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  June 13, 2013  
       
   
 
 





 

UPCOMING AUSTRA IN-STORE PERFORMANCE
Austra's anticipated new album, Olympia, is out next week on Domino, and the band will be in town to celebrate. While their record release show on June 20 at the Music Hall of Williamsburg may be long sold out, fans will have another chance to catch them as the group will be performing a special in-store at Other Music the night before, on June 19 at 8:00PM! This one is sure to be packed so you'll want to arrive early -- the event is free but limited capacity.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19 @8PM
Free Admission | Limited Capacity



CHRISTOPHER KING PRESENTS HIS NEW LP, FIVE DAYS MARRIED & OTHER LAMENTS WITH SPECIAL READING BY AMANDA PETRUSICH
Christopher King, producer of acclaimed compilations like Aimer Et Perdre and People Take Warning! Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs 1913-1938, will be hosting a very special evening at Other Music on June 23, being held in conjunction with the release of his latest collection, Five Days Married & Other Laments: Song and Dance from Northern Greece, 1928-1958, out now on Angry Mom Records. King will be discussing the music and performers on this great new compilation as well as playing an assortment of tracks from his personal collection, along with a special reading by noted music author and critic Amanda Petrusich. It all gets underway at 5:30 p.m. and drinks will be served. We hope you can join us, a week from this Sunday.

SUNDAY, JUNE 23 @ 5:30PM
Free Admission | Limited Capacity

     
 
   
       
   
     
 
 
FEATURED NEW RELEASES
Disclosure
Boards of Canada
Kawabata Makoto's Mainliner
Spinal Tap (LP Pressing)
Rodion G.A.
Lust for Youth
Finis Africae
Greek Rhapsody (2CD w/Book)
Doug Carn
John Vanderslice
Emika
Classixx
Call Back the Giants
 

Maurice Deebank
Near Paris
Future Bible Heroes

ALSO AVAILABLE

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Surfer Blood
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  WIN TICKETS TO RA RA RIOT & POSTAL SERVICE
Supporting their new record, Beta Love, Ra Ra Riot will be performing in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center this Saturday supporting the Postal Service on their 10 year anniversary tour for Give Up. It's a great bill and Other Music has a pair of tickets to give away! Enter for your chance to win by emailing tickets@othermusic.com.

SATURDAY, JUNE 15
BARCLAYS CENTER: 620 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn

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



  WIN TICKETS TO ADVENTURE, YOUNG MAGIC & MORE AT CAMEO FOR NORTHSIDE FEST
Carpark Records is offering Update readers a chance to win a pair of tickets to see Adventure and Young Magic this Sunday at Cameo as a part of the Northside Festival, along with Light Asylum, Psychic Twin, and O Paradiso. The label will also throw in a vinyl copy of Adventure's newest LP, Weird Work, and to enter, email giveaway@othermusic.com. We'll notify the winner this Friday.

SUNDAY, JUNE 16
CAMEO: 93 N. 6th St. Williamsburg, BKLN

     
 
   
   
 
 
  OTHER MUSIC SUMMER DJ RESIDENCY AT ACE HOTEL
Other Music's summer Monday residency at New York City's Ace Hotel continues through to the end of August! During these next few months, you'll find a different member of our staff DJing their favorite records and countless varieties of music inside the gorgeous lobby bar every Monday evening from 8pm to midnight, and we hope you'll come and join us as we shake off those dog days that are finally here. So mark your calendar: Other Music's Summer DJ Residency at Ace Hotel, every Monday in June, July and August. Here's the schedule:

6/17 - Chris Pappas
6/24 - Gerald Hammill
7/01 - Mikey IQ Jones
7/08 - Amanda Chouette
7/15 - Pam Garavano-Coolbaugh & Michael Stasiak
7/22 - Andreas Knutsen
7/29 - Scott Mou
8/05 - Amanda Chouette
8/12 - Chris Pappas
8/19 - Ryan Naideau
8/26- Pam Garavano-Coolbaugh & Michael Stasiak


EVERY MONDAY NIGHT IN JUNE, JULY & AUGUST
ACE HOTEL: 20 W. 29th St. NYC
8:00pm to Midnight | Facebook Event Page

     
 
   
   
   
   
   
       
   

 

 

     
 

$11.99
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  DISCLOSURE
Settle
(Interscope)

"Latch" feat. Sam Smith
"Grab Her"

Definitely one of the most anticipated releases from the UK this year comes from these Internet darlings, the young Lawrence brothers, Guy (age 21) and Howard (18), b/k/a Disclosure. Sometime during 2010, they began releasing singles on Moshi Moshi and Joe Hot Chip's Greco-Roman label, but it wasn't until they found their way to London-based powerhouse PMR (also home to Julio Bashmore and Jessie Ware) that their skills started to reach high-octane levels. It's been hard to avoid the glowing press on their growing-up-in-public stream of releases over the last couple of years; their first recordings had a sort of post-James Blake cut-up R&B aesthetic that also referenced New Jersey house as well as UK garage, 2-step, and a nod to the oh-so-current dubstep/house fusion. But from their earliest MySpace days, the bros have created a signature style and sound that's all their own, evolving into a finely tuned, lean and tight dance-pop machine.

