishes (and truth be told, a few weird samples), to create a lush, lovely world that can verge on simple electro-pop or progressive rock's complex web without ever losing its indie heart and soul. There are moments here that sound like space-age bachelor-pad music, others that verge on '80s electro-funk, and others that could be some lost Krautrock gem, but Zammuto manages to hold the diverse offering together with a dreamy sense of fun that is infectious. Indeed, the Books are missed but this is a great new chapter in a larger story. [JM]


	$22.99 CD		VARIOUS ARTISTS Defected Presents House Masters: Murk (Defected) "Romanthony" "Interceptor" I think I may have literally cried out loud when I discovered that this had been released. Praise to Defected Records for this invaluable, long-needed compilation of highlights from Florida house production duo Oscar G and Ralph Falcon, who have released some of the best, most slept-on tracks under assorted pseudonyms since the early 1990s via their Murk imprint. The Murk sound is dark, deep and weird, yet filled with funky, jacking beats, thick bass grooves, and massively soulful vocals. They manage to be the middle ground between underground sweat and mainstream shimmer; any of these tracks could rock a peak-time dance floor, but they're more suited for the late hours of the party, like square pegs on a round floor. They make massive sounds out of minimal ingredients, often using just a synth, a snapping rhythm, some cut-up vocal loops, and a bit of percolating hand drums, blending it all into a sound that puts a sensual spin on a very gritty landscape. This two-disc set compiles 20 tracks under their various guises (Liberty City, Funky Green Dogs, Interceptor, and many others) along with remixes done for others that span their beginnings right up to the present day -- the set actually opens with two recent tracks, and they're honestly some of the best cuts I've heard of theirs. They wisely go for deep cuts rather than the hits they scored on the dance charts over the years, and as a result it makes for a more serious listen. There have been previous compilations of Murk's material, but none of them come near the depth that this one provides; they all also happen to be out of print. I really cannot stress how much I love these guys; when I brought this comp into the shop, quite a few of our staff and regular customers also audibly flipped out upon seeing it on the shelves. These guys are long due for reexamination and appreciation, and anyone with interest in classic house and dance music needs this in their collection, plain and simple. This is going on my best of the year list, and that's as high a recommendation as I can give. [IQ]


	$13.99 CD $17.99 LP+MP3		THEESATISFACTION Awe Naturale (Sub Pop) "Needs" "Earthseed" One of the jewel-in-the-crown moments of Shabazz Palaces' Black Up album comes late, when the voices of Stasia "Stas" Irons and Catherine "Cat" Harris-White take to the mic; the two intertwined female voices (Stas the rapper, Cat the singer) are somewhat unorthodox but instantly refreshing, and they definitely possessed a spark that made my ears perk up. Since 2008, the Seattle duo (and couple) known as THEESatisfaction have self-released digital EPs and mixtapes (including one of Anita Baker re-edits and one dedicated to Georgia Anne Muldrow). Their official debut for Sub Pop follows on the heels of the underground crossover success of Shabazz Palaces, yet Awe Naturale is a different yet equally infectious listening experience, and lives up to the title. THEESatisfaction co-exist in the same multi-layered cosmic-African diaspora as their brother band, blending an organic yet controlled programming technique with Caribbean, African and Latin melodies and elements of soul, blues, hip-hop, jazz, and even a lil' disco. Mixing real instruments (drums, percussion and bass) with software and samples, these ladies create a left-field sound that is subtle, fresh, and quite a seductive listen. As maybe the inverse of Black Up, or just to show support, the only male voice comes from Shabazz's Palaceer Lazaro (Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler, formerly of Digable Planets) on two tracks, again landing late in the short album. THEESatisfaction's songs are poignant due to the overall simple feeling and no-nonsense approach, but there's actually some tight and innovative sonic structures and deep lyricism at play here. Like Q-Tip and Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest, their voices complement one another nicely, at times they seem to become one, shifting from spoken to rapped to sung lyrics effortlessly throughout. If you could picture a musical gathering where Bobbi Humphrey, Dorothy Ashby, Zhane, Angela Davis, Queen Latifah, June Tyson, Dionne Farris and Nina Simone were hanging out and vibing off each other, you're on your way. If you've enjoyed recent releases by the Internet, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Erykah Badu, even Esperanza Spalding (btw, if you are still waiting for the return of Lauryn Hill... STOP!), here's another intriguing release made by strong, contemporary and talented black women that's worth checking out; it may just lift your spirits and soothe your soul. Is this the return of the daisy age/black hippy era of soulfully psychedelic, Afrocentric, feel good, thoughtful hip-hop? If so, welcome back, it's been a while! [DG]


