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   September 20, 2012  
       
   
     
 
 
FEATURED NEW RELEASES
Grizzly Bear
How to Dress Well
Woods
The Gaslamp Killer
Shed
Shackleton
Sensations' Fix
Minutes in Ice (Frozen Borders Comp)
The Sea and Cake
Dinosaur Jr.
The Sufis
Allah-Las
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Richard Hawley
Marcellus Pittman
Big Strick (Resivior Dogs Pt. 1 12")
Moodymann (12"s)
5 Years of Claremont 56 (3CD comp.)

 
Brenda Ray
The Heavy

ALSO AVAILABLE
Band of Horses
Poor Moon
Aimee Mann
Mika Vainio
Adrian Sherwood
Helio Sequence
Lymbyc System


All of this week's new arrivals.
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/othermusicnyc
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/othermusic

 
         
   
   
   
   
   
       
   
 
 



  WIN PASSES TO RADIO UNNAMEABLE SCREENING
A new documentary from producer/directors Paul Lovelace and Jessica Wolfson about free form radio pioneer Bob Fass. During the '60s and '70s, Fass was behind the mic on WBAI-FM, five days a week from midnight to 5 a.m., letting the talk and music flow all night long. You never knew when an unannounced guest might drop by as well -- names like Allen Ginsberg, Abbie Hoffman and Bob Dylan, to name a few. Radio Unnameable collages tapes of some of Fass' most memorable programs with archival film footage of NYC, and features an original score by Jeffrey Lewis and unreleased on-air performances from Karen Dalton, Hamza El-Din, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Arlo Guthrie, and others. We've got a handful of passes to give away, good to any of the screenings at the Film Forum (September 19-October 2). Email enter@othermusic.com for your chance to win a pair.

RADIO UNNAMEABLE SCREENING THROUGH OCT. 2
FILM FORUM: 219 W. Houston St. NYC


     
 
   
   
 
 
SEP Sun 16 Mon 17 Tues 18 Wed 19 Thurs 20 Fri 21 Sat 22





  CATE LE BON TICKET GIVEAWAY
Welsh singer/songwriter (and Gruff Rhys pal and collaborator) Cate Le Bon returns to New York City, performing her gorgeous fuzzy, modern psychedelic pop at Mercury Lounge with Quilt on Friday, September 21, and then the next night in Brooklyn at Union Pool with Natureboy opening. You'll want to catch at least one of these shows, and we've got a pair of tickets to give away to each; just email tickets@othermusic.com for your chance to win and list which night you'd like to see. The two winners will also receive a Cate Le Bon t-shirt, so make sure to include your shirt size in your entry!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 @ MERCURY LOUNGE:
217 E. Houston St. NYC
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 @ UNION POOL:
484 Union Ave. Williamsburg, BKLN

     
 
   
   
 
 
SEP Sun 16 Mon 17 Tues 18 Wed 19 Thurs 20 Fri 21 Sat 22
  Sun 23 Mon 24 Tues 25 Wed 26 Thurs 27 Fri 28 Sat 29


  FILM:ACOUSTIC W/STEPHIN MERRITT & NEIL FINN
The Modern School of Film presents FILM:ACOUSTIC, an exciting new series of one-of-a-kind screenings of films personally selected by and discussed with celebrated artists from the world of music. Other Music has a pair of passes to give away to the first two upcoming installments. This Friday, Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt will be presenting The Black Lizard (1968) at the City Winery, and then, on Tuesday, September 25, Neil Finn (Crowded House, Split Enz) will be screening Rain (2008) at the Living Room. To enter to win a pair of passes, email giveaway@othermusic.com, and make sure to list which screening you'd like to see.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21: STEPHIN MERRITT PRESENTS THE BLACK LIZARD
CITY WINERY: 155 Varick St. NYC

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25: NEIL FINN PRESENTS RAIN
THE LIVING ROOM: 154 Ludlow St. NYC

Also, not to be missed, FILM: ACOUSTIC with Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club's Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, who will be screening Stop Making Sense on Wednesday, October 17 at City Winery.
     
 
   
   
 
 
SEP Sun 23 Mon 24 Tues 25 Wed 26 Thurs 27 Fri 28 Sat 29
OCT Sun 30 Mon 01 Tues 02 Wed 03 Thurs 04 Fri 05 Sat 06


Niki & the Dove


  UPCOMING IN-STORE PERFORMANCES
Our friends at Sub Pop have offered up a couple of great bands from their roster for special in-stores in the coming weeks, starting with the Swedish electro-pop duo Niki & the Dove, who will be dropping by next Wednesday to play a set of songs from their Instinct LP. And the following Monday, you can catch Dum Dum Girls supporting their own new End of Daze EP -- please join us for these intimate performances!

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26: NIKI & THE DOVE
MONDAY, OCTOBER 1: DUM DUM GIRLS
OTHER MUSIC: 15 E. 4th St. NYC
Both In-Stores at 8 p.m. | All Ages | Free Admission
     
 
   
   
 
 
SEP Sun 23 Mon 24 Tues 25 Wed 26 Thurs 27 Fri 28 Sat 29




  TIM MAIA 70TH BIRTHDAY & LISTENING PARTY
In celebration of legendary Brazilian artist Tim Maia's 70th birthday, and Luaka Bop's excellent World Psychedelic Classics 4: Nobody Can Live Forever; The Existential Soul of Tim Maia collection, we are throwing a party on Friday the 28th. DJ Paul Heck be spinning Tim's music all night, we're selling the record a few days before street date, and Soul Cachaça will be in the house serving their excellent premium Brazilian cocktails. Join us!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
OTHER MUSIC: 15 E. 4th St. NYC
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
     
 
   
   
   
   
   
       
   

 

 

     
 

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  GRIZZLY BEAR
Shields
(Warp)

Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store

2009's Veckatimest, an album that debuted at #8 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, presented Grizzly Bear as an indie band that effectively threw off the shackles of the term "indie." Songs like "Two Weeks" and "While You Wait for the Others" achieved grandeur, thanks to lush production, orchestral arrangements by Nico Muhly, and the reach of singer Ed Droste's voice. The charming, folky touches of 2006's Yellow House -- whistling, handclaps, kitchen percussion -- were jettisoned. The hugeness of Grizzly Bear's songs, mostly revolving around the agony of love, finally matched their earnestness. So after an international hit record that bypassed the indie charts altogether, touring with Radiohead, collaborating with Michael McDonald, and being a featured guest alongside Feist at Wilco shows in minor league baseball stadiums across the country, where exactly does a band like Grizzly Bear go?

