The Other Music Update

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	March 22, 2012

Since 1995, Other Music has attempted to harness the diverse tastes of our staff and customers into what we hope has been a consistently challenging and enlightening mix of records, released on the most interesting labels from around the globe. Now, we are thrilled to announce a new venture; in partnership with our friends at Fat Possum, we are launching Other Music Recording Co. to bring the same varied taste and enthusiasm that has always defined our shop to our very own label.

Our first two signings are both artists that fans of the store may already know; Other's first release, OM-001, drops on April 24: the debut 7-inch from Ex Cops, whose self-released CD-R was a big mover here a few months back. This new Brooklyn 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 with their own sunbaked pop vision. What began as a bedroom-recording project for Brian Harding has been fleshed out into a full band, and Ex Cops are now in the studio putting the finishing touches on their debut album, due out on Other later this spring. Also out this spring on Other, the debut solo album from Shintaro Sakamoto, the former frontman of the legendary Japanese psychedelic group Yura Yura Teikoku, whose stunning solo set of quiet, percussive songs draws on '70s folk and AM radio pop from the U.S., U.K. and Japan, as well as folk forms from across continents and eras; How to Live with a Phantom, released late last year on Sakamoto's own Zelone label in Japan, is an enigma and an instant classic that blew so many minds here when a few imports trickled into the shop, we had to release it domestically ourselves.

Other Music Recording Co. will feature new artists and reissues, in all styles, from all eras -- we hope to continue connecting great music with passionate fans as we always have in the store, and we thank you for your ongoing support!


	FEATURED NEW RELEASES Demdike Stare Shangaan Shake (Various) Ingenting Kollektiva Lee Ranaldo The Shins Suzanne Ciani Spoek Mathambo Tanlines Mount Carmel General Strike LP Odd Future (The OF Tape Vol. 2) Scuba School of Seven Bells feedtime Lee Fields Southern Soul Shake! (Various) Laura Veirs		ALSO AVAILABLE Mirroring White Hills Luke Roberts BACK IN STOCK Andy Stott 12"s Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/othermusicnyc Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/othermusic

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		GRIMES TICKET GIVE AWAY The infectious avant electro-pop of Claire Boucher's new Grimes album, Visions, is an early 2012 favorite, and these two dates this weekend will probably the last time that her New York fans will be able to catch her in a small club. Both Grimes' early-evening Mercury Lounge show this Friday and Saturday night's performance at Glasslands are sold out, but Other Music has a pair of tickets up for grabs to each of these. To enter, email giveaway@othermusic.com and make sure to list which show you'd like to see. We'll notify the two winners on Friday at noon, via email. FRIDAY, MARCH 23 MERCURY LOUNGE: 217 E. Houston St. NYC SATURDAY, MARCH 24 GLASSLANDS: 289 Kent Ave. Williamsburg, Brooklyn

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		WIN TICKETS TO FILMS BY SARA DRIVER Win tickets to films with these unique scores by filmmaker Sara Driver in her retrospective at Anthology Film Archives, which starts Friday March 23. Her film When Pigs Fly features a soundtrack by Joe Strummer, and those screenings will be followed by a half-hour film, shot by Jim Jarmusch, documenting Strummer as he composes the music to the film. UNCUT Magazine named When Pigs Fly's soundtrack as one of the 50 greatest bootlegs. Driver's films Sleepwalk and You Are Not I feature music composed by the innovative composer Phil Kline. Other Music has a pair of tickets to give away to each of these screenings: Sleepwalk on Fri, Mar 23rd at 7pm; You Are Not I on Fri, Mar 23 at 9:15pm; and When Pigs Fly on Sun Mar 25 at 6:30pm! Enter by emailing contest@othermusic.com, and list the screening that you would like to see. Driver and actress Suzanne Fletcher will be present for selected screenings, including the ones we've listed above. ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES: 32 Second Ave. NYC

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		WIN TICKETS TO DAVID JOHANSEN Coming off his recent tour with the reunited New York Dolls, David Johansen will be playing two dates at the Highline Ballroom, April 6 and May 26, the iconic NYC performer joined onstage by longtime collaborator Brian Koonin. Other Music is giving away a pair of tickets to Johansen's Friday, April 6 show, and you can enter by emailing tickets@othermusic.com! HIGHLINE BALLROOM: 431 W. 16th St. NYC


