The Other Music Update

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	April 26, 2012

Wow, we cannot thank you enough for braving the long line this past Saturday and supporting Other Music and all the other great independent music stores out there on Record Store Day! It was such a special day seeing so many old friends and making new ones, and hearing great DJ sets from Suckers, Finders Keepers, Four Tet, Black Dice, Ex Cops, Psychic Ills, the Men and Wild Nothing. We hope you had fun digging through the bins and were able to score some cool RSD releases -- check out pictures from the day on our Twitter and Facebook pages.


	FEATURED NEW RELEASES Ex Cops (Debut 7" on our new label!) Actress Vatican Shadow 12" Personal Space (Various) Jack White Brendan Benson Hiss Golden Messenger Black Dice Madteo ("Recast Remixes") Toro Y Moi Megan Reilly Gala Drop & Ben Chasny UV POP Mochilla Mix CDs The Burrell Brothers (Compilation)		Lost in the Humming Air (Various) Lushlife ALSO AVAILABLE Moonface Orcas Sic Alps 7" (Tronics covers) Justin Townes Earle Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/othermusicnyc Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/othermusic

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		NEW LOWER DENS ALBUM + CONCERT TICKET Nootropics, the new album from Lower Dens, comes out next Tuesday, May 1 on Ribbon Music, and that night Jana Hunter and her band will be in town celebrating its release with a performance at the Mercury Lounge. While this show may be sold out, the group has set aside five tickets for us to give away to the first five people who purchase Nootropics on CD or LP that day in person at Other Music. We don't expect these tickets to last very long, so get here early to pick up your copy of Lower Dens' great new record and secure your spot at the show! TUESDAY, MAY 1 MERCURY LOUNGE: 217 E. Houston St. NYC

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		WIN TICKETS TO ANDREW BIRD Chicago's one and only whistling baroque/folk/pop troubadour Andrew Bird plays two shows next week at New York's gorgeous Beacon Theatre on Friday, May 4 and Saturday, May 5, in support of his new album, Break It Yourself. Other Music has a pair of tickets to give away to the Friday show and you can enter by emailing tickets@othermusic.com. We'll notify the lucky winner on Monday. FRIDAY, MAY 4 BEACON THEATRE: 2124 Broadway, NYC

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		WIN TICKETS TO THURSTON MOORE & JOHN ZORN SPRINGING: A Benefit for the Poetry Project takes place next Friday at St. Mark's Church, featuring the duo of John Zorn on reeds and Thurston Moore on electric guitar, plus an opening set of poetry with LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs, erica kaufman and Dana Ward, hosted by John S. Hall. Other Music has a pair of tickets up for grabs to this great night of music and spoken word and to enter, email giveaway@othermusic.com We'll notify the winner on Monday. FRIDAY, MAY 4 @ 8PM ST. MARK'S CHURCH: 131 E. 10th St, NYC


	$4.99 45 $2.22 MP3		EX COPS You Are a Lion, I Am a Lamb / The Millionaire (Other Music Recording Co) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store We are beyond excited to have the debut single from Brooklyn's Ex Cops in our hands and on our shelves -- the first release on our new record label, Other Music Recording Co. Last fall, around the same time that we were first speaking to our friends at Fat Possum about partnering up, Brian Harding dropped off a copy of his band's self-released CD-EP. All of us at the shop were instantly taken by just how great his songs were; so taken, in fact, that we immediately began speaking to Ex Cops about doing a record with them. The versions of "You Are a Lion, I Am a Lamb (Original Dram Session)" and "The Millionaire" are the same recordings that first caught our attention and are now being released here as a 7". The group's hazy mix of influences draws on vintage British and New Zealand indie, Factory Records, and a Velvets/Feelies jangle that is distinctly New York, all brought together with their own sunbaked pop vision. Since these songs were recorded, Ex Cops has expanded its ranks into a full band, and they are currently in the studio with producer John Siket putting the finishing touches on their debut album, set for release in late summer on Other. This 7", however, is where it all begins, both for the group and for Other Music Recording Co -- OM-001. Follow Ex Cops on Twitter and Facebook. Follow Other Music Recording Co on Twitter and Facebook.