On Shields, the vocal harmonies that the group perfected over the course of two albums are less pronounced. Droste's voice, which shares Mark Hollis' melodramatic flair and dynamic range, is more powerful and often double-tracked to great effect on the more pop-oriented tunes like "Gun-Shy" and "Sleeping Ute." On songs like "Speak in Rounds," the band flexes its polyrhythmic muscles, with phased electric guitar and the strums of an acoustic playing off of each other beat by beat, while multi-instrumentalist Chris Taylor fills every available space with flute trills and clarinet calls. That all might sound messy, but the group maintains impressive control over its whirling arrangements, especially across longer songs like the six-minute "A Simple Answer." Shields makes sense in Grizzly Bear's discography -- after a precise and poppy record like Veckatimest, the follow-up is looser, taking the technical flair of the band's players into the oceans that exist beyond verses and choruses. [MS]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  HOW TO DRESS WELL
Total Loss
(Acephale)

Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store

Ironically, when this album came up in my iTunes, Big John Hamilton's vintage southern soul tune "How Much Can a Man Take?" showed up for the crying party as well. I had to chuckle to myself a bit when I saw it, as in essence Tom Krell's ghostly subversive almost-R&B begs this question time and time again. His solid yet uneven debut album Love Remains was more of a critical curiosity than a darling, but the lo-fi slow jam abstractions, punctuated by Krell's awkward, sincere falsetto, was an audacious enough idea in 2010 to garner praise from plenty of enthusiasts. Total Loss hits the shelves post-Channel Orange, with the mainstream R&B world temporarily enamored with the minimalist, downer abstractions of a complex, bisexual African-American 20-something; what's a nerdy, Caucasian, graduate student to do? Thankfully, Krell hunkers down and stays the course. Truth be told, the R&B wasn't really the meat of the whole thing. Krell loves the pain of love, and his music is about conveying those emotions through performance -- something he has in common with many of his heroes who happen to be R&B stars, like Aaliyah, R. Kelly, Beyonce, Keith Sweat, Gerald Levert and Al B Sure; in R&B the vocal performance trumps the lyrical content (and everything else) all day, every day. Paraphrasing KRS-One, How to Dress Well is Krell's attempt to break R&B "down to its very last compound." He's not the first to try to do that and he's not necessarily great at doing it, but the results are more than intriguing and a lot more compelling than one would think.

If Love Remains was a conceptual album about the complexities of chronic melancholia, then Total Loss seems to be a conceptual album about the sharp directness of the pain of loss and how one deals with it. It's an uncomfortable thing to see someone struggle with loss and the fallout of it; beauty and inspiration can spring from the pain, but it ain't pretty. Krell collaborates with xx engineer Rodaidh McDonald here, a man who knows a thing or two about the importance of sentiment and open space. The album opener, "When I Was in Trouble," is a sparse three-chord piano ballad that pushes that shaky falsetto up front and center. It's jarring, awkward and confrontational in all of its flaws (like the pain of loss), and a markedly different approach to the ghostly abstractions of Krell's earlier recordings. Songs like "Cold Nites," "& It was U," and "How Many" aim for the fully realized R&B trappings of his aforementioned heroes and they're a bit uncomfortable to listen to on their own, simply put, because he's overreaching. But tracks like "Ocean Floor for Everything," "Say My Name or Say Whatever" and the string-laden instrumental centerpiece "World I Need You, Won't Be Without You (Proem)" are heartbreaking in their simplicity in a way that I can't quite put my finger on, which I suppose is the point of the whole thing, right? This might be the first record I've listened to in a while that simultaneously made me want to turn it off and turn it up; I let it play through, and then I started it again. It's not pretty, but it just might be beautiful -- I haven't decided yet, but it's definitely worth hearing. [DH]

 
         
   
   
   
   
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  WOODS
Bend Beyond
(Woodsist)

"Is It Honest?"
"Size Meets the Sound"

Woods first bent my ear with 2010's At Echo Lake, an album that radiated the sweet roughness of early Neil Young and the imagery of Jack Kerouac's Big Sur. The band wasn't garage-rock by any stretch of the term, but their music shared that genre's hallmarks: raw textures, a fascination with 1960s tones, and the feeling that each song was crafted through loose, close-quarters jamming. Last year's Sun & Shade was an album that presented Woods' two faces simultaneously, just as the band does live: a group that effortlessly exhales breezy electric psychedelic folk a la the Byrds and Love, and a group that builds 20-minute noise storms from heavily effected tape loops created by their resident oddball G. Lucas Crane.

