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   May 3, 2012  
       
   
     
 
 
FEATURED NEW RELEASES
Lower Dens
Lee Hazlewood
FRKWYS Vol. 9: Sun Araw & M. Geddes Gengras Meets the Congos
Light Asylum
Mika Vainio (Limited 7")
Theo Parrish
Kwes
Father John Misty
Nick Waterhouse
Michael Kiwanuka
The Funkees
Cleaners from Venus (CD Box & LPs)
Cheap Time
Amps for Christ / Woods
Rob
 
Franco Falsini LP
Blockhead

ALSO AVAILABLE

Howlin' Wolf
K-Holes
Gravenhurst
Brian Jonestown Massacre
Shindig! # 26
Phil Cohran (Spanish Suite on LP)

All of this week's new arrivals.
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/othermusicnyc
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MAY Sun 29 Mon 30 Tues 01 Wed 02 Thurs 03 Fri 04 Sat 05


  WIN TICKETS TO LIGHT ASYLUM RELEASE PARTY
Light Asylum are celebrating the release of their self-titled debut full-length (out now on Mexican Summer) tonight at Le Poisson Rouge -- it's a great record that we've reviewed below in this week's Update. This Brooklyn duo is always incredible in concert and with oOoOO and Black Marble rounding out the PopGun presented bill, this show is not to be missed! Email tickets@othermusic.com to enter and we'll notify the winner this afternoon via email.

TONIGHT: THURSDAY, MAY 3
LE POISSON ROUGE: 158 Bleecker St. NYC

     
 
   
   
 
 
MAY Sun 29 Mon 30 Tues 01 Wed 02 Thurs 03 Fri 04 Sat 05

  TICKET GIVE-AWAY TO LIONESS
This great Toronto trio have just released their debut album, The Golden Killer, a heavy genre-bending fusion of rock and dark electro. With the powerful voice of Vanessa Fischer leading the band, Lioness' live shows could be best described as a dizzying mix of a dance-rock basement party and dramatic performance art. We'll be covering this trio in the coming week or two in our Update, but you can catch them tonight when they play Brooklyn's Cameo Gallery, and then tomorrow in the L.E.S. at Pianos. To enter for a pair of passes, email giveaway@othermusic.com, and we'll notify the two winners this afternoon.

THURSDAY, MAY 3
CAMEO GALLERY: 93 N. 6th St. Brooklyn
FRIDAY, MAY 4
PIANOS: 158 Ludlow St. NYC

     
 
   
   
 
 
AUG Sun 05 Mon 06 Tues 07 Wed 08 Thurs 09 Fri 10 Sat 11

  WIN TICKETS TO M. WARD & YO LA TENGO
Celebrate Brooklyn's summer series of benefit concerts to help underwrite their free programming is always top notch, and this year is shaping up to be no different. We're pretty excited about the August 7 installment, when singer-songwriter M. Ward will be headlining along with longtime favorites Yo La Tengo, and we've got a pair of tickets to give away, courtesy of our friends at Bowery Presents. Email contest@othermusic.com to enter and we'll notify the lucky winner on Monday.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 7
PROSPECT PARK BANDSHELL: Entrance at Prospect Park West and 9th Street, Brooklyn


     
 
   
   
   
   
   
       
   

 

 

     
 

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  LOWER DENS
Nootropics
(Ribbon Music)

"Alphabet Song"
"Propagation"

Though she's been releasing interesting music for a quite a while now, Jana Hunter never struck a chord with me until she formed Lower Dens a couple of years ago. Active as a folkie with some Devendra Banhart connections prior to that, Lower Dens found her dropping back from that scene, plugging in, and pursuing a sound that was long in mood and subtlety, trading acoustic plucks for a more ambient, electric guitar-based accompaniment to her rich voice. Twin Hand Movement, Lower Dens' great 2010 debut, worked well at creating a specific and evocative mood and sustaining it across all of its tracks. That same hazed, late-night feel still permeates every aspect of Nootropics, but the palette the band uses to achieve this has been expanded significantly. Taking a page from Bowie's "Berlin Trilogy," the songs here are supplemented with motorik rhythms and a generous dose of electronics, giving Hunter's undeniably beautiful voice an intricate backdrop against which to work. Tracks like "Brains" almost seem to take Neu! into a pop realm, with a gently driving rhythm swooping in and out and prominent synths. Even better is the two-part "Lion in Winter," which formidably sets the stage with an extended instrumental exploration that wouldn't seem out of place on, say, a Oneohtrix Point Never record, with a back half that almost sounds like Kraftwerk giving a go at being a rock band proper. Save for folks like St. Vincent, few artists seem terribly interested in making records like this these days -- textured, intricately crafted works that seek entry into no club other than their own. That Hunter and her bandmates seem so effortlessly capable and confident all throughout Nootropics is indeed a beautiful thing. [MC]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  LEE HAZLEWOOD
The LHI Years: Singles Nudes & Backsides 1968-71
(Light in the Attic)