	$12.99 CD $9.99 MP3		MI AMI Decade (100% Silk) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store Their family tree is now big enough to cover a full page, but let's go back to the basics: Daniel Martin-McCormick was the singer of millennial Dischord post-punk band Black Eyes, from Washington DC. When that group split, some of its members moved west, to San Francisco. There, Martin-McCormick teamed up with drummer Damon Eliza Palermo to form Mi Ami. They were soon joined by bassist Jacob Long, also formerly of Black Eyes, and made some skull-cracking, harsh, dubby post-punk for labels like Thrill Jockey, Quarterstick and White Denim. Following their second album, Steal Your Face, Long departed the group, leaving a power trio without the anchor. No matter -- Palermo and Martin-McCormick invested in sequencers and drum machines instead, and reinvented Mi Ami into a formidable house-disco unit, which now operates on both coasts (Martin-McCormick decamped to Brooklyn following the dissolution of the Mi Ami trio). Throughout, the rhythm remains; it's the most integral part of any Mi Ami recording. Also, they both have side projects: Palermo with disco/edit identity Magic Touch, and Martin-McCormick with both the more abstract Sex Worker, and as local dance lynchpin Ital, whose Hive Mind album has emerged as one of the most successful crossovers from indie rock to dance/electronic music in modern times. Which leads us to Mi Ami's third full-length, Decade, and a new home in Not Not Fun dance label offshoot 100% Silk. Decade takes the cue from Hive Mind to construct an album of 8-10 minute tracks, and this time around, even the exploratory disco vibes of Mi Ami's last EP, Dolphins, is given a more formal fleshing out. The four epic jams here are solid, progressive house with an unmistakable shirtless/freedom vibe, its creators now far more in control of their workstations. Comparisons to mid-period New Order (as fronted by a feral child), Arthur Baker productions, and even FM synth Top 40/freestyle are invited; this is a party that takes on all comers and keeps them moving til dawn. [DM]


	$13.99 CD $15.99 LP+MP3 $9.99 MP3		BEAR IN HEAVEN I Love You, It's Cool (Dead Oceans) "Space Remains" "Noon Moon" Led by Jon Philpot, this Brooklyn-based group has quietly gained a nice following for the ambitious, blurry, new-wave inspired shoegaze dirges that they've produced over a three-album stretch. For their fourth release, Bear in Heaven amps up the energy and euphoria a bit by turning up the synths, and the sound is all the better for it. The centerpiece of the album is the first single, "The Reflection of You," an intoxicating marriage of ambitious new-wave/art-rock synth progressions and chilly nu-skool guitar-wash euphoria, resulting in their finest recorded moment to date. Other highlights like "Cool Light," "Kiss Me Crazy" and "Space Remains" combine the tribal rhythms of Siouxsie & the Banshees with the arty arpeggios of classic OMD, but that's where the comparisons end. In the end, it's hard to take all of these disparate ideas and make them work but Philpot and Co. did it and still came out with a sound that's truly their own. Fans of M83, Depeche Mode's Black Celebration, Talk Talk and all of the aforementioned should step right up. [DH]


	$15.99 CD $24.99 LPx2 $9.99 MP3		MONOLAKE Ghosts (Monolake) "Ghosts" "Discontinuity" Fifteen years into a career full of high notes, Monolake have truly made one of their best albums to date with Ghosts. Taking cues from the recent output of standout artists like Shackleton and rewiring them to Monolake's staunchly capable individualist strengths, they have pushed forward their sound and the genre, in thrilling new ways. Starting straight away with the title track we have the industrial/EBM/buzzing factory textures of Pansonic and Einsturzende Neubauten, retooled with an overall sleekness by way of the stark tension of recent Shackleton. Yet despite the nods to their influences, the duo brings a particular restraint and grace to the arrangements that is pure Monolake. With such well-chosen reference points and execution, they had me at the first track, but the equally excellent "Hitting the Surface" lures us ever deeper into their world -- stalking beats, aquatic breakdowns and slow, steady buildups created with hollow drums, slow-mo claps, colliding voices and eerie analog fog all delivered in incrementally shifted sections that display arresting control. The excavation dives ever deeper with the throbbing and quivering "Discontinuity," with its rumbling bass and pinging submarine atmosphere. A focused, primal quality reigns throughout Ghosts, and is broken only by a few vast yet claustrophobic forays into atmospheric sound design with tracks like "Taku," "Phenomenon" and "Unstable Matter." I'm VERY pleasantly surprised by the quality and freshness of this album. Definite winner of the "old dog/new tricks" pick of the week, and an excellent album from start to finish. [SM]