	$24.99 CDx2 $13.99 MP3		DEMDIKE STARE Elemental (Modern Love) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store Sean Canty and Miles Whitaker have been on a serious hot streak as of recent; their work together as Demdike Stare has seen the duo honing their skills as composers while toning down some of the more sample-heavy plunderphonia of their past work. The pieces on Elemental, previously released as a 4-12" box set and now collected as a 2CD set with alternate edits and additional material, hit with a harder percussive wallop than much of Tryptych's haunted dronework, with greater emphasis not only on broken and battered machinery but a larger palette of acoustic instrumental textures as well, with prepared pianos, choral vocal drones, evil ghostly whispers and some of the most crunchy, clattering beats I've heard since prime Neubauten. They're taking a more composerly approach here, building tension and counterpoint with different instrumental textures and movements. The pieces also up the trance/drone factor, looping things like banjo riffs into hypnotic Ouroboros strips of sound. I won't front -- I'm a huge fan of these guys and I've been waiting for this release for quite a while; I'm happy to say that they didn't let me down, and if you enjoyed Tryptych and the hazed, fractured soundworld it sculpted, you'll love this. Pick this up and devour it in full preparation for their US live debut during the Unsound festival on April 20 at The Warsaw in Brooklyn; it's sure to be one of the more memorable concerts of the season. Elemental gets my absolute highest recommendation... but I didn't have to tell you that, did I? [IQ]


	$17.99 CD		VARIOUS ARTISTS Shangaan Shake (Honest Jon's) "Marble Plexus" Actress Mark Ernestus Meets Shangaan Electro Back in 2010, the always-surprising Honest Jon's label really turned heads when it released Shangaan Electro, a compilation of the hyperkinetic dance music emanating from the townships between Johannesburg, Limpopo, and Mozambique in South Africa. Part R&B, part 180BPM electro madness, part Manga cartoon effects, part marimba, part WTF?, the music of acts like Tiyiselani Vomaseve and the Tshetsha Boys enamored listeners around the world. And while even the most adventurous DJs would find the tracks almost unmixable and un-assimilable, electronic music producers around the world sympathized with the new sounds, and the remixes started to come in fast. After releasing a clutch of beguiling 12" remix singles featuring some of the 21st century's top-shelf producers, now comes a very handy two-disc package collecting everything in one place. Big names like Ricardo Villalobos, Actress, Theo Parrish, and Mark Ernestus will no doubt stand out, but this adventurous remix project is really carried by some left-field entries; Hype Williams offers up a dizzying, glowering remix and Chicago juke/footwork DJs like DJ Rashad and RP Boo somehow rejigger these tracks into something that would work on their dancefloors; Burnt Friedman's remix of Zinja Hlungwani is also a gleaming standout track; and then of course there's Theo's head-swimming expansion of Tshetsha Boys, at once matching their BPMs while at the same time coming off almost sluggishly slow. It's a fitting tribute to one of the weirder dance music scenes in the world, and a great listen. [AB]


	$17.99 LP		INGENTING KOLLEKTIVA Fragments of Night (Invisible Birds) Extremely lovely and beguiling release from the Ingenting Kollektiva, a quartet of apparently like-minded souls based in California and North Carolina who have, for their debut long-player, crafted two slowly enveloping fog-drenched and lichen-covered aural landscapes. The liner notes to the album state that the collective's name is taken as an homage to director Ingmar Bergman and his longtime cinematographer, Sven Nykvist, and indeed the music here is evocative of one of Bergman's beloved magic lanterns -- full of shadows and flickering amber hues, gently cyclical refrains redolent of half-forgotten memories. There's a long list of instruments and sounds that went into making this tapestry (bells, harmonium, old 78rpm classical records, etc.), but used and processed in a way that seems to completely de-familiarize them -- images erased to faded outlines. It's possible that I'm the ideal listener for this album, as two of the collective's members (Diane Granahan and Matthew Swiezynski) have for several years run one of my favorite blogs on the internet, The Art of Memory, an impressively rich catalog of film stills and music recommendations whose tastes and interests nearly mirror that of my own, and which any of our customers should check out if they haven't. Their unerring taste on the aforementioned blog is reflected here in the packaging for this album, a gorgeous gatefold LP featuring the photography of collective member Tarrl Lightowler. One of the best looking and sounding albums of the year so far for me, very highly recommended. Digital Download coupon comes with record [MK]