"The Bed"
"Victims of the Night"

Light in the Attic inaugurates what is said to be an in-depth reissue program of maverick American songwriter/producer/provocateur Lee Hazlewood's LHI record label with this excellent compilation of album tracks, rare single cuts, duets, and even a previously unreleased track never before compiled. Dedicated Update readers know that I'm a big Hazlewood fan who owns quite a bit of vintage Lee vinyl, and the man's work has been a storewide favorite since our inception back in 1995; needless to say, this already gets two thumbs up, but let's talk about the specifics that both the casual fan AND the diehards need to know. Quite a bit of Lee's catalogue was reissued by Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley's Smells Like Records label back in the late '90s/early 2000s, but those reissues have gone long out of print (often fetching heavy prices themselves), and while many of those reissues were sourced from clean vinyl copies (albeit with Hazlewood's involvement), Light in the Attic is working from the original master tapes, and these tracks have never sounded better! I'll admit, I was a bit disappointed that this collection features a fair amount of album cuts, as I worried about the "double dip" factor that will occur when LITA reissues the albums in full; I've got to say, though, that around two-thirds of the set is drawn from rare single releases, not to mention the previously unheard "I Just Learned to Run," a fantastic mellow groover from 1969 that rides gently tense strings above a seesawing back porch country-blues beat. Elsewhere, they dip into classic tunes from albums like Cowboy in Sweden, The Cowboy and the Lady, and Requiem for an Almost Lady to flesh out this essential portrait of one of America's greatest songwriters. Top marks also go to the hilarious sleeve design, which balances sex and 'stache with equal measure, and the excellent, touching liner notes provided by Hazlewood associate Wyndham Wallace; altogether, it makes for one hell of an intro to what looks to be one of Light in the Attic's crowning achievements as a label, and easily one of the best reissues of 2012 thus far. It's a great place for neophytes to begin what will prove to be a long journey down a twisted road, and it's filled with enough to satisfy all but the most fervent, fanatical collectors. All I can say aside from that is that I can hardly wait to see what they've dug up for the LHI material released AFTER 1971, as there are some serious doozies in that part of the catalogue! You know what comes next, folks: Highest Recommendation! [IQ]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  FRKWYS VOL. 9: SUN ARAW & M. GEDDES GENGRAS MEETS THE CONGOS
Icon Give Thank + Icon Eye Film
(RVNG Intl)

"Food Clothing and Shelter"
"Sunshine"

The New York-based RVNG label continues their unique and diverse FRKWYS series of visual, musical and cross-generational collaborations with what is probably their most anticipated release so far. Vol. 9 sees Cameron "Sun Araw" Stallones and M. Geddes Gengras, along with filmmakers Tony Lowe and Sam Fleischner, traveling to an area outside of Kingston, Jamaica called St. Catherine to work with legendary vocal group the Congos. With sonic sketches that originated in LA in hand, the four adventurers immersed themselves in the Rastafarian culture, religion and lifestyle practiced by the former squatters of Lee "Scratch" Perry's Black Ark. Of course, the Congos' time with Perry is a legendary chapter in reggae history, culminating in the 1977 masterpiece Heart of the Congos, recorded shortly before Perry burned the whole studio to the ground. Needless to say the group's presence and angelic harmonies do have a strong impact.

What Stallones and Co. accomplish here is a dreamlike musical experience fusing Nyabinghi drums and Rasta chants with organic and electronic backing, and never once does it come off like just another indie-dub outing -- it's just so much more. One of my favorite pieces is opener "New Binghi," in which the layered vocals of "Congo Ashanti" Roy, Cedric "Bongo" Myton, Watty Burnett and Kenroy Fyffe collectively create a sonic rainbow that rises, falls and shimmers with a multi-colored vibrancy, as textures and sounds thump and reverberate, pounding the foundation. Throughout the hour-long journey, the music grows deeper until the vocals practically transform into a swirling and trancelike evocation.

The runtime of the DVD included is the same as the album, the film being a fragmented audio and video collage of the atmosphere that inspired the record, with images of the studio, dirt roads, homes, dance halls and Ital living. Definitely not the standard music documentary, it is more of a long-form video and visual version of the album, dreamy and impressionistic. This is one of the best in an already great series, right alongside the similarly trance-inducing FRKWYS Vol. 8 which features the collaboration of Blues Control and Laraaji. Though it seems like the guys behind the RVNG label don't like dealing with vowels, this is one that deserves an 'A!' It's a very special record that fans of reggae vintage or modern, sweet vocal harmonies, the new school of indie-dub, or those just looking for something cool to lull them away to the land of sun and herbs will want to pick up -- too bad it doesn't come with some rolling papers, it couldn't hurt. Recommended just the same for any state of mind, this is transcendent music for sure. [DG]