The best way to sum up Bend Beyond, the band's eighth album, is to hear the leadoff title track. As part of their live set, "Bend Beyond" (whose beat and mood are ripped straight from "Cowgirl in the Sand") is a thirteen-minute epic of hushed, moody verses that turn into long, spiraling electric feedback squalls; for this record, it has been edited down to a relatively brief four minutes. Across twelve breezy songs, Woods tighten up their Grateful Dead-isms, polishing each fine track on this album into brilliant and memorable nuggets. Dig that stuttering bass line, or when the twelve-string electric guitar gets the whammy-bar treatment during the chorus on "Cali in a Cup." I love how Woods often take the loud-quiet-loud formula of '90s alternative rock bands and transpose them onto '60s chords and atmospherics, as on "Is It Honest?" when the instruments build and swell before each verse begins. On "Find Them Empty," one of the best Woods songs yet, they channel the 13th Floor Elevators in fine fashion, with wild squawking guitars and a tense, speed-induced energy. Easily one of my favorite records of the year, it's refreshing to be able to describe a Woods record without needing three or four hyphens to link several genres together. It's not psych-folk-Can-pop-Kraut-anything, just rock and roll made by guys with sky in their hair and stars on their brows. [MS]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  THE GASLAMP KILLER
Breakthrough
(Brainfeeder)

"Apparitions (with Gonjasufi)"
"Nissim (with Amir Yaghmai)"

William Benjamin Bensussen, a/k/a the Gaslamp Killer, has been a key figure in L.A.'s current beat-surgence of all things boom bap. Maybe best known for his production on Gonja Sufi's A Sufi and a Killer album (yes, he's the Killer), he's been a resident DJ at the Low End Theory parties since their inception, and is a connecting point between Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder brainiacs and Andy Votel's Finders Keepers freakazoids. Of Turkish descent, yet raised in Southern California, GLK's sound is a fuzzy, sunbaked, smoked-out, groovy, breakbeat-driven jam session. Unlike some of his mind-blowing mix-tapes, CD-Rs, and 10" EPs, Breakthrough is a fully formed "production" album that relies more on the psych-jam side of his heritage than on the new-school beat fusions he also can work within, though there are still plenty of nice electronic flourishes slipping and sliding within the cosmic slop. As a DJ, he has always been full of originality and wide-ranging taste, yet Breakthrough suffers a bit from being too full of the same ideas, though they are molded like black light silly putty into various short-lived moments (most tracks exist in the 1-3 minute range).

Like a Turkish DJ Shadow, GLK is a turntablist and crate digger at heart, and here he uses that skill and his tuned-in ear to effortlessly create an ancient-to-future concoction of feedback-filled synths and guitars, plenty of stretched-out/cascading harmonic movements, tight, snappy and punchy drums, all overlaid with lots of science fiction/B-movie interludes and passages, eerie and soaring live strings, and a hell of a lot of worldly samples. Throughout, the line between what is live and what is sampled is seamless and wonderfully vague. Helping to make flesh his psychedelic dreams are many players from the Cali scene: Gonja Sufi, Computer Jay, Daedelus, Samiyam, Shigeto, Dimlite, Adrian Younge, and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, to name a few. Fans of world breaks, psych-hop, or the productions/arrangements of David Axlerod and Charles Stepney should no doubt check this out. [DG]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  SHED
The Killer
(50 Weapons)

"Silent Witness"
"Phototype"

Oh, forget it, this record just slayzzz!! Shed's production skills and continued focus on marrying the outer edge of dubstep with the true spirit of Detroit techno (for a modern world) has always impressed. Sure. But it has NEVER quite gelled in the way it does on The Killer. This is a record that has the rare quality of being a completely enveloping, engaging, challenging listening experience as well as chock-full of tracks that will absolutely destroy minds on a decent club system. And here, he is joining the ever-growing group of electronic producers who are making music that is beyond genre classifications; while Shed's productions used to end up sounding either deep minimal, hard minimal or dubstep, with The Killer the tracks sit squarely in between techno and dubstep, becoming something else altogether.

The sound is extremely stripped down (efficient without being clinical) yet MASSIVE (space-filling rather than simply "hard"), both precisely manicured and absolutely room filling. He has bass hits that literally sound like human bodies being catapulted against the other side of a wall -- horrible image perhaps, but sound-wise that is an extremely good thing. There is also a throbbing earthy industrial element to the proceedings in that Berghain/Regis way, but like Andy Stott it surprises in its ability to rise, elevate and expand upward rather than just be a dim-witted macho beat down. "I Come by Night" is a perfect example of this, the pummeling machine-like beat accented by the rising static buzz brings to mind the image of a pitch black underground steel mill with sparks flying as the molten metal is poured. This exquisite massiveness is continued in tracks like "Ride On," where he tiptoes between a stuttering dubstep breakbeat and a fluid techno/house rhythm, underscored wonderfully with a completely elevating vocal loop. This is followed by the gorgeous "You Got the Look," which comes across like an industrial E2-E4 killing us softly with a clobbering rumble of a beat, again elevated with eternally percolating synth waves. "The Filler" further stretches Shed's style-palette with a maniacally winding, Zomby-esque synth line, epic synth chords and a step-y beat that will find a warm welcome in a house, techno or dubstep set alike while it expands its horizons in the process. The sheer scope and success-rate of this record is just mind-boggling; I believe we have another genre-destroying top album of the year here folks. This is essential listening based on its SOUND alone, yet it gives so much more than that from start to finish. [SM]

 
         
   
   
   
   
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  SHACKLETON
The Drawbar Organ EPs / Music for the Quiet Hour
(Woe to the Septic Heart!)

"Music for the Quiet Hour Part 4"
"(For the) Love of Weeping"

Maverick UK producer and OM favorite Shackleton delivers what is arguably his best work we've heard in this stunning, self-released double-CD set. The collection's first disc, The Drawbar Organ EPs, compiles all of the tracks from a series of three 12" singles issued just prior to the CD; these tracks feature the purest, most focused refinement of his trademark sound yet, filled with clattering hand drums, whirring and buzzing industrial flourishes, and a heavy melodic element seldom explored on prior releases. These Eastern-tinted melodies are all played on the drawbar organ of the title and a small arsenal of gamelan-like tuned percussion, and his discovery of the organ in particular is a minor revelation; it in turn leads him to beef up yet streamline his arrangements, with each track boasting a swagger and confidence his previous releases never really touched. These are easily his most kinetic and psychedelic productions to date, and are absolutely essential listening for fans both old and new.