	$15.99 CD $9.99 MP3		ACTRESS R.I.P. (Honest Jon's) "R.I.P." "Holy Water" Though Darren Cunningham has been running the Werk label since 2004, his Actress moniker seems to have found a natural home on Honest Jon's. Among the likes of deep-in-leftfield electronic producers such as Burial or Zomby, Actress creates music that is rooted in British rave culture, yet he's the dark knight, the guy standing next to the speaker, hoodie on, observing and absorbing his surroundings, taking it all in and picking it apart. Actress' third full-length (second for Honest Jon's) follows various remixes and his journey to Africa as part of DRC Music, R.I.P. being a subtle and delicate departure from his previous work and an exercise in 'less is more.' Hazyville, from 2008, and 2010's Splazsh were both meridian electronica that ran house and disco through a filtered tunnel-vision cycle, morphing the bleeps of Detroit techno with the low-end wobbles of UK bass. His was a loopy, choppy, yet amazingly deep and dizzily soulful collage of elements that all seemed to be stripped and simplified, then warped and transported into the depths like an urban fusion of Theo Parrish and Basic Channel. Cunningham has always used algorithms and microtones in his work, you could say it's his skill, and for this album, he applies that skill in new ways, creating an organic and emotive journey. The sonic shift is present during the first suite of tracks, "R.I.P," "Ascending" and "Holy Water." Devoid of rhythmic thumps or big beats, these pieces blend into one another nicely in a series of open sonic swirls, sparkling patterns, and fizzy bubbles referencing gamelan and African trance music, classical string and piano compositions, and manipulated deconstructions, feeling at times closer to Aphex Twin, Flying Lotus, or even Caretaker, to great surprise. The album's themes are death, sleep and religion, things searched after for an eternity and lost (or found) in an instant, and through the sequence and pieces arranged here, the overall mood actually is calm, peaceful and focused, a bit melancholy, and quite beautiful throughout, building organically in emotion. Only rarely does a bass drum come into play, and these 'house' tracks are spaced out between restrained and tender passages, growing closer together as the record progresses, allowing you to feel the album creating a movement and arc, with the end result leaving the listener satisfied and hypnotized. Cunningham uses his new sound bank to create the 'sense' of dance music, without falling into the typical kick, snare, cymbal combo, with mainly synth and software as his tools, developing sounds that mirror organic instruments -- piano, bells/chimes, and strings along with rich bass. Actress processes the sounds into open polyrhythmic layers that snap and crackle, show distress and become quite psychedelic and trancey a la Kraftwerk or Steve Reich at times. There are lots of reference points to make during this career-shifting album, yet his touch is highly individual. Actress seems to be have grown while expanding and opening this new sonic path, perhaps intending a less claustrophobic, dark and ravey listening experience. It's quite a wonderful surprise from an artist I always liked and respected, and is better than I hoped. If you like ANY of the above mentioned, you should check it out. Welcome to the next phase in Afro-futurism. Highest recommendation. [DG]


	$15.99 12"		VATICAN SHADOW Iraqi Praetorian Guard EP (Blackest Ever Black) We finally have Blackest Ever Black 08 in stock: Vatican Shadow's Iraqi Praetorian Guard -- a welcome (sigh of) relief since we had a good handful of diehard underground music fans coming in and clamoring for it a full month or so before its actual release! It is no small wonder since this record features Dominick Fernow (of Prurient/Ash Pool/Cold Cave and Hospital Records fame) as well as a sidelong Regis remix. With Fernow leading the way, we know we are headed towards less-than-comfortable territory, the tracks infested with an uneasy, tense atmosphere. Dull guitar scrapings in a militaristic rhythm bear the texture of feverish blood surging through the body, with a throbbing bass counter-woven, while glistening textures run through as shrapnel-like shards of metallic debris incidentally fall in the background. These tracks feature distant, buried vocals either echoing in a unified war cry of religious fervor ("Cairo Sword Unleashed") or as a gentle, grey layer of monastic chants anchored by a distant pile-driver ("Gunmen with Silencers") -- this unique, unsettling balance of vocals to texture are reminiscent of early Dogs Blood Rising-era Current 93 but without any dark poetry laid on top. Vatican Shadow's focus is on subtle rhythm, claustrophobic atmosphere and an ability to create tension and a sense of impending violence. The hints to Muslimgauze in the cover art and track titles only become more evident in the Regis remix of "Church of All Images," where a stark, isolated tabla bass hit is interwoven with slashes of static. But the track then goes through multiple permutations as an even heavier bass kick is introduced and the slow, aggressive march to war clicks into full gear, building and shifting with a focused level of evil that finally subsides in a hazy cloud of Wagner-esque strings. For its sheer diversity and movement, "Church of All Images" has to be one of the best recent Regis cuts to date. Very limited, these won't last long. [SM]