	$13.99 CD $9.99 MP3		LOTUS PLAZA Spooky Action (Kranky) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store Second solo outing for Deerhunter guitarist Lockett Pundt, breaking through the shambling drone of his debut for something far more appealing and accessible. It's possible to listen to Spooky Action and hear exactly what he brings to Deerhunter both as a songwriter and performer, and how well those talents fragment off from the whole is almost as absorbing as this new album itself. It's sunny, warm, guitar-led indie rock, with songs that aren't afraid to roam around, Pundt's laconic Southern drawl keeping everything firmly grounded in the end. Picture the exact midpoint between Yo La Tengo and Kurt Vile, and you've unlocked the sweet mystery of this winning effort. If your itchy eyes and runny noses aren't exactly what you had in mind in welcoming spring, this might be what you need to pull you through the next few months of rebirth. [DM]


	$14.99 CD $9.99 MP3		WILLIS EARL BEAL Acousmatic Sorcery (XL) "Ghost Robot" "Swing on Low" Refusing to be pigeonholed as Adele's label (or Vampire Weekend's, or the xx's, or Prodigy's for that matter), XL drops some Acousmatic Sorcery with the debut album from Chicago oddball Willis Earl Beal. Almost totally unknown, even in his hometown, Beal is a 28-year-old black man and Army vet from the South Side who has lived most of his life far from the indie underground he's now jumping into. He's a talented and intriguing graphic artist (readers of FOUND magazine might recognize his folk-art inspired pencil-drawn cover art from a "seeking love" flyer they featured in issue #7), and a truly original and engaging singer and songwriter. This set features a diverse, wonderful and perplexing batch of home-recorded songs that owe a debt to varied inspiration, ranging from Tom Waits to Jandek to traditional folk blues to Shuggie Otis, while still being undeniably Beal through and through. Beal's voice is a dynamic instrument, sounding gruff or smooth, deep and soulful or harsh, depending on his mood. The tracks have a decidedly Sentridoh recording quality, raw and unproduced, but with subtle surprises in sound and mood, though overloaded guitar and trashcan percussion a la Waits are common. It's a deeply personal, twisted album, with layers of lyrical intrigue, odd humor and flights of fancy, and while it is not a masterpiece, it's probably the purest outpouring of artistic ambition and raw talent that I've heard in a long time. He sings soulfully or straight-up off-key, raps awkwardly, mesmerizes with a frail, heartbreaking falsetto, and he does a lot more; Willis Earl Beal is an artist best left to explain himself -- below, an excerpt from "Evening's Kiss," the record's most open-faced heartbreaker: "Drip-drop, window pane hypnotic / Clip-clop, concrete heels on it / I'm still disillusioned and cool catatonic / Always in a daze without smoking that chronic / And the door's still open at the end of the day / And I'm still hoping without much to say / Ask me how I'm feeling; well I'm full of shit 'n doubt / Ask me who I'm with and I'll tell you I'm without / These phantasm women got me swimming through the sea / Apprehension steady creeping, whirlpool is pulling me / So I might as well relax, go down with the flood / 'Cause my hearts been attacked and the sharks smell my blood / If I lose consciousness and I wake in the shore / I will never complain, I will never get old / Gazing at the phase of an overcast day / Watching rain fall from a dim café / Can't see the wind but I see the trees sway / Now the evening's kiss got me fading away" [JM]


	$14.99 LP+MP3		WE ACEDIASTS We Acediasts (Mesh-Key) Way back in the summer of 2001, Justin Simon (now of NY's Invisible Conga People and Mesh-Key distribution, and largely responsible for introducing Yura Yura Teikoku to the States) brought his band from Tokyo to NYC to record with James Murphy. This was when DFA was just forming its musical identity and Can and other seminal "Krautrock" was still mostly for those "in the know," but Simon and his unknown Japanese group formed a bond with Murphy, and made two albums in those sessions. One was the very grainy, lo-fi, largely live-recorded, quasi Krautrock/post-punk excursion that became the Pre Acediasts album. Fast-forward to 2012 and we finally have the proper studio LP from We Acediasts, also recorded way back when in the DFA studio but unavailable until now. And though it's more than a decade old, with influences from deep in our "Then" section, it comes across surprisingly "right now." In the same way Invisible Conga People seamlessly blends vintage synth and Krautrock with modern electronic elements to create its own hypnotic, psychedelic sound, We Acediasts fuse elements of no wave/spazzy art punk with the modern edge of the Boredoms (pre- and post-Kraut influence) and Sonic Youth. While many who drew inspiration from no wave in the early aughts could barely manage to do more than one type of song, We Acediasts took that angular bombast and quite logically wove in the expansive, arching elements of Sonic Youth, P.I.L. and even This Heat (and at times, even some of the casualness of the Fall) to make a very savvy and effective sound of their own. It could have been the musicians' common interest in Phew -- the Can-collaborating Japanese singer who worked with everyone from Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit to Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alexander Hacke -- that gave them the inspiration to make such intensely groovy/subdued, yet angular and artful music. Three Japanese dudes and an American ex-pat taking these erratic elements and harnessing them with the groove of Krautrock and the moody greyness of post-punk had the references to make music that sounds as fresh now as it was probably confusing to laymen's ears then. And that's just the A-side; the B-side flips things a bit and takes a more rhythmic, ritualistic approach, blending the patient groove of Can with the royal/celestial vibe of Amon Duul II, but while adding a few twists and turns of their own. In the end, this record is much more than the sum of its estimable influences, and despite the long gestation period, it is right on time! [SM]