It's the set's second disc that really blew me away, though. Music for the Quiet Hour is a single, hour-long piece indexed into five suites which finds Shackleton exploring a much darker, more ambient direction that is, quite simply, astounding. All of his trademarks are here, yet it's as though he has taken those key DNA strands and stretched them like Silly Putty, leaving wide open spaces and then filling them with new ingredients; there's a much heavier vocal presence, from sampled cut-ups of raga singers, Schwitters-esque Dada sound poetry, and wailing rai divas to some brutal spoken word recitations. The drones are thicker, and the arpeggiating synth tones spiral even higher when given ample breathing room, and as the piece progresses, he begins to add a heavier African influence into the mix, with layers of thumb piano and the percolation of talking drums providing a simultaneously rhythmic and melodic depth. It's an ambitious work that he pulls off astoundingly, moving the focus away from the dance floor or the bass bin and aiming straight for the addled cortex instead.

The entire package reminds me of everything from Muslimgauze and Three Mantras-era Cabaret Voltaire to prime mid-period Coil, who seem to be a deeper influence here than ever before. This is arguably his masterpiece, and after a stellar year that saw him also deliver a solid collaborative album with Pinch, that's really saying something. Fans of any of the aforementioned artists, or those who simply want some good, dark, kinetic psychedelic music to turn on and trip out really should pick this beast up post-haste. Absolute highest recommendation, folks! [IQ]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  SENSATIONS' FIX
Music Is Painting in the Air
(RVNG Intl)

"Barnhause Effect"
"Fix Cold Nose Story"

Once again, New York's RVNG imprint is blowing our minds, this time digging deep into the vaults for this sprawling collection of unheard music and new mixes from Sensations' Fix, a Florence, Italy-based progressive trio (later a quartet) led by composer/guitarist/keyboardist Franco Falsini, who also counted ex-Campo Di Marte bassist Richard Ursillo as a member during the time of these mid-'70s recordings. The group mostly falls on the spacey side of the prog spectrum and in a blind taste test one might even assume that many of these tracks emanated from Krautrock's kosmische realm; you can certainly detect influences like Tangerine Dream, Cluster and Ashra Tempel. Like these fellow German cosmic travellers, S.F.'s music was as diverse as their collective imagination, whether working in traditional song-forms like "Barnhause" (imagine Amon Duul II concocting a proggy pop jam and calling in Manuel Gottsching for some glistening guitar support), "Dark Side of Religion" which pre-dates the narcoleptic bliss of Flying Saucer Attack by almost 20 years, and the harmony-laden psych-folk of "C'e Nessuno," or creating numerous synth-fueled ambient soundscapes that recall early Tangerine Dream and the layered music of Fripp & Eno. (Falsini once referenced this duo's landmark No Pussyfooting LP on the back sleeve of S.F.'s Fragments of the Light with a note that read: "Dear Robert, you'll be glad to know that the heavenly music organization is here too.")

Compared to their contemporaries of the time, however, S.F.'s songs are far more personal in sound, due in large part to Falsini's intentionally homespun production, which seems all the more prescient today, thanks to the rise of DIY guitar/synth experimentalists from Dustin Wong to Emeralds (whose own John Elliott recently reissued Falsini's 1975 solo album, Cold Nose, on his Spectrum Spools imprint). Music Is Painting in the Air is one of those rare collections that serves as both a primer for the uninitiated and essential listening for long time fans; with Falsini working from original restored masters and eschewing any sort of chronological order for a track selection that effortlessly ebbs and flows, just know that you're in for one hell of a journey. [GH]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  VARIOUS ARTISTS
Minutes in Ice
(Frozen Borders)

"Detune" Mary Velo
"In Just a Small Moment" An D

There have been murmurs about this mysterious UK label with a roster of cryptic and unnamed producers, and we've stocked a select handful of their graphic-less white/black label 12"s over the last year or so. Initial listens made us think of like-minded entities including Sandwell District, Pom Pom, Ostgut Ton, Traversable Wormhole, etc. -- great company to be in for sure, but it takes more than just a passing similarity to make fans of those imprints really take notice. But with this new compilation, Minutes in Ice, I can't help but feel that Frozen Borders have FULLY stepped up their game to gain some hard-earned space in the realm of unique/special labels to get on board with and watch from here on out.

Frozen Borders specifically share the primal, modern, post-Basic Channel-isms of Sandwell District, the analog rawness of Pom Pom, the room-filling edginess of Ostgut and the swinging industrial vibe of Traversable Wormhole/Ancient Methods/Milton Bradley, but these guys transcend these influences by sheer generosity and creativity. Tracks like A. Santoro's "Solid Smoke," Session's "002," and An D's "In Just a Small Moment" just give so much! These guys have a knack for taking their great sense of sound and texture (deep, raw, strong yet thoughtful and absolutely focused) and arranging it in an extremely tasteful and creative way that keeps developing, changing, elevating and moving. I love me some Blawan, but within his infinitely varied output sometimes he can be too wild and too hard for my taste. Here, in "Tuesday's March," he follows the Frozen Borders maxim and keeps his raw, chain-rattling pummel deep, deep, deep in the pocket -- so, so good!!! It becomes immediately apparent that they know the strengths of the sound they are exploring and understand that it is possible to offer more unexpected elements that work within their style. They have a unique sense of keeping their raw, pummeling sound (slightly more un-hinged than Sandwell District for instance) focused and shifting in such a way that simply doesn't allow for any attention deficiency via very slyly shifting beats and an abundance of deftly introduced sounds that defy expectations.