	$19.99 CD		VARIOUS ARTISTS Personal Space: Electronic Soul 1974-84 (Chocolate Industries) "Disco from a Space Show" Guitar Red "If You Give a Dance" Cotillion Having long been a fan of those rare early moments when acoustic soul and jazz turned towards the electronic, I've enjoyed glimpses in the 1970s-era work of Sly Stone, Herbie Hancock, Timmy Thomas, Stevie Wonder, Shuggie Otis, and Gil Scott-Heron, and of course the many projects associated with Prince throughout the '80s, before the soulful bedroom producer became a kind of norm by the '90s. When I first heard about this compilation more than five years ago, a Dante Carfagna-curated collection of D.I.Y. private-press black electronic soul from the 1970s and '80s, I was hooked, and Personal Space is by far one of the best and most compelling comps that we've had on our shelves in a long time. Carfagna is a legendary crate digger, DJ, archivist and writer (an editor at Wax Poetics), who also compiled Midwest Funk, Chains & Black Exhaust and a few releases for the Numero Group. On Personal Space he pulls gems out from the depths of garage-sale soul. The only name that some may recognize is Jeff Phelps, whose two tracks here are also on his recently reissued LP Magnetic Eyes (Tomlab). This Texas bedroom producer created four-track, drum machine soul that merged rap, new wave, and industrial elements into an outsider odyssey that has been name-dropped by Dam-Funk and Nite Jewel. All seventeen of these nuggets create a needed exploration of the black American electronic outsider world that existed far away from the discos, bars, clubs, airwaves, and major labels, mainly just an inspired person with a simple home recording studio, a good idea for a song, and a few bucks to get it pressed on vinyl. These are beautiful, weird, raw and wonderful recorded moments of the black experience in funky experimentation from Newark, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Cleveland, Cincinnati, L.A., and Princeton across a ten-year period, from 1974-1984. I could go into detail about the standout moments, but honestly every second of the whole damn thing is worth talking about, so I'll leave it at this: any fan of Minimal Wave (the label and the genre), Numero's funky discography, freestyle, boogie, electro, new wave, early hip-hop, the history of the drum machine, or modern outsider music, do yourself a favor and buy yourself two copies, you'll no doubt wear one of them out. An all around hit at the store, and the beauty of these songs can't be overstated. Honestly, recommended for everyone. [DG]


	$13.99 CD $24.99 LP		JACK WHITE Blunderbuss (Third Man) If there was any question that Jack White is one of the most talented, enigmatic and just plain satisfying rockers of the modern era, this first solo album will definitively lay it to rest. And for those who thought the White Stripes was essentially Jack White solo, it will silence you too; Blunderbuss is surely closer to the blues-rock ballast of that iconic band's sound than White's collaborative projects the Raconteurs or Dead Weather, and for my money more enjoyable front to back than anything those groups have released thus far, but it does lack the singular focus of Meg White's primal rhythms and visions, which, it seems, drove Jack to craft his most earth-shattering riffs. Instead, this new set takes White's inalienable assets -- his hungry, heavy-as-lead guitar power and from-the-gut vocal yowl, and a songwriting bent that is utterly original but deeply influenced by electric blues, early rock & roll, and the 1970s rock gods who drank from the same well -- and lets them run free across 13 diverse tracks. The rhythm skitters and swings, the piano (and electric piano) pounds, shimmies and shimmers, and that guitar brings the power and the thunder, but also nuance and light. There is a lot to read into White's lyrics, and if you are caught up in your rock heroes' personal lives, you will hear thoughtful and elliptical commentary on the loss of his best band, his wife, perhaps a piece of his soul over these last few years, but in the end this record, as with most of White's music, never wallows, and always celebrates that soul-saving power of rock & roll. Blunderbuss is not a perfect record, and it lacks that one, inescapable monster riff that White occasionally whips out to slay all comers -- but hell, it still rocks harder, and with more honest feeling, than anything I've heard in many moons, and that's really all I can ask for. [JM]