	$12.99 CD $15.99 LP $9.99 MP3		LEE RANALDO Between the Times and the Tides (Matador) "Waiting on a Dream" "Lost" More than 30 years after forming Sonic Youth with Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo finds himself without an active outlet for his game-changing guitar skronk, and on Between the Times and the Tides he delivers just what you might expect in this situation, yet still something unexpected -- a swirling psychedelic pop album that reads a lot like a collection of Ranaldo's best SY tracks, but still holds together like an album. In many ways Ranaldo was the secret weapon of that iconic band; he never had the alt-glamour of the star couple, and though he usually penned (and sang) just a song or two on each record, his guitar was the backbone of their sound. And though his early years playing avant-noise with Rhys Chatham and Glenn Branca, and his later collaborations with William Hooker and the like (not to mention his 1987 lock-groove LP on SST, and numerous other limited solo outings) might lead you to expect this record to be a freeform freakout of some sort, it is a structured collection of ten driving rock songs, highly textured and full of sweet ear candy. The band includes many familiar players from the SY scene, like Steve Shelley and Bob Bert on drums, Alan Licht, Jim O'Rourke, and Nels Cline, and though Ranaldo's songs usually have a deep melancholy at their root, it sounds like the group is having a lot of fun, creating shifting, swirling soundscapes and motorik rhythms over which Ranaldo delivers his melodic speak-song vocals and unmistakable guitar riffs. It's a solid record that probably won't satisfy all of the mourning Sonics fans (maybe Kim's new clothing line?), but is clear testament to the talent and vision of their soft-spoken guitar-slinger, and it's a great album. [JM]


	$13.99 CD $22.99 LP		THE SHINS Port of Morrow (Columbia) "The Rifle's Spiral" "September" It's been close to five years since the Shins' last album, Wincing the Night Away, a span of time that should have felt a lot longer if not for main man James Mercer's Broken Bells collaboration with Danger Mouse back in 2010. While that project was -- not surprisingly -- lusher and more electronic-tinged than any Shins album, Mercer's ubiquitous voice and melodies kept Broken Bells from straying too far out; in fact, the duo's eponymous record was the safest set of songs we'd heard from a man who built his career writing NPR-friendly indie anthems. Joined by co-producer and multi-instrumentalist Greg Kurstin (Beck, Lily Allen) and a cast of new rotating bandmates that include Richard Swift, Yuuki Mathews (Crystal Skulls), Joe Plummer (Modest Mouse) and Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney, Quasi, Wild Flag), on Port of Morrow Mercer borrows a page or two from Broken Bells, via the rich production and larger presence of electronics, while swinging back to crafting sublimely soaring indie-pop. Moving from the majestic, slightly proggish rock of "Simple Song," complete with trilling guitar leads, to the bubbling new wave bounce of "Bait and Switch," to funk-popper "No Way Down," to the AM soft-rock of "Fall of '82," Mercer's '60s/'70s'/'80s radio gold influences have never sounded this vivid, or modern. Still, there's no mistaking Port of Morrow as being anything but a Shins album, with Mercer's yearning tenor protracting deep emotion from straightforward sentiments as "It's all so very simple and horribly complex." While nothing here taps into that magical, hushed intimacy of "New Slang," a song that Natalie Portman's character in Garden State proclaimed would "change your life," Shins fans have already had their lives changed. All they can hope for is another great album from Mercer and he has delivered one -- and more. [GH]


	$15.99 CD $23.99 LP		SUZANNE CIANI Lixiviation - 1969-1985 (B-Music ) "ITT - Clean Room" "Princess with Orange Feet" Chances are, regardless of whether or not Suzanne Ciani's name rings any bells in your brain, you've heard her work. An American composer and pioneer of early synthesizer technology, she is responsible for a large number of corporate identifications and advertising jingles for the likes of Coca Cola, AT&T, and Atari, not to mention the sound design and effects for a number of pinball machines and video games, and Meco's million-selling 1977 disco version of the Star Wars theme. She is also one of the first composers to explore what is now regarded as "New Age" music, blending synthesis into soundscapes that helped usher in an entire new genre via albums like the classic Seven Waves. Finders Keepers now offer up an astonishing collection of Ciani's early synth music and corporate IDs with Lixiviation, shining light on another revolutionary female talent in the electronic music field, on par with the likes of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop's Delia Derbyshire and Daphne Oram. Anyone who has obsessed, even mildly, on the works of Derbyshire in particular will find much to love here; Ciani has a similar knack for blending dark, brooding drone pieces with gentle arpeggio rhythms and soft clouds of synth. There's an equal emphasis on texture and tune, with even the most abstract pieces here, often recorded for art installations and film works, displaying a sense of melody and harmonics that draws you in and sets the mind on exploratory voyages. Ciani was a master of the early Buchla synthesizer, and her work displays a keen knowledge of her machinery; she doesn't manipulate the device so much as live with it, coaxing true emotion out of the machine and bringing out a distinct femininity that emphasizes the curvature of the synthesized waveform. The collection is brilliantly sequenced, moving from atmospheric sound environments into more pulsating rhythmic tags for Atari games, or the bubbling fizz of a simulated Coca-Cola bottle being opened and poured; what's remarkable is the way it all flows together into a distinct whole, leaving Ciani's identity intact despite the varying purposes of the pieces. This is, without question, one of Finders Keepers' most valuable and important collections, shining light on a brilliant woman who deserves more recognition and whose work still sounds as rapturously fascinating and enjoyable today as it did then. Anyone with an interest in early electronic music and who has been enjoying the recent Daphne Oram collections, those who dig stuff like Tangerine Dream, and fans of slowly kinetic Brian Eno works like Thursday Afternoon will find much pleasure here. This music also establishes roots in the types of synth-song being explored by the likes of Nite Jewel and Julia Holter (those LA kids love their New Age music, after all!), not to mention the Hippos-In-Tanks axis of James Ferraro and Hype Williams. Bottom line is that this is, quite simply, gorgeous and astonishing music. I'm overjoyed that this music is available for mass consumption, and if anything I've said here piques your interest, do yourself a favor and pick this up. Sure to be one of the year's best reissues, plain and simple. [IQ]