 
         
   
   
   
   
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  LIGHT ASYLUM
Light Asylum
(Mexican Summer)

"IPC"
"Shallow Tears"

When Light Asylum first appeared a few years back, their arrival on the scene was almost jarring -- in the best possible way. While it pretty much seemed like any other band or individual with a keyboard was busy filtering the sounds and emotions of Reagan-era synth-pop through the smeared lens of chillwave, the Brooklyn duo of Shannon Funchess and Bruno Coviello went straight to the source, unabashedly taking cues from goth-tinged new wave, industrial-pop and EBM, and musically picking up right where 1989 left off. Well, almost -- their self-released In Tension EP (soon reissued by Mexican Summer) showcased the powerhouse singing of Funchess, whose gritty, soulful Grace Jones-meets-Alison Moyet vocals humanized the dark mechanical textures of a genre that's usually cold and, in less-talented hands, cartoonish. Light Asylum's full-length has at last arrived, and from live show favorite "Pope Will Roll" which finds Funchess belting out battle cries over Coviello's storm of Nitzer Ebb-esque drum-machine hits, to the invigorating "IPC" which reimagines the synth-funk of Yaz's classic Upstairs at Eric's into a punk rock brawl on the dance floor, it's exactly what we expected and hoped for. Of course, tracks like these are what quickly earned the duo their devoted fan base, but we also find Light Asylum stretching their wings, offsetting their driving electro with some stunning slowed-down moments. "Shallow Tears," for one, is an album highlight -- a dark, elegant requiem in which Coviello's mournful synths hum underneath the near-tribal roll of tom-toms, creating a hypnotizing backdrop for Funchess to tap into a chilling operatic well of emotion, her deep, low voice yearning, "Will you meet me by the river's edge / as I lay low down my head / until they hold to thy breast / will you drown me in shallow tears?" It almost seems unnecessary, then, to find the anthemic "A Certain Person" off last year's In Tension EP closing out this very solid set; however, with Light Asylum now poised to breakthrough to a much larger audience, it makes for a triumphant bookend to an era and points to what's sure to be a thrilling future for the band. [GH]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  MIKA VAINIO
Rasputin 3000
(Comfortzone)

Check it out -- this is a limited 7" single (750 copies) that was slated for European-only Record Store Day retailers, but it didn't get pressed in time! This fortunate turn of events means that all of us luckless Americans here in ol' Indie Rock USA who wouldn't even dream of holding a copy actually get a crack at owning one of these exclusive, rare slabs of vinyl! This is Vainio doing what he does so well, and the A-side is the clear winner for me as he delivers his measured, rhythmic harshness in a slow, stark and immensely warm pummel. It begins as a huge machine-like hum which then starts breaking into a stuttery mid-tempo beat-down, accented by humongous clouds of belching coal-smoke distortion and anchored by a muffled bass/snare drum/tambourine hit combination. Quite monstrous! The B-side has more of a slow almost rockist swing to it -- kinda sounding like a crawl-step/glam-goth instrumental accentuated with a crisp hi-hat ride and a guitar-riff like hum/buzz of distortion. [SM]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  THEO PARRISH
Sound Signature Sounds Vol. 2
(Sound Signature)

"Suns of Osiris"
"Instant Insanity"

Theo Parrish does the world another solid by compiling a second volume of his Sound Signature Sounds, offering up highlights from many of his hard-to-find self-released 12"s and a brief, previously unreleased interlude onto CD. If you're a fan, you know what you're in for; the disc brings together various Parrish productions and is filled with deep tracks of cut-up, spaced-out, and bliss-inducing soul house that combine crisp, hard machinery with soft, sultry sensuality. "I Can Take It" is a rework of Recloose's classic "Can't Take It," while the epic "Rain for Jimmy" comes from the excellent 3 Chairs project, a super-group that saw Parrish join forces with heavyweights Kenny Dixon Jr. (a/k/a Moodymann) and Rick "The Godson" Wilhite. Elsewhere, opener "Get Got" is drawn from the Theo's Rotating Assembly project, "Suns of Osiris" sees Parrish working a spiritual jazz groove that sounds like an ugly edit of Sun Ra or the Art Ensemble of Chicago, while the closing pair, "Instant Insanity" and "Timeislafinacharunninout," finds him sewing the seeds for the murky Modern Love sound, all sludgy puddles of muffled bass, distantly thudding beats, and fogs of acrid sample smoke. These two tracks, totaling 23 minutes alone unto themselves, make this CD essential listening, but on the whole this is all killer, no filler, and is one of the dirtiest, grimiest Theo releases yet; while Parrish's tracks have always had a serious D.I.Y., rough-hewn charm to them, a few of these cuts get straight-up lo-fi, and it's actually pretty awesome. If you're a fan, you've probably already got this in your cart, but casual observers take note: Theo's releases on Sound Signature are notoriously limited and sell out rather fast, so this is definitely a buy-now-or-cry-later scenario. Theo Parrish can definitely be an acquired taste, but I am personally loving this set; it's a new take on a familiar voice whom I respect immensely, and I can't recommend it enough. [IQ]