Many cuts here at moments sound like a new track is being mixed in only to slam back into the original groove with even more gusto; beat patterns switch and fold into themselves with the kind of grace that adds a completely unique sense of creativity that never seems "tricky" or distracting. The feeling is both menacing and fresh with constant, subtle surprises popping up here and there that many of their peers would never include. The energy level is quite high, but soooo focused and stripped down. Fantastic stuff here, definitely do NOT miss out on this record!!! (We have both CD and vinyl versions of this gem; while the double-LP has eight tracks versus the CD's eleven, all of the very best tracks -- in my opinion -- have made it onto the wax, a rare occurrence when it comes to label compilations!!) [SM]

 
         
   
   
   
   
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  THE SEA AND CAKE
Runner
(Thrill Jockey)

"On and On"
"Neighbors and Township"

The Sea and Cake's latest is simultaneously one of the best things I've ever heard, and somewhat unremarkable. Before I explain myself, if you've never heard these guys, do yourself a huge favor and buy this LP with the quickness. Runner is an evolution of their sound from breezy pop-rock to a pure expression of sonic precision. Since '94, these four Chicago-based musical geniuses have made nine albums, and like their contemporaries in Stereolab, the Sea and Cake's songs have been generally exceptional, but somewhat interchangeable. Recently, their albums have eschewed an ingratiating aesthetic for electronic experimentation. After years of an astonishingly consistent and critically acclaimed career, why change? Maybe it's lead singer Sam Prekop's foray into film scoring or the resurgence of electronics in popular music. Whatever the motivation, this album further develops a sound that they had already seemingly perfected.

Thrill Jockey's press release for Runner explains that these songs "began as synthesizer experiments in Sam Prekop's home studio, were re-imagined, and eventually recorded and mixed by [drummer] John McEntire." While this back and forth musical construction can disturb the cohesion of some records (consider the disparate nature of David Byrne and St. Vincent's new album), here it allows for veteran musicians to experiment without constraint. On "Harps" you'll hear breathtaking textural electronic flourishes, while "Harbor Bridges" begins with a beautiful melancholic acoustic guitar solo. Things get extra funky midway through "The Invitations," and "New Patterns" allows for discordant riffs that build towards keys that evoke Lindstrom and Prins Thomas. Runner is as good as anything you'll hear this year. Don't hold this band's past successes against them. [MG]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  DINOSAUR JR.
I Bet on Sky
(Jagjaguwar)

"Don't Pretend You Didn't Know"
"What Was That"

Ten studio albums into their existence (and the third album released during this new millennium), and it still seems like Lou Barlow is tossing barbs at J Mascis through his songwriting. Barlow throws two of the best tunes onto I Bet on Sky, the first called "Rude," where he sings, "I wish I didn't care, because caring is rude." And on "Recognition," he dares, "I want to hear the sound of recognition, let me in/Wind me up and watch me spin." Mascis remains more guarded -- though his songs often contain achingly personal lyrics, he continues to hide behind stacks of Marshall amplifiers, eschewing words for chugging riffs and monstrous guitar solos. On "Watch the Corners," he sings, "Every action going slow/Can I whisper all alone, can I find it far from home/There's a time to make your move, all I want's the time to prove," but then obliterates his own pining with searing blasts from his Fender Jaguar. Dinosaur Jr.'s formula hasn't changed in almost thirty years: Murph + Barlow + Mascis = Rock. But I Bet on Sky feels less intense, volume-wise, than 2009's Farm -- instead of full-throttle guitar fuzz, you can hear delicate acoustic guitar strumming and picking on songs like "Almost Fare." Maybe it's an old dog learning new tricks from younger guys like Kurt Vile; the result is a Dinosaur Jr. album that shows off some of the dimensions that were previously obscured by volume. [MS]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  THE SUFIS
The Sufis
(Ample Play)

"Sri Sai Flora"
"Wake Up"

There's been a resurgence of rock activity in Nashville, TN, as of late, with Jack White's Third Man Records coming in to town and setting up shop, to established hubs like Grimey's holding court as well; a new crop of bands has also emerged, from Cheap Time and Jeff the Brotherhood to more underground psych acts like the Paperhead and my personal favorite, the Sufis. The Sufis take the sound of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd and the Pretty Things' SF Sorrow and blend it with a bit of musique concrète tape collage effects; baroque harpsichords and organ drones rub up against groovy drums and melodic bass lines, all tied together by some cracked, stoned vocal harmonies and subtle East Indian touches. It's a great slice of contemporary psychedelic pop, straight up there with the likes of Olivia Tremor Control, White Fence, and even a bit of the classics. Fans of any of these bands should do themselves a favor and scoop this up; the songs are solid and catchy, the production is weird and freaky, and the album is brief enough to not overstay its welcome, just like the old days. It's rare that I support and encourage a new band to deliver facsimiles of the classics, but when it's done with this much delight, and this much success, I can't do anything but give a hearty thumbs-up. This record gets two of 'em. [IQ]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  ALLAH-LAS
Allah-Las
(Innovative Leisure)

"Tell Me What's on Your Mind"
"Don't You Forget It"

The Allah-Las make surf rock. All three of their reverbed guitars twang to eleven while vocals evoking Eric Burdon's passionate detachment sing songs called "Catalina" and "Catamaran." This deeply impressive self-titled debut oozes California but conjures British soul and Nuggets-inspired psych-rock. Their breadth of influences could be attributed to having met at a record store or their eclectic record label -- Innovative Leisure runs the spectrum from garage rocker Hanni el Khatib to EDM innovativers Lazer Sword. Here you'll find crispy cool harmonies and sticky songwriting ("Tell Me" will bounce around your head after a single listen). Also present are Ventures-esque instrumentals like "Sacred Sands" and the sultry "Ela Navega." The group offers free postcards to fans from their website, which is an appropriate metaphor for this album: heartfelt homages to bygone genres with hopes that future fans won't return to sender. With a sound as de-saturated as the record's cover photograph, contemporaries as diverse as the Drums and Vivian Girls will come to mind. Twelve tracks of crispy analog-recorded rock from the Allah-Las should keep your summer flowing for at few more months. [MG]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$9.99
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$14.99 LP
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  THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION
Meat and Bone
(Mom + Pop)

"Black Mold"
"Bottle Baby"

It's been eight years since their last record and 20 years since their first, so I'll let it slide if you're holding onto some nostalgia trip of remembering them as one of the best bands of the 1990s and are hesitant to be too excited about the prospect of a new album from the Blues Explosion. But this has never been a very ordinary group. Often referring to themselves as an art-punk band, they stripped '50s rock 'n' roll and '60s/'70s soul and funk down to bare bones and rebuilt it as they saw fit, with the whole trio as a rhythm section -- Jon and Judah deftly switching between lead riffs and low-end blasts and Russell Simmons holding it down behind the drums in a way that is wholly art, wholly punk, and all still 100% rock 'n' roll.