	$12.99 CD $17.99 LP		BRENDAN BENSON What Kind of World (Readymade) "The Light of Day" "What Kind of World" Michigan native Brendan Benson has had a musical career that has followed roughly the same trajectory as those who would ordinarily be called his peers -- Jason Falkner, for instance -- who've been writing pop music in a traditional fashion for years, and who've been swimming upstream amidst record company politics and radio programmers' fickle ears, yet who make music that is entirely commercial in a winning, nostalgic mode. Benson's story started at Virgin Records back in the mid-'90s, when his debut album One Mississippi sank without trace, and his contract expired. I didn't hear him until Isaac from Star Time International put a CD of his in my hand at a French Kicks show at Luxx out in Williamsburg. A few tracks from that album, Lapalco, drilled their way into my subconscious (the ballad "Metarie" in particular), and then I realized that same CD had made it into the jukeboxes of some of my neighborhood watering holes as well. Who the hell was this guy, and why wasn't he famous? Because there's no more room for guys who write perfect pop music to achieve the level of fame of a Todd Rundgren or a Matthew Sweet, or even an Eric Carmen, you have to compartmentalize a guy like Brendan Benson for a bit in order to understand what makes his music work. Benson's had some lucky breaks along the way, not the least of which being a spot aside Jack White as the chief songwriters of their pop supergroup the Raconteurs. But he sounds most comfortable when he's making the kind of record that falls into the traditions of what drove him to be a pop musician in the first place, and that's exactly what his latest album What Kind of World is -- radio-friendly, multi-faceted, brimming with big pop hooks in a variety of vetted styles. It's about as close as you're going to get to that vaunted ideal of the studio wunderkind these days, creating unbeatable melodies and winsome feeling in his laboratory. [DM]


	$15.99 CD $9.99 MP3		HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER Poor Moon (Tompkins Square) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store For the last two years, records by Hiss Golden Messenger have appeared at the top of my year-end best-of lists for Other Music. M.C. Taylor first hit me extremely hard with his 2010 Bad Debt. That album, just voice and guitar, was exceedingly good, smart, and brave, and it was so conjoined with contemporaneously affecting experiences of my own that I was willing to ascribe to it metamorphic power, and I still am. Poor Moon appeared in 2011, as stout and vigorous as Bad Debt was skeletal and sparse, released as a limited LP by the fine Paradise of Bachelors label from Durham, N.C., where Taylor also makes his home. That record filled up all of my summer and its depth and breadth endured easily into the fall, when news came that it would be issued digitally and on CD by Tompkins Square this spring. Poor Moon is the sound of Taylor, joined by his long-time co-writer and arranger Scott Hirsch, corralling a mighty and potentially messy herd of, in the words of Tony Joe White, "elements and things" -- musical and textual; popular and folkloric; sacred and secular and pretty well goddamned -- into a folk-rock masterpiece that reveals itself both in short bursts and over long arcs, realized both minutely and effortlessly. Needless to say, it sounds as good, as vital, and as essential today as it did when it first reached me last summer. And with Tompkins Square's re-release, Hiss Golden Messenger is now the morning-line favorite for 2012, and thus a shoe-in for hitting my Other Music best-of trifecta. [NS]


	$13.99 CD $18.99 LP $9.99 MP3		BLACK DICE Mr. Impossible (Ribbon) "Pinball Wizard" "Shithouse Drifter" Black Dice's sixth album (and first for the Ribbon label) might seem at first glance to be an extension of their post-DFA material, Load Blown and Repo. Yet for being one of the most idiosyncratic Brooklyn bands for the past decade, the striking thing about Mr. Impossible is that it's peculiarly "accessible." Not necessarily pop, but it feels sorta sleek and new wave as if, after so many years exploring the outer recesses of noise and drone and bracing pastiche, Black Dice have now nudged ever so carefully towards structure. Okay, so it's structured in the sense that Butthole Surfers, Boredoms and Sonic Youth have structure to their chaos. They also have twisted drum machines, blasts of fuzz, and alien gibberish, yet it's put together in a way that on something like "The Jacker" or "Spy Vs. Spy" it feels strangely anthemic and rocking. [AB]