 
         
   
   
   
   
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  KWES
Meantime EP
(Warp)

"Bashful"
"Honey"

For a couple of years now, London-based producer Kwesi Sey has been a man behind the scenes, working on a cross section of songs and albums by UK bands and rappers like Micachu, Speech Debelle, Dels, Ghostpoet, Elan Tamara, the xx's Romy, not to mention being a member of Damon Albarn's DRC Music collective. With a few one-off releases on XL and Young Turks under his belt, now comes Kwes' debut EP for Warp Records, which finds the multi-instrumentalist easing into something he refers to as "free pop." While this subtle, sensual, low-key excursion in UK soul is not dissimilar to James Blake or Jamie Woon, Meantime also contains musical moments that bring to mind Radiohead; with his yearning to create borderless pop music, Kwes makes actual "songs" as opposed to "tracks" from a soft, bubbling arsenal of warm synths and keys, bass, drums, guitars and samples. Channeling a little of Scott Walker's mellow side and the oft-kilter themes of the Beach Boys, there's a slight yet endearing sense of awkwardness to this EP, from "Honey" (which is written from the perspective of a head of cabbage singing to a jar of honey -- the love of his life) to lead single "Bashful," an earnest, organic, honest song about a shy guy trying to muster up the courage to make a move. The unique and skilled production techniques that Kwes has used to great effect for others turns out to be an even more natural fit for his own words and voice, resulting in a surprising, slow-burning jam of soft-focus soul. While Meantime may not have the talent-show vocal gymnastics of some of the aforementioned, there's nonetheless a lot of emotion pouring out of these four songs. Fans of the R&B/electronic/indie hybrid of the xx as well as those still waiting for the Weeknd to release a proper product will want to check this EP out; I for one can't wait for the full-length. [DG]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  FATHER JOHN MISTY
Fear Fun
(Sub Pop)

"Hollywood Forever Cemetary Sings"
"Well You Can Do It Without Me"

Yes, I tried to hate this, but I just COULDN'T do it. When J. Tillman announced he was leaving the Fleet Foxes to devote more time to his own material, few would have imagined this was what he was talking about. The fact that he had a solo career well before that band's ascendance into the indie illuminati is still largely unknown beyond the completist Fleet Foxes fan, Seattle barflys, and the discerning Euro-snob. But up to this point, Tillman's albums consisted of a series of more-or-less interchangeable sad-sack hymns of severity and self-seriousness such that would give Brigham Young pause. Which is why the promotional melee leading up to the Father John Misty record grew more and more confounding by the day, with videos promoting variations on the Classics of Hollywood Decadence -- from Laurel Canyon party/drug couture to Sunset Strip hotel room S&M beard emasculation fantasy, to the gaudy and goofy album cover art -- it all seemed like a statement of over-the-top intent, in flagrant contradiction to the Fleet Foxes' neo-Quaker vibe, and the general humorlessness of his own musical past. These are pranks you might expect from a Bonnie 'Prince' Billy or Lil B, not an ex-member of Fleet Foxes -- which, again, make them all the more refreshing. It would seem Tillman's physical remove from the dank climate of the Northwest to Southern California has also precipitated a sea change in his songwriting, letting a little air and light into the heretofore sealed-off chambers of brood and gloom that managed to make his past efforts a bit of a slog.

The Misty of Fear Fun is almost unrecognizable from this earlier Tillman incarnation, sounding like he just finished reading Kenneth Anger's Hollywood Babylon then went out and lived it. The first three tracks here are a TKO -- with unabashed hooks and melodies not altogether dissimilar to the best Fleet Foxes material, but with more Crosby, less Nash. Tillman has a voice every bit as strong and engaging as his former bandmates', but more earthbound and raw in its delivery and preoccupations. The Fleet Foxes were a pure vision, the songs sounding like they might have arisen directly from the spring melt of an Alpine lake. Fear Fun is the sound of a man ripping down that mountain in a lime green GTO, pedal to the metal into the heart of the Hollywood Hills and not braking until he blasts through the living room wall of Mickey Rourke's condo. These songs channel the spirits of some of Tinseltown's greatest misfit-provacateurs -- Randy Newman, Nilsson, and Cat Stevens all readily come to mind -- tempered with the same dark edge of disillusion and delirium that fed the Band's Stage Fright. Just as often the mood strikes a sweet spot somewhere between Vintage Violence John Cale and pre-Judy Garland-op Rufus Wainwright -- big dogs to walk behind.