	$10.99 LP		NUDE BEACH II (Nude Beach) It's actually pretty tough to make great rock 'n' roll music. One difficulty comes from two opposing forces that the audience expects from rock: you have to both mean it (sincerity), and you have to not give a damn (attitude). Most rock bands can only muster one or the other -- when both forces meet and explode, it makes for something unique and powerful. Nude Beach's II, the Brooklyn trio's second record, is both heartfelt and full of piss and vinegar -- and damn if it doesn't feel like something really special. Betz's loose and goosey guitar playing recalls great '60s and '70s riffage; Bob Seger comes to mind, as does Badfinger. But the engine that propels Betz's lovelorn rock songs is the crack rhythm section of Ryan Naideau and Jim West. Naideau's drumming strikes the crucial balance between precision, power and looseness, while West thumps groovy, energetic lines underneath Betz's rootsy guitar work. At times, the songwriting owes quite a lot to the Boss ("Walkin' Down My Street" is a ballsy rip of "Sherry Darling" -- in fact, most of the riffs on The River are well represented on II), but the references feel playful, not reverential. Nude Beach also aren't afraid to slow down every few songs and get sentimental -- the ballads "Don't Have to Try" and "You Make It So Easy" stand tall next to rockers like "Cathedral Echoes" and "Keep It Cool." Gawdamn if this isn't the best new rock 'n' roll record I've heard in a while -- imagine Bruce Springsteen shooting pool with Tom Petty and the Replacements, and you're nowhere close to how great Nude Beach is! Limited 300 LP pressing. [MS]


	$17.99 CD $21.99 LP		CHRISTIAN NAUJOKS True Life/In Flames (Dial) "Chambers" "True Life/In Flames" Christian Naujoks returns with another gorgeously intimate Dial release, this time with all tracks recorded on a sound stage complete with grand piano, concert vibraphone and a full range of acoustic orchestral instrumentation. The sound is that much more natural than past efforts, with less of a focus on soundtrack-y vignettes, and more of a collection of emotive instrumental suites, mainly centered on the vastly evocative strength of the piano. The results are strong yet somber and somewhat private; it's sweet also, and not unlike his first (stellar) album, again with some nods to Moondog and Steve Reich (although much more fragile). But True Life/In Flames is less electronic, less chapter-oriented, and plays out as much more of a constant, undulating score, exploring a similar yet steadily developing/unfurling cadence and mood. Even when Naujok's voice is introduced on "Moment I," it sits comfortably and naturally in the mix, more spoken than sung, reminding us ever so slightly of a cross between Serpentine Similar-era Gastr Del Sol and a plainclothes Robert Wyatt. (This is underscored by the way Naujoks also quotes e.e. cummings as Wyatt did on John Cage's "Experiences No. 2"). In the solo piano pieces such as "Diver" and the title track, simple, intimate yet ever-graceful melodies stroll forward creating a fitting backdrop for an imaginary waltz with an absent partner. Minimalism, post-rock, hi-fi/d.i.y. home recording, classical composition, lost love, found love, true life -- all of these things come to mind while allowing oneself to be wrapped up in True Life/In Flames, a very attractive record to share headspace with. Once it ends you'll likely not be ready to leave its atmosphere and will just start the album over again... high quality stuff here, and highly recommended. [SM]