	$13.99 CD $21.99 LPx2+MP3		SPOEK MATHAMBO Father Creeper (Sub Pop) "Venison Fingers" "Dog to Bone" South African MC and producer Nthato Mokgata's follow-up to Mshini Wam, his excellent 2010 debut under his Spoek Mathambo moniker, is another world music fusion, yet this time the fusion is a more adventurous mash-up of voices, synths, Playstation beats and even some guitars. Where his debut offered an authentic alternative to the world-pillaging of Diplo and M.I.A., filled with bass-heavy riddims and a frenzied take of Joy Division's "She's Lost Control," on his sophomore full-length, Father Creeper, highlife meets hi-tech -- all jangling and polyrhythmic yet also bumping with thick electronics and African accents. Songs like single "Put Some Red on It" mix quantized percussion, laptop editing, smeared synths, and a low-sung lyric that sounds like a version of Oklahoma hip-hop act Chop Chop's "Red Dirt" with Tunde from TV on the Radio singing. The Spoek Mathambo aesthetic blends hip-hop (of the southern and bassy variety), dub, reggae, rock (live drums and guitar), and electronics with many localized and regional stylings and talents, though Mokgata pushes it all to the edge of the world. More accessible, immediate, and necessary than Die Antwoord and more exotic than Theophilis London, Spoek Mathambo can blend world visions into a twisted collage of sonics. This music has a broader reach, an interweaving and unsteady view of American music filtered through a socio-political lens and Afro-futurist attitude. He often refers to and incorporates subject matter about ancestors, violence, death, sex, poverty and politics and bends the dark and zombish view of African reality to his advantage. Though this new album has moments where the layers of voice, lyric, live and electronics elements come together, it may take a few listens before the layers and richness of his music can be appreciated. I still recommend his debut to those looking for something new, good and African, so I'll take this opportunity to mention that you should perhaps start there if you are a newcomer, and then check out the new record-- it'll make more sense in the long run. All said, thanks to Sub Pop for giving Spoek Mathambo a platform and bringing him further into the American indie-underground. [DG]


	$12.99 CD $15.99 LP+MP3 $9.99 MP3		TANLINES Mixed Emotions (True Panther) "Brothers" "Yes Way" Tanlines had already teased us with "Real Life," a track that made the rounds across the web a while ago, not only building up the hype but also providing a great sneak peek into Jesse Cohen and Eric Emm's fusion of '80s synth-pop and African-style drumming. With remixes of the Tough Alliance, Memory Tapes and Au Revoir Simone (to name a few) under their collective belt, the Brooklyn duo turned their creative energy into making their own music and spent the past few years brewing Mixed Emotions in various recording studios across New York; as we had hoped, the resulting album is full of sunlight-drenched dance floor-fillers. Emm's vocals are vivid and melancholy, yet never stray from the summery don't-worry-be-happy vibe of the music, which comes across as a pop mash-up of El Guincho and the Drums, while also hinting at the duo's love for house music. And the record couldn't "sound" any better either, mixed by the legendary Jimmy Douglas who's turned the knobs for hitmakers like Timbaland, Aaliyah and Justin Timberlake, and back in the day for Television, Roxy Music and Gang of Four too. I can't think of a better album to kick off the official start of spring and I expect to be playing Mixed Emotions well into the summer and beyond. [ACo]


	$13.99 CD $14.99 LP+MP3		MOUNT CARMEL Real Women (Siltbreeze) Two years ago, Mount Carmel's debut album effectively ended the need for any more whizbang look-at-me-ma hokey-joke type stoner rock bands to exist. Best of all, the band did it all but unadorned, in a three-hour power trio recording session, free of pretense or effects racks. Brothers Matt and Pat Reed on guitar and bass, along with drummer Kevin Skubak, channeled the best of Free, Humble Pie, Ten Years After and ZZ Top -- the cream of the electric post-hippie boogie/blues crop, and the bands that had the most say/do in how that music ended up -- and ended up creating a milestone release, as most other combatants withdrew their axes and retreated back to their basements, dejected. Their follow-up Real Women somehow improves on their earlier work, and sets the new standard for Caucasian electric blues at this time. They got a better recording, their musicianship has improved, the songs are shorter (though they're all built for extendo jam sesh headspace in the live setting), and their confidence, built from road-doggin' it with the Sword, has made their method of expression all the more righteous and valid. From the label that once brought you Harry Pussy, the Shadow Ring and the Dead C., here's a more traditional, albeit no less hair-raising standards bearer for the long, hot summer ahead. Mandatory cookout jams. Get on it. [DM]