Tillman's songs have always been models of the artistic stereotype, self-absorbed, transparent, and a little pretentious, but where these qualities used to drag him down, here they buttress the songs up, creating a character that's imminently relatable (and likable) in its human flaws and weaknesses. By fully embracing the unsavoriness that was there all along, Father John Misty's L.A. burnout happens upon something much more compelling than the constructed personas of his given name. He pulls off a delicate operation here, playing up Hollywood myths and clichés of excess with an earnestness and exuberance that makes it all almost believable. And like their birthplace, their charm is that they're almost real. If you only buy one indie-folk album (and let's hope that you do) this year, let it be this one. [JTr]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  NICK WATERHOUSE
Time's All Gone
(Innovative Leisure)

"Say I Wanna Know"
"Raina"

This 25-year-old West Coast producer/DJ/recording artist has been causing a stir on the soul circuit for the past year or so, with a fully realized sound that is nothing new -- he meticulously recreates 1950s-vintage R&B sounds of New Orleans, Detroit, Memphis, etc. -- but while this is more than half a century out of date, and even the revival may be on the wane, Waterhouse has a focus and style and he certainly jumps out of the pack. Waterhouse first got notice outside of his much-loved Bay Area DJ parties with a self-released 7" single for "Some Place," a piano-driven, horn-honking soul stomper that quickly sold out and has since been seen on eBay in the $300 range, making one wonder if overseas northern soul fanatics even realized that Waterhouse was a living, breathing artist rather than a newly-excavated rockin' relic. But indeed, he lives, and after a second single and a series of increasingly high-profile live sets with a full band, back-up singers, piano, percussion and all, the album finally drops.

Waterhouse differs from revivalists like Amy Winehouse or her producer Mick Ronson in that he doesn't aim to update the sound at all, but instead fully inhabits the bygone, beloved era, from straightforward arrangements to vintage mics to starched white shirts and Buddy Holly-glasses. He also stands apart from the Brooklyn Daptone scene by mining a slightly earlier era of R&B, when it was closer to rock 'n' roll and swing, more stripped down, more naïve, but perhaps also a bit more raw. Time's All Gone is a 30-minute adrenaline rush, Ike Turner style, with honking baritone sax, barrelhouse piano, tightly-focused rhythm guitar strumming and breakout single-note leads, and Waterhouse's somewhat thin but undeniably swinging vocals. If you love this sound, there is a lot to love about Waterhouse and his band, and their delivery is far too heartfelt and powerful to come off like tired imitation. Front to back the record is probably not quite as exciting as that first single was, but there are plenty of winners here, and Waterhouse is one of the best in the genre in quite some time. Check the rocking "Some Place," the laid-back strut of "Indian Love Call," or the world-weary "I Can Only Give You Everything." [JM]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  MICHAEL KIWANUKA
Home Again
(Polydor)

"Tell Me a Tale"
"Home Again"

Man oh man, take note of this wonderful debut album by London soul singer Michael Kiwanuka, who has been making waves in the UK after a string of great EP releases and a spot opening for Adele on her last tour. Kiwanuka possesses a stunning voice which reminds me of Bill Withers singing the Randy Newman songbook; it's got a rich, velvety tone with a bit of Newman's odd inflection that resonates with emotion, and on Home Again, produced by Paul Butler of the (Band of) Bees, it's framed in arrangements of gently swinging acoustic soul peppered with subtle baroque flourishes. Driven by acoustic guitars, piano, and quietly thumping brushed drums, these ten songs are given soft psychedelic touches of birdlike flute calls, a bit of Indian raga drone, multi-tracked doo-wop vocals, and lovely but subtle strings that never suffocate the proceedings. You can hear a bit of Roy Ayers, or Charles Stepney's work for Terry Callier in the mix, but also that of Van Morrison and Donovan's pastoral sun-soaked daze. Kiwanuka's not a belter; his voice aches rather than wails, and while a few tracks can settle into a mode whose too-polite subtleties beg for a bit of fire, on the whole this is a gorgeous, promising debut with much replay value. This is an album of top-notch gentle folk-soul that fans of everything from the aforementioned Callier, Ayers, and Newman to the likes of Nick Drake circa Bryter Later, Mumford and Sons, or even Bon Iver should check out immediately. Yes, I know that the import-only price is a bit steep (it is due to be issued in the U.S. on July 31), but trust me, this one's a winner, and no one's more surprised to hear me say that than I am myself! Keep an eye on this guy, something tells me we'll be hearing more from him soon. [IQ]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  THE FUNKEES
Dancing Time: The Best of Eastern Nigeria's Afro Rock Exponents 1973-77
(Soundway)

"Ole"
"Slipping into Darkness"