	$19.99 LP		AXXESS Novels for the Moon (Medical) Speed, money, questions of one's manhood: these are common associations attached to luxury sports cars. Possibly the very last thing on that list would be progressive analog electronic music, and that's perhaps what makes Axxess' Novels for the Moons such an odd artifact. Created by French multimedia artist and businessman Patrick Mimran in 1983, he was then the co-director of Lamborghini Motors and his sole LP was released on the company's short-lived Lamborghini Records (who knew!?). Even stranger is just how totally far-out this record is considering the company's probable target audience. Drawing on German electronic pioneers Tangerine Dream and (early) Kraftwerk, Mimran constructed a trippy soundscape of dark, kaleidoscopic synths on a custom analog synthesizer (a smaller version was apparently also used by TD's Peter Baumann). The kosmische influence is here in full force with Mimran's fluttering synths and spacey tones battling it out, yet his sparse beat patterns lend an almost washed-out disco feel to many of the tracks here. Though Axxess ultimately gets lumped into the minimal synth genre, the intricate synthesizer work and almost-medieval flair of Novels for the Moons feels far more psychedelic and reminiscent of European prog of the '70s, albeit filtered though the d.i.y. approach of punk and early industrial. Fans of zonked-out progressive electronics, Italian horror soundtracks, John Carpenter, Klaus Schulze and his Innovative Communications label, or the more adventurous strains of cosmic disco will find Axxess to be a missing piece of the puzzle. Those enamored with the current crop of neon-addled gearheads like Gatekeeper, Com Truise, Umberto, Zombi, and the like will also find much to love here. Pressed on 180g yellow vinyl and limited to 1000 copies, you can file Axxess under music to crank when speeding down the Autobahn. Nice! [CPa]


	$14.99 CD $16.99 LP+MP3 $9.99 MP3		THE HOST The Host (Planet Mu) "Neo-Geocities" "Hidden Ontology" Based out of Northern Ireland, producer Barry Lynn has recorded five albums for Planet Mu under his moniker Boxcutter, yet for his latest release he begins a new alias, and a new musical direction. The Host feels like an exercise in melding Kraut-rock expansiveness with footwork and dubstep rhythmic structures, and being an accomplished guitarist and bass player, Lynn also brings these talents to the forefront across the twelve tracks collected here. Like label mates Kuedo and Machinedrum, Lynn is designing a new sound that is filled with deep analogue synths, live instruments, and psychedelic and futurist atmospherics alongside the stuttering hi-hats, rumbling bass, and cushiony 808 sound of contemporary electronica. Moving from beatless passages that swirl with layers of synth and jazz-fusion bass workouts, on to Terry Riley-inspired rhythm tracks that swing and bounce like a restrained Rustie, more listenable Squarepusher or instrumental Thundercat, Lynn takes us into a world filled with neon and pastel sonics, working with Neu!-esque arpeggios and John Carpenter-inspired title sequences. It's an intriguing album that grows and deepens with each listen. Definitely more headphone music than the dance floor fodder, yet Lynn includes enough beats underneath the synth washes to keep you interested and moving, which give the album body and depth. Though his Boxcutter alias seemed to be finding a nice groove (last year's The Dissolve is one of my favorites in his discography), the Host is clearly a project from the heart, driven by a love of two seemingly separate musical movements that are currently finding more time together than apart. It's a curious and exciting approach for a maturing electronic artist that didn't need to change things up. [DG]


	$13.99 CD $18.99 LP+MP3		BOLA Volume 7 (Awesome Tapes from Africa) "Burilbunbol Suma" "Yine mmema" Last year, Awesome Tapes from Africa, one of the finest mp3 blogs on the planet, finally entered into the physical realm, meaning that the astounding tapes that they have long been posting to their site for years might finally be available for fans and collectors. Their first official label release, La Grande Cantatrice Malienne, Vol. 3, came from Malian singer/ instrumentalist Nâ Hawa Doumbia. It definitely took us aback; used to the totally leftfield, clash of ancient-modern styles that usually define ATFA's aesthetics, this was just a gorgeous, acoustic, traditional album of Malian folk music. For those addicted to the unhinged sounds emanating from the site, it might have been a bit too mellow for their tastes; where was the whacked out hip-hop stylings of Ata Kak, the thunderous drums (and even more thundering female shouts) of Aby Ngana Diop? For the label's second release, they play to their base with Bola (not to be confused with the Skam electronic artist of the same name). Hailing from Bolgatanga, Ghana, Bola takes the native sounds of the kologo (a two-stringed lute) and mixes it with cheap keyboard chords and tick-tocky drum machine beats. His gruff voice atop completes the sound. For the adventurous DJs and music fans out there, this was what they were waiting for from the ATFA imprint and no doubt hints at just how different each release might be from the label. [AB]