	$17.99 LP		GENERAL STRIKE Danger in Paradise (Staubgold) I have literally waited years with fingers crossed that this excellent album would finally see a vinyl release; thank the fine folks at Staubgold for their pressing blessing! Originally released in 1983 as a limited edition cassette on the Touch label, and then reissued by producer/Flying Lizards mainman David Cunningham on his then-recently restarted Piano label, General Strike's Danger in Paradise was the work of UK improvisers/multi-instrumentalists Steve Beresford and David Toop. Beresford has been a key mover in the British underground, having played with everyone from Derek Bailey, the Slits, Prince Far I, Robert Wyatt, and Adrian Sherwood, amongst many others. Toop is perhaps most well known as writer of such seminal texts as Rap Attack, Haunted Weather, and Ocean of Sound, but he himself was also a seminal underground musician, playing with the likes of Max Eastley, sound poet Bob Cobbing, and John Zorn; both Beresford and Toop were founding members of the influential improv/experimental London Musicians Collective, and were both serving time as key members of Cunningham's Flying Lizards collective, having performed on Top of the Pops with the group when their cover of "Money" became an unexpected chart hit. Their work in Flying Lizards fused their avant-garde backgrounds with pop chops; they have said that while in the Lizards, they pretended they were Chic's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, and it definitely shows. Their writing contributions to the Lizards' releases were billed under the General Strike name, and that fusion of funk grooves, pop hooks, and dub experimentation comes to full fruition on the sole album issued under the moniker. The album is quite literally a kitchen-sink dubplate, with the duo creating densely layered tracks featuring thick bass grooves anchoring some wild percussive impulses, with Beresord and Toop making noise with everything from pianos, euphoniums, and vocals to toy instruments and household items, including kitchen utensils and the sounds of splashing water! They cover old doo-wop tunes, a few Sun Ra numbers, and offer up a hefty dose of originals blending world music with soul and reggae elements, with the end result adding up to one of the most unique and distinctive albums created during the British post-punk/DIY boom. I say without hesitation that this album changed my life; Beresford remains a hugely under-recognized and undervalued player whose work is long overdue for reappraisal, and Toop's contributions carry equal importance. Any fan of the DIY/punk aesthetic, of dub's most eccentric corners, and of the work of anyone from This Heat to Family Fodder to the Flying Lizards themselves need this in their collection. This gets my vote for one of the best, most essential reissues of the year. [IQ]


	$13.99 CD		ODD FUTURE The OF Tape Vol. 2 (Odd Future) "NY (Ned Flander)" "Analog 2" A lot has changed for the Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All Crew since Tyler, The Creator's controversial widescreen debut (last year's Goblin), yet a lot is still the same. Actually, the story goes back further to 2008's Odd Future Tape Vol. 1 (which they are still giving away on their website), and in the four years since, Tyler and his merry men and gay woman have grown from immature internet losers to imaginative, creative young artists and entrepreneurs. They've branded themselves in true now-school style, with pop-up shops, an Adult Swim sketch show, a photo book of their friends and antics, and dozens of self-directed and created videos. The crew's official follow-up, The OF Tape Vol. 2 (oh yeah they have a real label now too), shows the collective tightening their skills, having unsupervised fun, inspiring each other, exercising their creativity and being completely stupid and spitefully brilliant. Of the endless stream of young rappers within the daily blog-o-sphere (Main Attrakionz, Lil B, Drake, Waka, etc.), I'm down with Odd Future and think that as they get older, they get better -- even though most of them can't even legally drink yet. From Vol. 1 to Vol. 2 you can hear the growth in their production, their vocal skills and overall song structure, not to mention in the view of their diverse flows, imagery, and personality. While they have not moved beyond the language that's caught the group a lot of flack ("bitch" is the go-to word here), they seem to have more of a handle on it. Well, sort of -- remember, most of them are still under 21. Overall this feels like a young generation's mix tape in line with the sound-defining work of past posse compilations by Neptunes (Star Trak), Outkast (The Dungeon Family), EL-P (Def Jux), Del (Hieroglyphics), Lil Wayne (Young Money), RZA (Wu-Tang) or Kayne West (G.O.O.D. Music); yeah, OF are the contemporary equivalent and this cements their status as one of the best up-n-coming crews. OF Tape Vol. 2 features 18 songs with crew and solo tracks from the whole gang, and it's all in your face, mildly offensive, weird, raunchy, awkward, sharp, funny, at times intensely enjoyable and overall better than I expected. All the tracks are spot-on productions split between Tyler and Left Brain that shine and swing with subtle references to footwork, dubstep and bass that heighten the fresh sounding yet still raw brand of hip-hop they're creating, with beats, rhymes and chords at its next school best. Like the Tyler-directed video for "Rella," this is music for terrorizing suburbs, not to mention some plain old bizarre low-rent reality shit, a la the psycho-trash vision of "NY (Ned Flander)." If you have been on the fence, this may be the one to win you over, or maybe not. I've given in though, and I'm now enjoying the real-time weirdness. Simple yet complex -- that is the world of Odd Future, getting better with age. [DG]