This is a long-overdue and much-needed overview of the catalog of one of the hottest Afro-rock groups of the '70s. The Funkees were an immensely popular Nigerian sextet who came out of the fertile club band circuit of Eastern Nigeria. The group eschewed the brassy JB's-inspired sounds of Fela for a sound driven more by organ and fuzzy electric guitar; that doesn't mean that they weren't as funky though, and the grooves contained within make for some of my favorite African music of the era. Tracks like "Life," "Dancing Time" and "Ole" are closer in style to the Nyabinghi funk of Cymande and late-era Equals, and the bright vocals and infectious double-down percussive breakdowns swing painfully deep throughout these impeccably produced songs. The band relocated to London in '75, and while there you can even hear progressive rock and proto-disco influences seep into tunes like "303," "Dancing in the Nude" and "Salem." The Funkees seemed to only get more accomplished and sophisticated with each release, up until their implosion in 1977. In any case, this is some of the most inspiring, funkiest music you'll hear from any era. The release also contains an excellent interview with OG Funkees band member Sonny Akpan to complement the stellar sounds. I can't praise this collection enough! [DH]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 



$25.99
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Blow Away Your Troubles
$22.99
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$9.99 MP3

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On Any Normal Monday
$13.99
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Midnight Cleaners
$13.99
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  THE CLEANERS FROM VENUS
Volume One CD Box Set
(Captured Tracks)

"Swinging London"
"Winter in the Country"

One of Captured Tracks' most ambitious and important reissue projects, finally some of the greatest songs of the post-punk era (maybe of any era if you ask me) are re-mastered and archived properly, a godsend to fans throughout the world who have long ago worn out their original cassettes, and an invitation to the many who are as yet uninitiated into the wonders of Martin Newell and the Cleaners from Venus. Here we get the first three albums by the Cleaners from Venus (following a cassette under the Stray Trolleys moniker, and another split tape with the Cleaners, which is the precursor to the first album in this edition) collected together in a triple-CD box set or available individually as LPs. After fronting the glam group Plod in the '70s and making a solo single entitled "Young Jobless" in 1980, Newell immersed himself in the D.I.Y. cassette underground and between the years of 1981 and 1986 he released half a dozen cassette albums, including a solo outing (reissued early last year), utilizing an array of six- and twelve-string guitars, bass, minimal use of synthesizers, and a clattering mixture of live drums, percussion, and analog drum machines.

Blow Away Your Troubles outlines the early Cleaners vision and then some; a double LP divided into "Straight Side" and "Bent Side" (as per the original tape), and for the second LP, "Kerb Side" and "Road Side," this exhibits the sound of the Cleaners playing and recording every Monday from autumn 1980 to spring of 1981. The live drums of Lol Elliott colored-in CFV's sound and provided the proper foundation for their songs to take upon any shape Newell could imagine; they set out to record two completely new creations from start to finish at each meeting, covering a range of styles from pop and psychedelic rock to dub. Newell and Elliott worked quite well together, and the end results of their collaboration captured here, in all their varied lo-fi glory, possess charm, verve, and an alternative to the "idiot popstars" Martin would explore as subject matter in the near future. This version differs slightly from the original cassette; "Hey Dreamer" is absent, added are "The Trevor Rutter Experience," "A Personal Issue," "A Weekend in Subordia" (which bears a striking resemblance to Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti), and "The Artichoke That Loved Me," plus an alternate version of "Marilyn on a Train" and an added second version of "Marathon." This is a veritable treasure trove of well-crafted songs and joyful noise from the Cleaners' first wave of creativity.

Recorded on a newly-acquired 4-track Portastudio in a ramshackle Victorian rooming house, while in the midst of a break-up with his girlfriend, and faced with the decision of drummer Lol to move 200 miles west to be with his own girl, Martin assembled 1982's On Any Normal Monday with pre-recorded drum tracks and a borrowed drum machine when his bandmate was not available. Divided into "Light" and "Dark" sides (with the song that originally closed side B, "Spirit of Youth in Flames," curiously omitted and replaced with another version of "Marilyn on a Train"), this record is full of songs about loss and change, delivered with an acceptance of what had gone, and a clear vision of the future he was to face, going it alone on the next album.

Midnight Cleaners found Martin impatiently pressing on without Lol and recording this gem of an album with drum machines, home-made percussion and borrowed cymbals for the rhythm tracks. On the "Pop Side," "Only a Shadow" is the stand-out song here with live drums and a gorgeous repeating chorus of "only a shadow, but she looks like you," followed by another influential track in "Corridor of Dreams," which can again be heard echoed in the music of Ariel Pink. On the "Art Side" we have more drum machine-driven experimentation and insight into Martin's world, the dominant themes of England, Russia, aliens, factories, the country, pop stars, TV, madness, joy, and letting go. He would go on to record another trio of highly creative full-length albums (In the Golden Autumn, Under Wartime Conditions, and Living with Victoria Grey) before re-recording the latter for his major-label RCA debut in 1987. [ACo]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  CHEAP TIME
Wallpaper Music
(In the Red)

"More Cigarettes"
"Take It If You Want It"