So yeah, eight years off and 20 years total don't really mean a thing once you hit play. The album begins with "Black Mold," a cautionary tale of record care and the worst fate that could befall your vinyl collection. In one channel Jon lists off the unfortunate artists while Judah recites a list of nasty mold suspects in the other channel, and the hits keep coming from there. Ask me to list the standout tracks and I'll tell you there are a few, like "Bag of Bones," "Strange Baby" and "Bottle Baby," but ask me if there are any duff cuts or ones I skip and I'll tell you no. This thing is solid front to back and the more I listen the more I am convinced that this LP can stand right up there with whatever your favorite Blues Explosion record might be.

I've been a fan for a long time but even in the context of knowing what to expect I still got many surprises including one-jaw dropping moment that left me thinking, "Did that really just happen?" (Sorry, no spoilers.) Also, as with all of their records, there is a lot going on here with so many different sub-genres being stripped down, combined and re-contextualized, and when you have all of that (and really anytime the word re-contextualized is used) it can be too much for some people to take, but thankfully the best attribute of the Blues Explosion is that they are also just plain fun. So much fun that it doesn't matter if you know who Charlie Feathers, DeFord Bailey or Eddie Kirk are or not; this is a good time! [DMa]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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$21.99 LPx2

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  RICHARD HAWLEY
Standing at the Sky's Edge
(Mute)

"Standing at the Sky's Edge"
"Seek It"

UK songwriter (and former Pulp and Longpigs member) Richard Hawley delivers his seventh, and arguably finest, studio album to date with Standing at the Sky's Edge, presenting a bit of an about-face from the more delicate chamber-pop of his previous efforts in favor of a darker, more dense and guitar-driven sound. It's a stunning triumph to these ears, a lovely epic of swirling psychedelia, fuzzed-out guitars, loping sensual rhythms, and Hawley's cooly delivered vocals. He dabbles in electric ragas, trippy folk, funky swamp blues, and acid-tinged gospel, often blending them all together, and in the process creating one of 2012's best rock albums, filled with great songs, loads of soul, and even more distortion. I'll admit, this is a record I knew Hawley had the chops to make, and I'm glad to finally hear him go for it; it's a fragrant, slow-burning Technicolor stew of rousing success, and is most highly recommended to fans of Spiritualized, Scott Walker and even the freakier ends of the Stooges' discography. This one's on my end-of-the-year list already; it really should be on yours as well. [IQ]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$19.99
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  MARCELLUS PITTMAN
Pieces
(Unirhythm / Sound Signature)

"If the Earth Could Talk"
"A Mix"

Any new disc on Sound Signature is something to get excited about here at the shop, but with Marcellus Pittman we expect to get our socks knocked clear off every time. With his new CD, Pieces, we are treated to an extremely varied, clunker-free collection of out and out JAMZ whose sole common thread is a completely natural, effortlessly high sense of quality and taste. Nothing we wouldn't expect from him or Sound Signature, but this compilation hits pay dirt and really brings some essential choice tracks together (many vinyl-only cuts available here on CD for the first time ever.)

In the first three tracks alone we find three prime examples of Pittman's versatility and style; we go from exquisitely stomping disco house (in his remix off the killer T.O.M. Project [Theo/Omar/Marcellus] EP), to wonky/off-kilter then gracefully fluttering, gurgling, liquid acid house ("Sneak Attack"), to almost Profan-era Reinhard Voigt-like stiff, poppy acid ("Come See"), but with more swing (naturally) and unexpectedly elegant piano stabs that keep it firmly rooted in Detroit as opposed to Cologne. Then tracks like "If the Earth Could Talk" softly melt our ears with overlapping patterns of rippling synth that remind me of the Modernist on his best day, but with much more fluidity/psychedelia and none of the Teutonic polka-pop leanings. Strange to reference German producers when talking about Pittman, but it is indeed his ability to take otherworldly electronic sounds (those more associated with techno) and warm them up in his own special way that sets him apart from the other two Three Chairs members, Theo Parrish and Moodymann. Then there's the previously released jam, "Chicago Nights," that blends a blobby, fat, swinging, hollow bass kick with chugging wet hi-hats and claps. So simple, yet so perfect!

At the moment I see this CD in three staff picks shelves including my own in the shop. Yes, it's that good. Like the recent, amazing Big Strick disc, a description simply cannot do this album justice -- a consistency with all of the current crop of exceptional Detroit house and techno renaissance releases as they do so much with so little. Its shining amazing-ness will become apparent in the first listen through, yet ANOTHER top album of the year here. More must-have music from the Motor City, MANNNNN!!! [SM]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$11.99
12"

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  BIG STRICK
Resivior Dogs
(7 Days)

We finally got the first vinyl installment of the amazing new Big Strick album Resivior Dogs, yet another shoo-in for my Top 10 of 2012 list. This EP has four cuts from the album including one of my absolute faves, "Armed and Dangerous," a completely ill and sinister deep wormhole of a track. Also includes the poppy/synth-y "Family Affair" (with Omar-S on keys), the deep and subtle "Windsor Nights" and the awesome "Night Moves," which sounds like John Carpenter did a house soundtrack to Beverly Hills Cop that would be reissued in the future by Minimal Wave! Big Strick can do no wrong -- don't sleep on this essential vinyl!!! [SM]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 
Picture This #1
$13.99
12"