	$8.99 CD $10.99 LP+MP3 $8.99 MP3		MAC DEMARCO Rock and Roll Nightclub (Captured Tracks) "Rock and Roll Night Club" "One More Tear to Cry" Two of the finest tracks on Mac DeMarco's new EP, Rock and Roll Nightclub, aren't even songs at all. "96.7 The Pipe" and "106.2 The Breeze" are authentic-sounding recreations of (fictitious) radio station call sign bumpers -- and they are screamingly funny. You can't help but laugh when DeMarco's voice, dripping in Robitussin, menacingly growls over a smoove 'n' sexy groove, "You're rockin' straight through midnight with me, Dojo Daniel, on 96.7 The Pipe." These moments are a gigantic wink and nod to the fact that the whole Mac DeMarco persona is just that: a ruse, but a damn good and convincing one. The fidelity of these recordings hovers just above twice-dubbed cassette quality, but that's a high compliment to DeMarco's dedication to the fantasy world he has taken great pains to construct. It's a world of alleys lit by garish neon, downtown streets dotted with fast girls, smeared lipstick... glorious, glamorous sleaze. "Meet me on the dancefloor, let me shake my thing," slurs DeMarco in the title track, and it's a testament to his charm as a singer -- somewhere between a drunken Elvis Presley and Buffalo Bill -- that we feel seduced rather than disgusted at his invitation. The single that preceded Nightclub, "Baby's Wearing Blue Jeans," is a long, lecherous look at girls on corners wearing tight pairs of Lees and Wranglers. DeMarco's sonic landscape of warm tape hiss and hazy lines about pure, gritty love is intoxicating, fleshed out by tinny, chiming electric guitar work that will be familiar to fans of labelmates Beach Fossils or Wild Nothing. But listeners who thrilled to the recent reissue of Martin Newell's Songs for a Fallow Land will also appreciate DeMarco's aesthetic and craftsmanship, while fans of Ariel Pink will be grateful for more groovy, moody pop songs. And for those amongst our customers who were intrigued by Tonetta's records but put off by the, um, lewdness of the man's lyrics, DeMarco provides a similar sound without the explicit lyrical content. [MS]


	$17.99 CD $24.99 LP		DERDIYOKLAR IKILISI Disko Folk (Guerssen) The duo known as Derdiyoklar Ikilisi formed in Turkey in the sixties, and alongside artists like Selda Bagcan, helped define the Western and Turkish marriage of music known as Anadolu Pop. It took until 1979 for the two to finally find themselves in the studio, recording three albums in the span of a year, the third and most well received being this record at hand. Combining the mid tempo, hypnotic rhythms and vocal styles of East Turkey with a relatively recent discovery of Western technology like electric guitars, Disko Folk has one foot in tradition, with the other stepping forward in experimentation. Their use of distinctly Turkish melodies and vocal deliveries are updated with a more modern style of arrangement and mellowed by heavy delay and reverb, resulting in a sometimes disorienting, but always rewarding listening experience for those not afraid of a little vibrato and repetition. A must for fans of Finders Keepers reissues from Selda or Ersen and international psych-funk fiends. [MCa]


	$14.99 LP		WHITE FENCE Family Perfume Vol. 1 (Woodsist) Tim Presley has an impressive rock and roll resume that includes hardcore with the Nerve Agents, psychedelic rock with Darker My Love, and a brief stint alongside Mark E. Smith in the Fall, and he's even brewing up a collaboration LP with Ty Segall. But enough namedropping, we're here for Presley's third solo full-length under the White Fence moniker, a record that's being released in two parts, the second half coming out on Woodsist on May 15. This is psych-folk at its finest -- just think Mark Bolan doing a cover version of "Strawberry Fields Forever" in Golden Gate Park. Presley introduces the record with an 18-second spaced-out track leading into "Swagger Vets & Double Moon" (Lil' B reference?), where he lets us know about this Family Perfume of his, accompanied by creepy offbeat ringing. Presley's drony vocals and the intentional mis-strums sound like he's invited you over to a practice session in his living room, which is probably quite a cozy place! The acoustic-fueled "Balance Yr Heart" is full of surprises, twists and turns, and is simultaneously completely danceable, but not quite as danceable as the fast-paced "Down PNX," a guitar-driven story of what living in the Bay Area must be like. "Hope! Servatude, I Have No!" is an uplifting banjo jam reminiscent of later-era Beatles while in contrast Presley recalls his more punk days with the fuzzy "Soaring, Daily Pique Number 2," featuring droned-out drums, shouting and all. The layered vocals and sporadic harmonicas on "Hey! Roman Nose" are a lovely treat, followed by "Breathe Again" which sounds like a tribute to Syd Barrett. Vol. 1 finally wraps up with a Kevin Ayers-ish "Daily Pique," and all I can say is whoah, this record just blew my mind; I'm already excited for Vol.2! [ACo]