From the opening track it is evident that Cheap Time are back in a big way. There's no question that their second record, Fantastic Explanations (and Similar Situations), was a bit divisive; for a lot of folks, head honcho Jeffrey Novak's obsessions with Kevin Ayers and Sparks were better left to his solo records than integrated into Cheap Time's glam/punk/garage underground riot, and on Wallpaper Music, the ship has righted course and Novak sounds like he's firing on all cylinders. The funny thing is those same influences are really still there, it is just that the band have gotten a lot better at integrating both sets of influences into a much more cohesive whole. Seriously, this record is hit after hit in the same way as their debut, but still retains the art/glam damage of the second album and the more you listen to it the better it gets. Wallpaper Music will have its hooks in me for some time to come. [DMa]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  AMPS FOR CHRIST / WOODS
Amps for Christ/Woods Split
(Shrimper)

"Lord Bateman (Child #53)" Amps for Christ
"Brothers" Woods

Lo-fi folk rockers Woods have been dominating the Brooklyn music scene for quite some time now, releasing records on founder Jeremy Earl's own Woodsist label, who have also spotlighted and supported plenty of great new acts. The latest Woodsist release highlights Henry Barnes, who has been making warped folk-noise under the name Amps for Christ for more than a decade, and with whom Woods are sharing this split LP. The album is evenly divided into four songs from each act starting with Amps for Christ, whose opening track "When" is an instrumental ballad of intentionally sloppy finger-picked guitar, followed by the brief "Native Chantz" which is filled with fuzzy home-made synths and circuit-bent Casios. "Lord Bateman (Child #53)" is the only track featuring Barnes' vocals -- a satisfying folk story in the key of Woods. "Roto Coto in C Major" introduces the sitars, which we later hear in the collaborative track entitled "From Oatmeal to Buttermilk," an indulgent bohemian psych jam session, backed by electronic noise. Woods step in on the second part of the album with a stripped down instrumental sound which blends in nicely with the Amps for Christ work. Jeremy Earl's familiar falsetto gently carries along on "Sleep," while "Wind Was the Wine," and "Brothers" ease into the noisier, lazier sound of Woods. The album finishes off with the ten-minute-long "September Saturn" -- an incredibly pleasant (if slightly self-indulgent) jam, backed by simple off-key percussion. The entire LP creates an interesting campfire-like atmosphere and is a very satisfying listen. Thumbs up to Woodsist for another fantastic release! [ACo]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  ROB
Make It Fast, Make It Slow
(Soundway)

"Loose Up Yourself"
"Make It Fast, Make It Slow"

One of the rarest and holiest of Afro-funk grails is this sophomore release from Ghanaian soul performer Rob. Recorded with the famed Mag-2 army band horn section in the early-'70s, this album is a curious blend of low-slung burners that can contain both overtly sexual and hyper-religious Christian overtones in the lyrical content. The former is demonstrated by the monstrous title track, a nasty slice of JB's-inspired sensuality, with Rob relaying boasts of his sexual prowess, complete with aural demonstration at song's end. It's amazing and was used to great effect by J Dilla, who lifted its groove years ago. Other highlights include the "Make It Fast" companion piece "Back on You," which boasts some fierce brass work from Mag-2, and the psychedelic wobbly grooves of "He Shall Live in You" and "I've Got to See You Again, Lord" are burners as well. Rob's off-kilter, eccentric vocals are a bit of an acquired taste, but the sheer intensity of the grooves makes up for it in spades. Thumbs up! [DH]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  FRANCO FALSINI
Cold Nose
(Spectrum Spools)

While I am not in any way shape or form a prog head, I was more than a little excited to see that this obscure Italian progressive record was about to get a vinyl reissue courtesy of the cosmic 'heads over at Spectrum Spools. Franco Falsini was a member of Italian prog group Sensations' Fix, and Cold Nose represents his first steps into solo territory. Purportedly a soundtrack to a movie of the same name (though no one I know has ever laid eyes on it), across three long tracks, Falsini deploys guitar and synth in a way that finds some strange common ground between Fripp and Eno's No Pussyfooting and Bobby Beausoleil's Lucifer Rising soundtrack. Cold Nose is at once open-ended and exploratory yet with an underlying darkness as well. The press release states: "Falsini applied many experimental methods to his recording process, including a mechanism...which would monitor his brain activity in the studio. Only when his brain would produce Alpha/Theta waves would he begin to write and commit his music to tape." So yeah, this is some head music for sure. [AB]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  BLOCKHEAD
Interludes After Midnight
(Ninja Tune)

"Never Forget Your Token"
"Smoke Signals"

Tony "Blockhead" Simon began his beat banging for Def Jux and Mush, a backpacker's favorite during the 2000s via his productions for Aesop Rock's first few albums, not to mention his own instrumental records featuring his soulful and quirky collages. Named after a long-running public access show, Blockhead's latest full-length for Ninja Tune, Interlude After Midnight, is a flowing ode to NYC -- a cosmopolitan journey across the five boroughs crafted from lots of funk samples colliding alongside the bleeping synths and percussion. Fans of RJD2, Daedelus and Dimlite will definitely relate to this sampledelic soundscape from one of the city's more consistent indie/underground/alt-hip-hop producers. [DG]
 