	$14.99 12"		MADTEO Recast Remixes (Meakusma) At the moment, we'd be interested in most anything remixed by any one of the three heavy hitters featured on this EP -- I mean, Kassem Mosse, Anthony "Shake" Shakir, AND Marcellus Pittman???!!! And even though I'd probably slap cash down for a piece of plain cardboard with these three names emblazoned on it, it doesn't hurt that the original track is by NYC's Madteo, with vocal duties by the one and only Sensational. The original is a deep and dirty affair from a very heady producer in his own right, who has been making waves in his own unique way, with records on the amazing Workshop label and on Morphosis' Morphine label. But with these three mixes, each taking the original and running in completely different directions altogether, I'd consider this a triple A-side 12" in the "must-have" category. The track-by-track breakdown: First up for me is the Kassem Mosse remix (track B-1). As we've been saying for a while now, Mosse has been consistently killing it, and he manages to defy expectations yet again. Why this guy didn't save this beat for his own album I don't really know, but I'm just glad to hear it. The way the track is both lumbering and sleek, and so earthy yet so effortlessly psychedelic is truly eye-opening and impressive. It's massive and "funky" in a way that makes the word funky seem, well, a bit silly if you know what I mean. Kind of the way recent Andy Stott could be considered funky, but not really -- if you have heard his recent output, you know this is something Kassem Mosse just excels at. And the restrained use and placement of a massive clap sound just kills me; I'd buy the EP for this track alone. Then there's the gorgeous sidelong A-side by Marcellus Pittman. While even some of the best tracks from Pittman could be described as a bit "dry," this remix stands out with an almost uncharacteristically languid, classic '80s metropolitan floatiness over a naturally grooving, gently locomotive beat, with no vocals included. It bubbles along with just the right amount of detail, as great as you'd expect from this 3Chairs chair holder, but there are a few more layers to this one without at all distracting from its classic Detroit house efficiency -- really great track! Finally we have Shake Shakir's remix that sets the vocal snippets in a swinging, cosmic quasi hip-hop tom-tom beat structure. It weirdly erects a bridge connecting old-school '80s future-minded hip-hop with weird Arabian harem/Laswell bass line soundtrack vibes. He stretches and percolates the vocals to almost resemble Eric B. and Rakim's "Make 'Em Clap to This," and it works, beautifully. If you didn't get it already, I'm recommending this one! [SM]


	$13.99 CD		TORO Y MOI June 2009 (Carpark) "Best Around" "Talamak" Considering that most of us didn't even hear of Toro Y Moi until just a few years ago, the act of unlocking the music vaults might feel a bit premature. Then again, Chaz Bundick's been using his Toro Y Moi guise for over a decade now, going back to his early bedroom recordings as a 13-year-old, long before chillwave was even a glint in the music vernacular. What we have here is actually a reissue of a tour-only CD-R from 2009 that appeared around the same time as his self-released album, My Touch -- only months before Carpark put out the "Blessa" single, which is probably ground zero for most fans. Where the aforementioned My Touch plays like a precursor to the blurred explorations of funk, dance and house that Bundick's been visiting more recently, as on last year's Freaking Out EP and his Les Sins side project, this set finds the young songwriter trying on a variety of styles -- the recording's way more lo-fi than anything even on Causers and much more indie rock in feel. A fun and slightly tongue-in-cheek narrative about longing to move to New York, "Take the L Train to Leave" plays like Prince and Ariel Pink reimagining Pavement's "Cut Your Hair" on a 4-track in Paisley Park's basement, complete with cheap Casio synth leads. But in songs like "Girl Problems," Dead Pontoon" and "Ektelon" there's not a keyboard to be found, only layers of spindly reverbed guitars and a loose, murky rhythm section supporting his throaty melodies and multi-tracked falsettos. It's not until the latter part of June 2009 that the smeared beds of synths and J-Dilla-esque beats that put Toro Y Moi on the map really begin to appear, including an early version of "Talamak," which would be revamped for Causers of This. At this point the rest is history, leaving June 2009 to be more of an evolutionary footnote in the Toro Y Moi discography, but not without many moments that curious fans will still enjoy. [GH]


	$13.99 CD $13.99 LP+MP3 $9.99 MP3		MEGAN REILLY The Well (Carrot Top) "To Seal My Love" "Sew the Threads into Your Heart" Megan Reilly has somehow managed to mostly fly beneath the radar thus far, releasing a pair of low-key, deeply soulful and utterly charming country-folk albums on the equally low-key Carrot Top records, but if there is justice in this world -- is there? -- The Well will change that. The New York via Memphis singer/songwriter has more than a few aces up her sleeve here, starting, as it should be, with a fairly stunning set of woozy, dream-filled, heart-tugging and emotional songs -- always a good start -- but delivering on the hazy promise, and then some. Reilly's regular band is all ringers, with James Mastro (Health and Happiness Show, Patti Smith) on lead guitar, Tony Maimone (Pere Ubu) on bass, and Steve Goulding (Mekons) on drums, and augmented here by a couple more dreamweavers like Lenny Kaye, and they play with a weary, primal swing and sway that is utterly embracing. Frankly, a band this good deserves a name, but it's Reilly who is at the center here, and her voice, somewhere between Neko Case and Dolly Parton, is a soaring bird of sorrow and joy, bell-clear but full of mystery and hauntingly emotional. The sound is time-worn and plain-spoken, a mix of classic country twang and folk-pop simplicity, but rich with jazzy instrumental textures and subtle flourishes that give these songs infinite depth, like a deep, cool, nourishing well, I suppose. Take a long drink of "The Lady of Leitrim," "Throw it Out," "To Seal My Love," or the lovely John Wesley Harding duet "The Old Man and the Bird," and you will be utterly refreshed. [JM]