	$14.99 CD		SCUBA Personality (Hot Flush) "The Hope" "Tulips" Hotflush Recordings head Paul Rose has been at the forefront of dubstep for as long as he's been producing and releasing tracks under the name Scuba. With a host of singles and two great full-lengths already to his name (including 2010's thoroughly great Triangulation that found Rose sharply refining his overall sound), one would be forgiven for expecting Personality, his latest album, to stay squarely in the realm the ambient swells and off-kilter beats with which he's done so well. Only a few moments into the producer's third full-length, however, and it becomes absolutely clear that at this stage, Rose has redefinition on his mind instead of any stale retread. While Scuba tracks in the past had trafficked in a bit of subtlety, favoring tasteful, gauzy textures that meshed well with more pulsing beats, Personality wastes little time in going right for the throat, favoring heavy, insistent thumps and bold synths that signify Scuba expects his listeners to be on the dancefloor -- a statement made all the more clear by "The Hope," a pounding, aggressive track that showcases a surprising pop touch through its spoken-word verses and almost trance-inspired builds. Better still are cuts like "Ignition Key" and "Dsy Chn," the former opening the album with a robust statement of straightforward intent, the latter continuing the pace with its echoing, clipped vocal samples and tense, Spartan beats. Even if you've never been a fan of Scuba in the past, so surprising is the shift that Personality is still well worth checking out. [MC]


	$11.99 CD $19.99 LP+MP3		SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS Ghostory (Vagrant) "The Night" "White Wind" When School of Seven Bells announced the departure of Claudia Deheza in late 2010, their future seemed rather hazy, what with her being one-third of the band as well as identical twin to vocalist Alejandra Deheza. Fortunately, this loss does not seem to have put a dent into SVIIB's sound, and as a duo they have carried on to create what their best work yet. A conceptual record of sorts, Ghostory tells the haunting tale of Lafaye, a young girl who struggles with love and loss throughout her life. For Benjamin Curtis and Deheza it is a story of their personal experiences, a meditative journey that they wanted to share through music. Deheza's shadowy vocals pull together an emotional narrative, in a way persuading listeners to sing along with her and connecting with the mythical fables told in each song. The ambient guitar and synths stray further away from shoegaze and deeper into chimerical electronic pop that's visceral yet perfect for a smoke-filled dancefloor. It certainly seems that Curtis and Deheza have finally found a perfect balance -- perhaps working as a duo, School of Seven Bells acquired more solidity than ever before. [ACo]


	Aberrant Years $18.99 CDx4 Today Is Friday $12.99 CD $16.99 LP		FEEDTIME Aberrant Years - CD Box Set (Sub Pop) Once there was a band called feedtime. They hailed from Australia and embodied everything films and TV shows had foretold about that country -- it was bleak, sun-baked, the clay parched and cracked beyond any hope for rain, and survival was key. The members of feedtime were survivors indeed; they survived the '70s, the skinheads, the beatdowns, the gas crisis, random films being made nearby with dangerous explosions and stunts rattling their windows, the kangaroo rabies outbreak, Men at Work, "Jacko" (OI!), and Paul Hogan describing to New York toughs "that's not a knife ... THIS is a knife." Playing for years under duress, feedtime's first album surfaced as a self-released venture, then on the Aberrant label, in 1985 (six years after they began), and was followed by three more, which were released around the world, and are all collected on this outta-nowhere Sub Pop box set. These are some of the toughest records of the '80s, made by guys who weren't into capitalization, or even last names (you'll address them as rick, al, and tom). HEAVY slide guitar, gut-punching bass, and insistent drumming created a punk-borne effigy of the blues, which the band then soaked in lamp oil and lit on fire, watched it burn, and danced on its grave as it was born anew in their narrow worldview. The songs are short, violent, and simple, and get to the point faster than any other band I can think of. There are no mysteries here, but it's nice to have the best music of that era returned to the marketplace. Includes 1985's s/t album (always the toughest to find), 1987's Shovel, 1988's all-covers outing Cooper-S, and their swansong 1989 LP, Suction, rescued from the cutout bins and back to destroy. Incidentally, feedtime plays its first NYC show on March 29th at Death By Audio in Brooklyn, which should be An Event. Let's break out the caps for that one. Additionally, a new album of unreleased recordings from both this era and their '95 AmRep reunion, Billy, is out now on S-S Records, entitled Today Is Friday, and fans would be wise to put that in their cart as well. [DM]