	$15.99 CD		KOOL AND THE GANG Kool and the Gang (P&C) "Let the Music Take Your Mind" "Give It Up" Although not a huge commercial success, Kool and the Gang's self-titled debut album is considered an absolute funk classic amongst record collectors (and legions of producers looking for a clean drum break). Forming in the mid-'60s in Jersey City, Kool and his gang went through several name changes before finding one to match their sound and set them apart. The group became known for their charged live shows that included costumes and choreography, and in 1969, they brought that energy to the studio for the first time. It's hard to believe it, but when Kool and the Gang made this record they were still teenagers -- live with that one for a second -- what were YOU doing as a teenager? Their youth shines through, in the best possible way, on a track like album opener "Kool & the Gang;" it's fast as hell with a razor sharp guitar line that almost serves as percussion on the song, coated by beautifully placed horn stabs and rounded off with a noisy crowd vocal. For that "type" of funk song, it doesn't get much better than this, but the album balances out tracks like the aforementioned with more sophisticated songs like the aptly named "Sea of Tranquility" and "Breeze & Soul," which are two absolute highlights and should not be overlooked for their lower BPMs. It should also be mentioned that this "sounds" remarkably good for a CD reissue of an album from 1969. Nice one, De-Lite. [MCa]


	Buzz $17.99 LP $17.99 LP		BUZZ See You Sioux (Dark Entries) SIC Thought Noises (Dark Entries) Dark Entries offers up two more reissues to whet the appetites of you minimal synth aficionados with new LPs from obscure European groups Buzz and Sic. With the familiar (and much-mythologized) story of band members hearing UK punk, picking up a few cheap instruments, and releasing a handful of tracks before getting swallowed up by the '80s, both groups merge guitar-driven post-punk with cheap analog electronics for a primitive take on the reigning sound of the time. On Buzz's See You Sioux, originally released as a demo tape in 1985, the northern French outfit experiments with ultra lo-fi coldwave full of talk-sung vocals (in French, of course), and warbling synth melodies. Their sound is decidedly more amateurish than some of their Parisian contemporaries (See You Sioux was apparently recorded in one take), but the synthesizer tones are fantastic and nicely capture the d.i.y. spirit of minimal synth cassette culture. Second up is Sic's Thought Noises, which compiles this Belgian group's three singles recorded between 1979-1981 and includes six unreleased demo tracks. This female-fronted group turned the shambolic punk of Kleenex/ LiLiPUT into dark, minimal grooves on their early material with driving bass lines and playful synths. Yet as their brief career came to a close, Sic slowly got artier and transformed their more straight-up post-punk sound into great, Messthetics-styled fractured, lo-fi pop; their demos almost have this strange energy reminiscent of the Homosexuals-related side project Amos & Sara crossed with the Raincoats -- really nice stuff. While these reissues may not appeal to the more casual synth or post-punk fan, if you've enjoyed Dark Entries' more lo-fi reissues, or if the mention of names like Guerre Froid, Solid Space, Pavillon 7b, Polyphonic Size, Opera Multi Steel, or Twice a Man perk your ears, you'll find these LPs to be excellent additions to your collection. [CPa]


	$10.99 CD $12.99 LP+MP3 $9.99 MP3		THIEVES LIKE US Bleed Bleed Bleed (Captured Tracks) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store With this multi-national trio swelling to a five-piece, adding vocalist Martine Duverglas and drummer Dani Imhoff to the original line-up, Thieves Like Us finally hit the creative stride that great early singles like "Drugs in My Body" hinted at. While there are still plenty of New Order-isms (right down to the group's name), the band's turned up the detached, moody atmospherics amidst a backdrop of light icy synths and guitars, shuffling beats and breathy nighttime melodies. There's a distinct difference between Side A and B, the first half being more brooding and visceral (you might detect a less menacing Tones on Tail in "Fatima") but even during the latter part of the record when the band picks up the tempo for songs like "Maria Marie," the electro seems better tailored for dreaming of dancing in a smoke-filled club rather than the actual act. A bit removed from the hazy guitar jangle of much of the Captured Tracks roster and a little more in line with the distinctly European art-pop of groups like Colder or even a less cheeky Fujiya & Miyagi, fans of any of the aforementioned shouldn't hesitate. [GH]