	$15.99 12"		GALA DROP & BEN CHASNY Broda EP (Gala Drop) We were a bit surprised at first to see the Lisbon-based freeform freakout composers Gala Drop collaborating on a mini LP with Six Organs of Admittance's Ben Chasny, but figured they shared a penchant for cosmic, exploratory (if not soupy) psychedelic voyages. It turns out Chasny is a longtime fan and brought them on tour in 2009, and Gala Drop busts out here full-on indie style, releasing this LP in limited quantities on their own Gala Drop Records. The sound is a strange yet natural and soulful take on modal rock composition, embracing '70s Miles, Funkadelic instrumentals and Saturn Records Sun-Ra in a way that so-called experimental post-rock never could. Tortoise immediately springs to mind at the onset of "Positano," but soon the record grooves into uncharted territory, while still allowing the artists' influences to crop up here and there without concern; things shift from modal jazz to composition to improvisation to almost classic rock naturally and without warning. The equal love given to composition/control and to unhinged abandon that threatens to spin off the road is both unexpected and exhilarating, and a climax often builds, reaching the point of no return only to bounce right back into the pocket with full control. Chasny's snaky-wiry, sometimes wah-wah guitar finds a path through sheets of hissing and gurgling synth (Nelson Gomes) rooted by propulsive Afro-esque conga drums (Jerry the Cat -- yes, the same guy who's worked with Theo Parrish and Moodymann). With all its references to avant jazz, there is also a surprising amount of naturally occurring '60s rock jammy-ness that sits quite comfortably alongside its more forward-thinking ideas. Interesting to see these elements woven together in a way that an American indie band never could: loose, weird, exploratory and controlled without that paralyzing self-consciousness that mars most modern groups. [SM]


	$13.99 CD $15.99 LP $9.99 MP3		UV POP No Songs Tomorrow (Sacred Bones) "No Songs Tomorrow" "Sleep Don't Talk" Sacred Bones is definitely on a winning streak. Following a string of acclaimed releases from the likes of Zola Jesus and the Men, the Brooklyn imprint looks back to the sound that's helped to shape their current roster with the stunning reissue of UV POP's 1983 debut LP. Fans of the darker edges of British post-punk and coldwave will recognize the basic structure of No Songs Tomorrow, which combines minimal drum machine beats, skeletal guitar lines, obscured samples, and a heavy, gothic-laden vocal delivery from sole member John K. White. Yet, despite this formulaic set-up, UV POP's execution is completely spot-on, mixing a variety of styles and moods that knowingly pays tribute to punk pioneers while maintaining a distinctly personal approach that is both stark and engaging. With tracks ranging from the brooding melancholy of Joy Division or Seventeen Seconds-era Cure, the industrial fuzz of early Cabaret Voltaire, to dark, acoustic folk experiments that presage Douglas P's Death in June, the tone here is decidedly bleak. Yet, even with a sound so reminiscent of these darker recesses of post-punk, the under riding existential despair that fills these tracks never devolves into gothic self-pitying as could happen in less able hands. Instead, UV POP keenly balances experimental production and a gothic sensibility that aligns them with the masters of the genre. An absolutely essential reissue for fans of the aforementioned groups, Virgin Prunes, Coil, Bauhaus, Sad Lovers & Giants, Joy of Life, Ike Yard -- you get the idea. Highest recommendation. [CPa]