	$14.99 CD $17.99 LP+MP3		LEE FIELDS Faithful Man (Truth and Soul) "Faithful Man" "I'm Still Hanging On" Although in his youth Lee Fields never hit the big time nationally, this southern R&B belter has been an active player on the U.S. soul scene since the late-'60s, and singles he released through the early-'80s on labels like Bedford, London, Norfolk Sound, SoundPlus and Angle 3 have long been collectors items amongst the deep funk set. He's cut a slew of great sides, and though he has not always stayed active performing, Fields was working older crowds on the Southern circuit in the '90s when he got hooked into the early Brooklyn funk revival, recording with the Desco label crew that later morphed into Daptone and Soul Fire, bringing his music to a new generation, and inspiring the model -- weathered singer with young-turk producers and players -- that has created great musical alliances for Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley on this same scene. Fields used to be known as "Little J.B.," and with good reason; like the Godfather of Soul, he has a guttural, intense delivery that is raw, real and galvanizing, and he is a showman as much as a singer, with a charged, flamboyant style that raises roofs every time. Yet this new set is a little more restrained for Fields, eschewing edgier, spikier cuts for a more subtle collection of ballads and come-ons. Titled Faithful Man, it's a set of love songs and lost-love songs, exploring the many sides of love, lust and heartbreak, and on tracks like slow-burn "I Still Got It" or the full-tilt orchestral elegance of "Walk On Thru That Door," with a pointed fuzz guitar facing off against a soaring string section, it is utterly engaging. The record rarely reaches the intensity of Fields' famous live show, and not every track here is an instant classic, but start to finish it is a totally enjoyable experience, and fans of the classic soul sound should stay faithful to this one, as Fields is one of the last of a breed. [JM]


	$16.99 CDx2		VARIOUS ARTISTS Southern Soul Shake! (Snapper / Charly) This double-disc reissue of a pair of compilations -- reissues themselves from '78 and '82 -- speaks to the influential legacy of the Charly imprint as much as it does the original artists and labels featured on these collections. Formed in '74 by French UK resident and rockabilly fanatic Jean-Luc Young, Music City Soul was Charly's first soul music reissue. Music City focuses on the rich '60s and early-'70s New Orleans and deep Southern soul sound of Shelby Singleton's Nashville-based SSS International imprint and its affiliates Silver Fox and Minaret. The original 1978 release of this collection is regarded by many in Europe as ground zero for the resurgence in the popularity of this sound overseas -- its legacy is so far-reaching that UK soul singer Beverley Knight paid homage by naming her '06 hit album after this collection, which was immensely popular upon its original release. Most of these songs never made much noise nationally upon initial release, but these are classics for sure, and the collections made stars of artists including Big Al Downing, Bettye Lavette, Johnny Adams and Hank Ballard. The highlights are everywhere, and the 40-plus tracks of gospel-infused, grits-n-gravy R&B selections here are about as good as it gets. Standouts include the nasty country-funk swing of Johnny Adam's "Georgia Morning Dew" and the feedback-laden N'awlins funk of the Allen Toussaint-penned "There's a Break in the Road" from Betty Harris, which features the Meters' rhythm section. It's great to see these seminal comps get the proper CD reissue, and with a whopping sixteen bonus tracks not found on the OG vinyl release, this is a must-have. RIYL: Music! [DH]