         
   
       
   

 

 

     
 

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  HOWLIN' WOLF
Message to the Young
(Get on Down)

"Miss James"
"Message to the Young"

Along with the recently reissued This is Howlin' Wolf's New Album... from 1969 and the 1972 London Sessions, this was Chess Records' attempt to get their fiercest bluesman to connect with the kids who were grooving to so much blues-rock from long-haired white boys at the dawn of the '70s. Released in '71, it is classic Chicago-style electric blues, and despite the marketing that went into this phase of Wolf's career, it is impossible to deny the power of tracks like "I Smell a Rat," "Romance without Finance," or "Turn Me On."

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  K-HOLES
Dismania
(Hardly Art)

"Child"
"Dirty Hax"

This New York quintet features former members of Golden Triangle and the Black Lips, and their second record (and Hardly Art debut) has a fierce, vintage NYC wail that recalls no wave and the pounding '80s sound of the Lower East Side in decay as seen by the Birthday Party. Dark, druggy, at times atonal punk rock fronted by the guttural Jack Hines and the terrifying Vashti Windish, who sounds like Thalia Zadek after a REALLY bad bender.
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  GRAVENHURST
The Ghost in Daylight
(Warp)

"Circadian"
"Islands"

It's been five years since Nick Talbot's last haunted dispatch, and while some things have changed, Gravenhurst's hazy, melancholy psych-folk sound remains fully intact and fully engaging. This new one is a bit less post-rock proggy, coming off like a trippier Red House Painters, and we mean that as a high compliment.
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE
Aufheben
(A. Recordings)

"Viho"
"Seven Kinds of Wonderful"

Their 13th studio album is no major shake-up, but it's another woozy psych blowout BJM-style, with occasional sitar and flute jams ("Face Down on the Moon") only momentarily interrupting the fuzz fest. Founding member Matt Hollywood returns, and Will Carruthers (Spacemen 3, Spiritualized) makes a few guest appearances.

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  SHINDIG!
Issue #26
(Shindig!)

With the Small Faces gracing the cover of the newest issue of Shindig!, you know that #26 one is another must-read; 14 pages are devoted to the latter half of the legendary London group's career, with the assistance of Kenney Jones, PP Arnold and Billy Nicholls. Additionally, Shindig! picks up with the second part of their expose on the Bee Gees during their psych-pop days from band biographer Andrew Sandoval, along with features on early-'70s British acid folkers Jade, '80s garage-pop legends the Plimsouls, Dave Swarbrick (of Fairport Convention), Sri Lankan Rock, George Jackson, Kaleidoscope, tons of reviews, and much, much more.
 
         
   
       
   

 

 

     
 

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  PHIL COHRAN & THE ARTISTIC HERITAGE ENSEMBLE
The Spanish Suite
(Tizona)

"The Spanish Suite 1"
"The Spanish Suite 2"

As those who have followed the trickle of excellent reissues from Philip Cohran and the Artistic Heritage Ensemble know already, any new -- or more accurately, newly unearthed -- recording is cause for celebration. Over the past few years, we have welcomed the releases of the group's On the Beach, Malcolm X Memorial, and Singles. A member of Sun Ra's mid-'60s groups, Cohran's music could be compared to his mentor's late '50s/early '60s forays into African music (Angels & Demons at Play and Nubians of Plutonia come to mind). The music of Cohran is characterized by flowing, groove-oriented, soul-searching qualities equally influenced by African traditions and modern American Black Power.

Recorded in 1968 but never before released until its first issue on CD in 2009, The Spanish Suite does indeed open up with some searing Spanish horns. However, it might be more appropriate to see this 39-minute composition as a moon hovering over the sky-space between Spain and Morocco. Combining Moorish influence with the Ensemble's usual brilliant tapestry of North African, Southern gospel and American jazz, the sound is flowing and proud, bluesy and noble, earthy and astral. Anyone who's taken to the Ethiopiques series -- in particular the Ethiopian jazz of Mulatu Astatke -- will undoubtedly love this. The Spanish Suite is another masterpiece from this group. Philip Cohran and the Artistic Heritage Ensemble can, apparently, do no wrong. [AGe]
 
         
   
       
   
         
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THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS

[AB] Adrian Burkholder
[ACo] Anastasia Cohen
[MC] Michael Crumsho
[AGe] Alexis Georgopoulos
[DG] Daniel Givens
[GH] Gerald Hammill
[DH] Duane Harriott
[IQ] Mikey IQ Jones
[JM] Josh Madell
[DMa] Dave Martin
[SM] Scott Mou
[JTr] Jon Treneff





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