	Ta'Raach $13.99 CD Babu $13.99 CD Tropicaza $13.99 CD Bei Ru $13.99 CD Coleman $13.99 CD		TA'RAACH Ambassador Bridge (Mochilla) BABU Konnichiwa Bitches (Mochilla) TROPICAZA ¡A Mover El Bote! (Mochilla) BEI RU Midnight in Yerevan (Mochilla) COLEMAN Sounds of Al-Mashriq (Mochilla) Photographers and filmmakers Eric Coleman and Brian "B+" Cross are two men not only noted for their sharp visual aesthetics, but also for their love of international urban music and all-around good taste. Their talents range far and wide, influencing the visual look of the California beat scene and designing many of Stones Throw's best album covers, as well as creating colorful features in Wax Poetics. They have also been running their Mochilla production company since 1997, recently releasing new recordings and documentaries of Mulatu Astatke and Arthur Verocai and an orchestral interpretation of J-Dilla's music. Additionally, their long-running series of DJ mix CDs have featured some of the world's best beatmakers, including Madlib, Quantic, Shafiq, J-Rocc and Ras G. Mochilla's latest installments of mixes now goes global with five new releases, each disc a sonic capsule of a time and place. First up, Detroit rapper/producer Ta'Raach's fantastic Ambassador Bridge is a musically narrated journey through the Motor City, moving from proto-punkers Death to J-Dilla, and Motown to house. Next, world famous Beat Junkie DJ Babu demonstrates his beat juggling skills with great results on Konnichiwa Bitches, a mix filled with songs and breaks mainly pulled from disco and soundtrack funk from Japanese film and television. ¡A Mover El Bote!, from Mexico City's Tropicaza, is an awesome mix of south-of-the-border indigenous and popular jams with African undertones circa 1964-1979, while Bei Ru's Midnight in Yerevan features music from Armenia dating from the late-'60s and '70s, when the region experimented with pop and electronics. Last but not least, and quite possibly my favorite of the lot, is from label boss Eric Coleman. Sounds of Al-Mashriq mixes modern and classic music from Mashriq (an area between Iraq and the Mediterranean), collected while Mochilla were working in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt. And as a nice bonus, he also includes Middle Eastern-infused hip-hop in the mix. As with all of the series, these are great and funky mixes done out of love and full of plenty awesome selections across the board, each with a distinct personality. Each CD cover features a photograph from B+ or Coleman taken in the respective region highlighted. I loved the last batch of mixes, and couldn't have asked for a better way of catching my breath following Record Store Day than getting lost in the world party that these new releases creatively conjure. It's a great ride and an ear-opening experience. Fans of Sublime Frequencies, Mississippi, Finders Keepers/B-Music, Now Again/Jazzman and Stones Throw shouldn't hesitate. Digger's choice for sure. [DG]


	$17.99 CD $24.99 LPx2 Pt. 1 $24.99 LPx2 Pt. 2		THE BURRELL BROTHERS The Nu Groove Years 1988-1992 (Rush Hour) With the Paradise Garage shuttered and attention going towards the burgeoning of techno in Detroit and house music in Chicago, the birthplace of American dance music, New York City, for the first time in two decades felt left out of the mix. Enter Rheji and Ronald Burrell, two brothers who had recently been spurned by Virgin America and found themselves now hooked up with the nascent Nu Groove Records. The Burrells dropped the pliant and gritty "Feel the Love" as Tech Trax Inc. and NYC was well on its way to a new dance music renaissance. Nu Groove grew to be a powerful house music label, launching the careers of heavyweights like Joey Beltram, Bobby Konders, Frankie Bones and Kenny Dope (to name but a few), but the work of the Burrell Brothers cannot be underestimated. And once again, the folks at Rush Hour do a Nobel Prize-worthy job of compiling and reissuing these tracks. From the raw, jacking moves as N.Y. House'n Authority to the mesmeric pounding K.A.T.O. and Bäs Noir sides to the more jazz-inflected grooves as Aphrodisiac, the Burrells reminded folks why New York would always be the epicenter of dance culture. Killer reissue and worthwhile for folks interested in dance music history. [AB]


	$17.99 CD $9.99 MP3		VARIOUS ARTISTS Lost in the Humming Air - Music Inspired by Harold Budd (OKTAF) "Rye Fields" Loscil "The Only Rose" Xela The task of compiling a Harold Budd tribute that does justice to the man is definitely a delicate one. Budd, whose extensive discography includes collaborations with everyone from Brian Eno to the Cocteau Twins, creates heavenly, romantic music that's often led by atmospheric piano, and marked by a melancholic yet hopeful sound. The OKTAF label has done a very solid job of not only choosing the right artists for this tribute, but also in getting them to offer tracks that are more inspired by Budd rather than simple imitations of his singular work. Contributions from Marsen Jules and Taylor Deupree are perfectly fitting as expected and Biosphere, one of the senior artists in this roster, absolutely nails the correct mood with the somber minimalism of "Det Var Kulmorkt Hjem," where hesitant strokes of a piano walk atop the instrument's lingering sustain. Elsewhere, Deaf Center's "Plateaux" is built from tones reminiscent of Budd, only the ever-hopeful vibe of his music is replaced here by the Norwegian duo's subtle air of uncertainty, while Loscil's "Rye Fields" conjures a slow-forming vaporous shape where a piano melody eventually cascades outward. This track's success lies not only in its unexpected snail pace (even for Loscil) but also in how the piano does not resemble a typical Budd melody while still achieving the same "state" that the composer is known for -- the feeling is like a sweet heavenly waltz through the clouds. Xela also hits pay dirt with "The Only Rose," where the gentlest rain texture is simply and effectively accompanied by light, soft-focus piano melodies -- just gorgeous! Despite Lost in the Humming Air's ease and beauty, this is definitely not just another ambient wallpaper compilation. Every artist here has paid a respectful and inspired tribute to one of the great ambient/new age composers; the musicians have donated all of the tracks and proceeds will go to a charity project chosen by Harold Budd himself. [SM]