	$5.99 45		MAKEUP MONSTERS Nervous Case 7" (Swoon) "On My Own" "I'm Not Your Boyfriend" Even though this four-song EP from Makeup Monsters comes to the shop from the Pacific Northwest, the sounds seem inspired by New York in the early 2000s. The precise, powerful drums recall Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs; the chiming guitar riffs are a dead ringer for the six-string interplay of the Walkmen; the kiss-off vocals of Isaac Solverson happily bring to mind Julian Casablancas. What I like about Makeup Monsters is their frenetic energy -- they bounce from one riff to the next like anxious, exploding popcorn kernels, almost to the point of derailing. "Nervous Case" is the centerpiece and the moodiest track, with a pulsing, dubby beat and an unhinged vocal performance from Solverson. "I'm Not Your Boyfriend" is simple and infectious, blasting off from a surfy guitar lick that had me hooked from the start. This one is for fans of left-field indie rock like Born Ruffians and the Unicorns, or any of the aforementioned bands. The 7" also includes a download code for all the songs. [MS]


	$5.99 CD $9.99 12" EP + MP3		POOR MOON Illusion EP (Sub Pop) "Anyplace" "Once Before" Debut five-song EP from Poor Moon, which features Christian Wargo and Casey Wescott (both of Fleet Foxes, Crystal Skulls fame) and Ian and Peter Murray (from the Christmas Cards). Crafted from a folky brew of lovely gentle harmonies, soft guitar and a light '60s baroque pop feel at times, Fox fans will feel right at home here. Not a game-changer but a nice new branch stemming off the family tree and a group we'd like to hear more from.


	$14.99 CD $15.99 LP+MP3 $9.99 MP3		ROBERT POLLARD Mouseman Cloud (Guided by Voices) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store Soon after the triumphant recorded return of Guided by Voices in all their beer-chugging, classic line-up glory (via January's Let's Go Eat the Factory), did anyone really expect Robert Pollard to take the rest of 2012 off? Of course not, and three months later comes Mouseman Cloud, his fifth solo album in two years, and joined by producer/multi-instrumentalist Todd Tobias, one of the more polished outings that Pollard's released under his own name. Admittedly, we're still feeling a little spoiled by having a new record from Bob, Tobin, Mitch, Greg and Kevin, but there are some new Pollard classics here that fans won't want to miss ("Continue to Break," "Picnic Drums, "Mouseman Cloud," "Aspirin Moon" and "Lizard Ladder") along with a handful of half-baked ideas, and of course a little nonsensical musing that we've all come to love and expect from the man.

CUSTOMER OF THE MONTH: APRIL 2012
If you've been visiting our East Village shop for a while you may remember the Customer of the Month display that used to hang on the column near the check out register. We thought it would be fun to bring it back... and while we were at it, why not include it in our Update so our readers could get a chance to meet some of the store regulars. This month we're spotlighting Kurt and John, who offer up some fun music trivia about themselves. (A little bonus trivia: John plays in a great NYC-based ambient-electro trio called House of Blondes -- we've got the band's CD and LP is available at Other Music.)

Name the first record you ever bought.
Kurt: "Der Computer Nr. 3" by France Gall
John: "Too Much Heaven" by Bee Gees

Name your first live concert.
Kurt: Shannon Jackson and The Decoding Society at Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin
John: Prince at MSG

Name a song you can't get out of your head.
Kurt: Something from Glass Candy or Chromatics
John: "My Best Friend's Girl" by The Cars

How long have you shopped at Other Music?
Both: Since '97

Favorite bands/genres:
Kurt: Jazz, Classical, Electronic and Pop
John: Impossible!

Favorite sections at Other Music:
Kurt: New Arrivals, Electronic, Staff Picks
John: Minimal Wave, Electronic, Staff Picks

Top 3 albums/bands you were turned onto at Other Music:
Kurt: The Caretaker, Andy Stott, and Byetone
John: Kuedo, The Wake, and Dam-Funk

Your go-to people in the shop:
Kurt: Scott, Daniel and Mikey
John: Daniel, Scott and Karen

Why record stores over online shopping?
Both: Physically attracted to LPs & CDs, the filtered selection, and the cool staff

I'm DJing the biggest, awesome-est music fest of the century. I have to be sure to drop "______________" in my DJ set:
Kurt: "Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne" by Suicide
John: "Hollywood" by Cluster


	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 Burkholder [MCa] Matt Cash [ACo] Anastasia Cohen [DG] Daniel Givens [GH] Gerald Hammill [DH] Duane Harriott [IQ] Mikey IQ Jones [JM] Josh Madell [DM] Doug Mosurock [SM] Scott Mou [CPa] Chris Pappas [MS] Michael Stasiak THANKS FOR READING - all of us at Other Music

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