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Picture This #2
$13.99
12"

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  MOODYMANN
Picture This Sampler #1
Picture This Sampler #2
(White Label)

Kinda like the way Omar-S made his High School Graffiti EP for a car company and then bootlegged it himself, Moodymann has taken these tracks, available free and legal as a download promotion, and pressed them onto wax. Eight cuts total distributed through two separate 12" EPs, dubbed Picture This 1 and 2, the first thing that makes these tracks worthwhile is that they're the only recent releases from KDJ that we've been able to obtain with relative ease (as so much of his limited vinyl goes straight to Europe, never to return). The second thing is that these cuts have all the freshness and variety we'd hope to get from some new Moodymann; he is still progressing surely and steadily, making tracks that are even easier to play on a modern dancefloor, while not backing off on any of his unmistakable qualities.

At times Dixon explores a decadent feel that stands out for the way it marries the heady sound we're accustomed to with a snappy, up-tempo Paisley Park vibe. Overall it's not the typical haunted/narcoleptic soul-haze of Silence in the Secret Garden, and from Moodymann, these tracks are almost techno in their urgency without sacrificing the soul element at all, in nice proximity to soul, disco and house. A track like "U Ranaway" has that blunted, whispered-in-your ear vocal KDJ has a patent on, with swinging rim shot percussion, fat Rhodes chords and slinky piano melodies. "9 Nites 2 Nowhere" has a naturally grooving drum arrangement with a distant Miles trumpet solo woven in and out that climbs so steadily and naturally that it sounds almost like Moodymann on Transmat Records (think "Groove la Chord" by Aril Brikha but deeper and housier). "Basement Party" has the patented KDJ background party sounds vibe but the groove is more bumpin' and grindin' than we're used to hearing even from him, nice and nasty. Then there's "Saturday at the Rock" with its almost Miami bass-like swing and snap (for him at least -- it's still deep). "Got 2 Make It" continues with the exploration of the KDJ take on (for lack of better word) steady beats and makes an already great batch of tracks un-missable -- a deep, extra-heady minimal disco throb that uses vocal samples so effectively along with the type of lofty, natural beat programming that we've grown to expect from Moodymann, yet could never grow tired of. It just meshes disco, house and soul into such a deep, real and effective zone that it simply couldn't be imitated or faked. Excellent stuff here, do not sleep on these records! [SM]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$31.99
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  VARIOUS ARTISTS
5 Years of Claremont 56 - Compiled, Edited and Mixed by the Idjut Boys
(Claremont 56)

"Scaffold (Coyote Mix)"
"L&G Psychedelic"

All right, I've been waiting for this! Claremont 56 has been one of my fave electronic labels for a while now and it's good to see their ridiculously limited vinyl pressings get a proper CD reissue. Formed five years ago by disco producer Paul Murphy (a/k/a Mudd), Claremont 56 specializes in releasing blissed-out, sun-kissed Balearic disco that's long been the secret weapon of beardo disco DJ legends like Lindstrom, Harvey, Prins Thomas and the Idjut Boys. Though the label's output has been sporadic over the years, the quality of the music is anything but. What other imprint can boast about a roster that includes Holger Czukay, Sal Principato and Dog Eat Dog? This three-CD set collects two discs of label highlights lovingly handpicked by the Idjut Boys and a third disc featuring a live, cut-to-analog DJ mix that they made from their favorite tracks. Any fan of the aforementioned, Daniele Baldelli comps, and open-air dancing will not be disappointed with this. [DH] )
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$21.99
CD

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  BRENDA RAY
D'Ya Hear Me! - Naffi Years, 1979-1983
(EM Records)

"Take Me in Your Car"
"Everyday Just Another Dream"

Brenda Ray first caught the attention of many of the OM faithful a few years back thanks to a fantastic collection released on Japan's Em Records entitled Walatta -- a lovely set of 1990s-era recordings that feature the UK songbird making lovers rock reggae soul versions of classic Jamaican rhythms. It remains a personal favorite album of mine, and is a staple of summer listening in my household. What many people don't know is that Ray came up during the UK post-punk boom in the early-1980s with a handful of DIY singles and an album under variations of the names Naffi and Brenda & the Beachballs; those records are unheralded treats of the era that combine girl-group pop melodies with homegrown kitchen-sink dub experimentation and the stripped-down, no frills efficiency of much of that time period's recordings. D'Ya Hear Me! collects material from those excellent early releases, as well as some previously unreleased cuts and extended mixes of tracks that were much shorter in their original 7" and LP configurations. Overall, the songs are fun, catchy, and weird, effectively foreshadowing the perfect delight of the Walatta album. Fans of that set, not to mention classics like the Young Marble Giants' Colossal Youth, the Slits' Cut, and Antena's Camino Del Sol need to check this post-haste; it's easily one of the year's best reissues and gives EM Records yet another impressive notch on their bedpost. This one gets my highest recommendation! [IQ]

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  THE HEAVY
Glorious Dead
(Counter)

"Curse Me Good"
"The Lonesome Road"