	$13.99 CD $15.99 LP+MP3 $9.99 MP3		LUSHLIFE Plateau Vision (Western Vinyl) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store Philadelphia producer/MC Lushlife returns with another collection of authentic indie-bro-hop. His previous album, Cassette City, found him enlisting Ariel Pink, Ezra from Vampire Weekend, and Camp Lo, and this time out he's working with members of Titus Andronicus, Styles P, Brown Recluse, STS, Heems, Cities Aviv, and new Brainfeeder signing Ryat. Blending stylistic production reminiscent of Kanye, Drake or Timbaland, deep bass lines swell underneath bleeping synths, bouncing beats and deep chords one moment, and something feeling more like a pastoral and moody chillwave track the next. Lushlife is a classically trained musician, so whatever mood he chooses (and the moods do shift throughout) he's able to nail the sound he's after. Like a backpacker version of Toro Y Moi or Clams Casino, Lushlife's productions blend blissed-out melodies with snappy beats. His first claim to fame was a Kanye West-Beach Boys mash up called West Sounds, and that's still the mindset he applies here. Production-wise, Plateau Vision is one of the better alternative rap albums that I've heard in a while, but my main criticism would be with the rhymes; his raps can lack a distinctive presence or lasting power to match the depth of the productions, leaving me feeling a little unsatisfied in the end, but still, there is some solid enjoyment here. [DG]


	$13.99 CD $14.99 LP $9.99 MP3		MOONFACE With Siinai: Heartbreaking Bravery (Jagjaguwar) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store Spencer Krug is a prolific and restless soul of sorts, spearheading Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown, as well as collaborating with groups like Frog Eyes and Swan Lake, not to mention this solo project at hand. His previous Moonface releases have been centered around a single instrument revealed in each record's title (2010's Dreamland EP: Marimba and Shit-Drums and last year's Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I'd Hoped) but here we find the Montreal songwriter collaborating with a full band, Finland's Siinai. What results is an incredibly powerful, dark, atmospheric set, as Krug channels his inner Bowie over cascading pianos and throbbing synths, motorik drums and dramatic art-rock flourishes.


	$14.99 CD $17.99 LP+MP3 $9.99 MP3		ORCAS Orcas (Morr Music) "Pallor Cedes" "Carrion" Debut full-length from Orcas featuring Benoit Pioulard (a/k/a Thomas Meluch) and Rafael Anton Irisarri (who records as Sights Below), a duo whose individual solo works have been released on Ghostly, Kranky, Miasmah and Touch. The nine songs here really do equal the sum of the parts, the hazy-pop signatures of Meluch and hushed vocals wrapped in Irisarri's gorgeous minimalist instrumentation -- make sure to check the gorgeous cover of Broadcast's "Until Then." Organic, spatial pop-ambient (to borrow a phrase) which fans of either artist's works, the golden age of 4AD, and daydreaming will love.


	$6.99 45		SIC ALPS Pangea Globe (Drag City) With What's Your Rupture?'s recent reissue of the seminal British DIY indie LP, 1981's Love Backed by Force, Tronics-mania seems to have grabbed hold. Who better than to take on four of Zarjaz's fractured, arty lo-fi pop missives than Sic Alps, whose own weird brand of scuzzy bedroom garage rock couldn't be better suited for covering Tronics' "My Baby's in a Coma," "Shark Fucks," "Spending Time" and "Squiddley Diddley."


	$14.99 CD $17.99 LP+MP3		JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now (Bloodshot) "Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel..." "Look the Other Way" The fifth full-length from Justin Townes Earle finds the 30-year old singer/songwriter/guitarist setting up in Asheville, NC with a great backing band and co-producer Skylar Wilson, and recording live to tape the most personal album of his career. Unlike the rootsy country-rock stomp of his father (Steve Earle), much of Justin's new set looks to Memphis, with Stax- and Hi-inspired horn arrangements often informing his gorgeously aching blend of soul, country, rock and blues.


	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 [DG] Daniel Givens [GH] Gerald Hammill [JM] Josh Madell [DM] Doug Mosurock [SM] Scott Mou [CPa] Chris Pappas [NS] Nathan Salsburg THANKS FOR READING - all of us at Other Music

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