	$14.99 CD $17.99 LP+MP3		LAURA VEIRS Tumble Bee (Raven Marching Band) In a world where acceptable new children's music -- meaning even vaguely palatable by an adult with a shred of taste -- is pretty much limited to the Flaming Lips on Yo Gabba Gabba and the occasional Elizabeth Mitchell album, Laura Veirs' Tumble Bee is simply a joy. I'm unbelievably lucky that my 3-1/2 year old has a deep love of the Ramones and Wild Flag, but for the last month or two this has been her go-to record; she plays it all the time, she knows every word, and so do I at this point. Moreover, I'm always happy to hear it, and truth be told I may have even spun a few songs after she turned in -- it really is that good. Veirs performs a set of mostly traditional American folk tunes, like the always-welcome "King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O," "Why Oh Why," the Harry Belafonte hit "Jamaica Farewell," or our family's personal favorite, the goose-stealing epic "The Fox." Veirs has a beautiful voice and delivers best-in-show versions of these classics, with great playing and interesting arrangements, and without any bowing to the "needs" of the little ones; it turns out you don't need to make stupid music to relate to kids -- who knew? In a world where acceptable new children's music -- meaning even vaguely palatable by an adult with a shred of taste -- is pretty much limited to the Flaming Lips on Yo Gabba Gabba and the occasional Elizabeth Mitchell album, Laura Veirs' Tumble Bee is simply a joy. I'm unbelievably lucky that my 3-1/2 year old has a deep love of the Ramones and Wild Flag, but for the last month or two this has been her go-to record; she plays it all the time, she knows every word, and so do I at this point. Moreover, I'm always happy to hear it, and truth be told I may have even spun a few songs after she turned in -- it really is that good. Veirs performs a set of mostly traditional American folk tunes, like the always-welcome "King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O," "Why Oh Why," the Harry Belafonte hit "Jamaica Farewell," or our family's personal favorite, the goose-stealing epic "The Fox." Veirs has a beautiful voice and delivers best-in-show versions of these classics, with great playing and interesting arrangements, and without any bowing to the "needs" of the little ones; it turns out you don't need to make stupid music to relate to kids -- who knew? P.S. On the other hand we also love that techno gummy bear song on YouTube, so go figure. [JM]


	$13.99 CD $13.99 LP $9.99 MP3		MIRRORING Foreign Body (Kranky) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store A wonderfully beguiling collaboration between Liz Harris (Grouper) and Jesy Fortino (Tiny Vipers). Fortino's haunting folk melodies really are the perfect foil for Harris' cavernous ambience, and utilizing a sonic palette of watery guitars, submerged pianos, ghostly drones and reverb, the duo have created a gorgeous record that fuses the ethereal experimental pop of early His Name Is Alive with Flying Saucer Attack's pastoral soundscapes. Recommended!


	$13.99 CD $18.99 LP $9.99 MP3		WHITE HILLS Frying on This Rock (Thrill Jockey) "Pads of Light" "You Dream You See" Five new, expansive doses of mind-melting space rock from White Hills. Produced by Martin Bisi (Boredoms, Swans, Sonic Youth), here guitarist Dave W. and bassist Ego Sensation have condensed the scorching, psychedelic sprawl of last year's 70-minute-plus H-p1 into a more economic 44 minutes. While Frying on This Rock doesn't quite reach the epic heights of their last record it's still an interstellar trip well worth the price of admission, with spoken word bits from sci-fi author Michael Moorcock and frequent collaborator Antronhy on synths and back-up vocals, and touring/recording drummer Nick Name.


	$13.99 CD $14.99 LP $9.99 MP3		LUKE ROBERTS The Iron Gates at Throop and Newport (Thrill Jockey) "I Don't Want You Anymore" "Everytime" A fantastic follow-up to this singer-songwriter's bare-boned Big Bells & Dime Songs that was first issued on Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace imprint before being re-released on Thrill Jockey. In the year or since, Luke Roberts left Brooklyn and returned back to his childhood home of Nashville, where he recorded The Iron Gates at Throop and Newport with Mark Nevers. While Roberts' plaintively expressive vocals continue to be the centerpiece of this set, the arrangements have been expanded with the addition of several players augmenting the laconic strums of his guitar, including fiddle and mandolin work from Billy Contaraz and Emily Sunblad's backing vocals. Truly timeless music that fans of Will Oldham, Jason Molina and, of course, Neil Young won't want to miss.


	Passed Me By $21.99 12"x2 We Stay Together $21.99 12"x2		ANDY STOTT Passed Me By (Modern Love) ANDY STOTT We Stay Together (Modern Love) Last year, these two limited vinyl double-packs from Andy Stott set the high bar for rumbling, bass-heavy, dub-infused techno, and each record subsequently went out of print before many even knew we had it on our shelves. Of course, the CD pressing, which combined both LPs and added lots of bonus material, was great, but wax enthusiasts who missed out on the first pressing are going to be thrilled, with Modern Love putting both records back in print on vinyl. Too slow to be techno, too earthy to be industrial and too fast to be hip-hop, there's a subtle sensuality in these tracks; rather than pummeling you with such extreme, stark textures, Stott gives everything ample breathing room and lets his creations swim in an almost aquatic environment. Many have tried to emulate the slow, deep majesty of this Manchester producer's work, but few have come close.


	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 [ACo] Anastasia Cohen [MC] Michael Crumsho [DG] Daniel Givens [GH] Gerald Hammill [DH] Duane Harriott [IQ] Mikey IQ Jones [MK] Michael Klausman [JM] Josh Madell [DM] Doug Mosurock THANKS FOR READING - all of us at Other Music

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