British neo-soul foursome the Heavy are allegedly from an imaginary small hamlet called Noid (a cross between noise and void or a pun on the "No ID, No Sale" UK booze campaign), just outside of the former Roman-ruled Bath, where singer Kelvin Swaby grew up in this dead end "graveyard of all ambition" on a diet of dirt, reggae, Prince, and old Stax and 2-Tone records. He is therefore more comfortable in a pair of baggy trousers and a dirty shirt than a clean-pressed tux, and the band's music is a mix of crackling guitars, freakish horns, Al Green-inspired vocals and plenty of lifted sounds from the past (including B-Movie sound bites). One might almost think that he brought in the Supremes for some of the sampled background choral swells on this new one, and the album also ups the quotient of guitar-driven hard rock, bringing them further into the nerdy blues mainstream (Black Keys and Kings of Leon). Single "What Makes a Good Man?" features an anthemic chorus that makes you want to sing along, but with a heavy edge that elevates it from just plain soul music to something with a lot more hard rock swagger. "Can't Play Dead" playfully samples spooky audio from the '60s horror flick The She Beast, while "Blood Dirt Love Soup" mixes carnival barker horns with clanger bells and Shangri-La claps. The Heavy also worked extensively with the Dap-Kings on most of the album, bringing a different and welcome echo from the past towards this future sound. This isn't just a modern spin on a beloved genre of yore. The Heavy have made it their own and are well past the revival phase of earlier records. [MF]
 
         
   
       
   

 

 

     
 

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  BAND OF HORSES
Mirage Rock
(Columbia)

"How to Live"
"Everything's Gonna Be Undone"

Ben Bridwell and his Band of Horses pick up from where their 2010 major label debut, Infinite Arms, left us, but with a new directness to their music, urged on by legendary producer Glyn Johns who sat behind the board for these sessions. While in the past, the group day-dreamed of FM radio's halcyon days, their sun-drenched melancholy merging Big Star yearn and Beach Boys harmonies with the West Coast vibes of Crosby Stills & Nash and Crazy Horse, Mirage Rock finds their sights unabashedly set on heavy rotation. (Limited deluxe CD version includes a bonus disc featuring five new songs from Band of Horses' sessions at Sonic Ranch Studios in El Paso, plus a code which gives you access to an interactive website featuring behind the scenes videos of the making of the record, photos and more.)

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  POOR MOON
Poor Moon
(Sub Pop)

"Clouds Below"
"Pulling Me Down"

The first full-length from this Fleet Foxes side-project led by Christian Wargo (and joined by Casey Wescott, also of FF, and a couple of other Pacific Northwest regulars). For better or worse, Wargo hews pretty close to the sound and style of his main gig, crafting sweet, pretty and mellow folk-pop that draws on a variety of '60s West Coast and UK folk influences, and the results are solid and entertaining if maybe not transcendent. It's a warm acoustic production that delivers smart instrumental flourishes while leaving plenty of room for Wargo's bell-clear vocals, full of lovely hooks, if a bit light on heft.
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$13.99
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$27.99 LP
Limited Edition

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  AIMEE MANN
Charmer
(Super Ego)

While much of the world will remember Aimee Mann as the rat-tailed frontwoman of new wave hitmakers 'Til Tuesday, the singer-songwriter has carved out a very respectable solo career, and Charmer is her best album yet. A timeless guitar-pop record built upon her knack for storytelling and character observations, there's also an appearance from the Shins' James Mercer who duets with her on "Living a Lie." Preview a couple of the songs via these two music videos for "Charmer" and "Labrador" (the latter a shot-by-shot remake of 'Til Tuesday's big mid-'80s MTV hit "Voices Carry," starring Jon Wurster and Jon Hamm, with a great cameo from Ted Leo) -- both written and directed by WFMU's Tom Scharpling and produced and edited by Other Music alum Rob Hatch-Miller and Puloma Bass.

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  MIKA VAINIO
FE304 - Magnetite
(Touch)

Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store

Unlike some of Mika Vainio's recent solo releases, which tended to truck in darker and more foreboding soundscapes, FE304 - Magnetite is a blissful exercise in exploring the opposing forces of sound, from crisp, quiet minutia to rough-edged washes, the poles of silence and noise. Using mostly radio signals and sine wave generators as his source material, Vainio takes the listener on a strangely emotional journey that stretches both the ears and the imagination.

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  ADRIAN SHERWOOD
Survival & Resistance
(On-U Sound)

"Balance"
"Effective"

Sherwood is perhaps better known for his production and A&R label work than his own "solo" albums, but Survival & Resistance is nonetheless a great look into one of the key players behind UK dub and punk for the past 30-plus years, and a very satisfying listen. It's pretty much a straight dub record, vintage Bristol-style, blending traditional instrumentation (bass, percussion, piano, vocals, etc.) with electronic flourishes and rhythms (and a touch of the avant-garde), and fusing a deeply political (and current) message with timeless emotion. There would have been no Massive Attack without Adrian Sherwood's sonic innovations, and his own take on their sound reminds us all why.
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$13.99
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  HELIO SEQUENCE
Negotiations
(Sub Pop)

"One More Time"
"Hall of Mirrors"

The Portland duo's fifth full-length is their richest and most consistently engaging record yet, with a more organic sound that relies on the gentle hum of vintage tube amps, the swirl of analog synths, and the warm ambiance of natural room tone. Like a less intense Walkmen, the band writes dramatic, emotional songs that still find space to revel in the details, both musically and lyrically, and while Negotiations is not a major breakthrough for them, it's probably their best. )

 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$12.99
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$18.99 LP+MP3

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$9.99 MP3

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LYMBYC SYSTEM
Symbolyst
(Western Vinyl)

Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store

The latest full-length from these Arizona brothers explores an endearing strain of rickety electronica and warm-hearted post-rock, with organic rhythm loops providing ballast to vintage synths which usually deliver melody in wavering single-note runs. The songs on Symbolist somehow manage to find depth in their own thin production quality, evoking lazy summer afternoons and bike rides in fast-fading twilight, like childhood seen through rose-colored glasses.

 
         
   
       
   
         
  All of this week's new arrivals.

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THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS

[MF] Michael Fellows
[DG] Daniel Givens
[MG] Max Gray
[GH] Gerald Hammill
[DH] Duane Harriott
[IQ] Mikey IQ Jones
[DMa] Dave Martin
[SM] Scott Mou
[MS] Michael Stasiak



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