Disclosure's debut album, Settle, is a young, fresh collection of up-to-the-minute bassy, bouncing dance-pop songs. Disclosure's sound simultaneously feels new and old, in a similar way that Daft Punk are attempting to give dance music songwriting a 'quality over quantity' re-boot. It nods to history, yet Settle is the sound of young imaginations 'remembering' the 1990s that they never lived through, not dance music elders reminiscing about a 'golden era' of disco, house, techno, or whatever was cutting-edge back in their day. The album is a non-stop, up-to-date, shiny, polished, feel-good collection of top quality songs that balance classic and new, and their cut-up past with their pop present. The Lawrence charm seems to be in the brothers' ability to trim the fat, so to speak, and give you all the elements that make their music universally accessible and undeniably catchy, as well as bringing in the crème of contemporary British vocalists to get the job done, via perfect cameos from Jessie Ware, Aluna Francis (AlunaGeorge), Jamie Woon, Ed Macfarlane (Friendly Fires), Sam Smith, and Eliza Doolittle, alongside a few others. With the diversity of young voices each song is given a fresh perspective and on-point energy and spirit, with the producers giving them quality material to work with, and co-writing with their collaborators as opposed to just dumping them on top of a readymade track. But a standout actually comes from Howard Lawrence's own soulful vocals on "F For You" (the 'F' turns out to stand for fool). Alongside many full-on vocal moments, the Lawrence bros have fun with vocal cut-ups, sampling Kelis, Slum Village, Lianne La Havas, and Eric Thomas, giving the album a balanced and steady sequence with varied high points throughout.

This is music to make you happy, dance, sing along, and enjoy with no ironic bent, highbrow attitude, or moody abstractions -- just good songs, with great vocalists, fresh production and thoughtful album sequencing. It's been awhile since a debut record this self-assured and solid has reached our shelves, in any category. Settle has the ability to reach beyond the dance world, yet its soul lies within this arena, and it fully integrates the two impulses, never sacrificing pop sensibilities for groove, or abandoning sharp, edgy production for pop. Those who have enjoyed releases and/or remixes from Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Azari & III, SBTRKT, Basement Jaxxx, MJ Cole, Todd Terry, Skream, El-B, or any of the above, you need this! As a lover of the moments when pop and dance, underground and overground, lyrics and voice, production and groove all fit together into a swirl of sunshine, sweat, and good vibes, I have to say, this is where you'll find all that and more. Is it the crossover album of the year? I really think so. Big up to the '90s babies, best of the now school! [DG]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

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  BOARDS OF CANADA
Tomorrow's Harvest
(Warp)

"Cold Earth"
"Nothing Is Real"

It's wild to think that it all started with a 12" that mysteriously appeared in the racks of our very own shop. The news and ensuing campaign that brought forth Boards of Canada's first album in nearly eight years was big for many, and after much feverish and mouth-frothing anticipation, I'm pleased to report that Tomorrow's Harvest was not only well worth the wait (and the somewhat crazy hype), but that it also stands as one of the most beautiful and accomplished achievements of the duo's career.

Everything a fan loves about BoC is here in full force, from the sun-damaged warbling synth melodies to the library-music throwback acknowledgements, from slowly lurching grooves and broken, refitted beats to the spectral, disembodied voices broadcasting from lost numbers stations. What makes this album more than just a throwback rehash of past triumphs is the epic scale in which these pieces are presented. The duo is obviously savvy enough to have known that the sound in which they helped bring to a massive audience has recently become somewhat en vogue beyond mere trainspotting crowds; as such, they flex their compositional muscle throughout, oft evoking the vast, regal soundscapes of Vangelis on many cuts, recasting Blade Runner from rainy, smog-laden Los Angeles into the rolling desert hills of the Mojave. The separation between sonic textures feels more pronounced as well, with their trademarked blurred keys now intertwining with more sharply focused rhythmic snap and a more expansive air throughout the mix. Whereas previous albums and EPs could at times sound claustrophobic despite their dreams of wide-open pastoral landscapes, Tomorrow's Harvest both feels AND sounds more vast. It's the sort of album that you want to play on every type of sound system you can manage as, to quote one of their own back-catalogue classics, "The Devil Is in the Details."

There's a more pronounced shadow looming over the top of the recording as well; while their previous Campfire Headphase brought forth a more prominent usage of guitar and folk atmospheres, which in turn gave the album a more gentle and uplifting atmosphere, this most often recalls the evil seances of Geogaddi, though they also seem to be working in similar areas as Pye Corner Audio. The Head Technician's pulsating arpeggiations have taken BoC's sound and filtered it into a different blend of dystopia and nostalgia that BoC themselves are also creating here.

Credit should be given as well to the album's brilliant sequencing and editing; gone are the interludes and indents that at times can offer little in the way of replay value; the focus here is instead put on full-blown compositions, and their occasional subtlety begins to flourish upon repeated listens. That they've managed to create a new album that recognizes and evolves their past work while simultaneously moving forward into new vistas is to be commended, and if you haven't already picked up a copy but have been considering it, purchase without fear. It's a gorgeous piece of work that stands high amongst the duo's discographical ranks, and gets my highest recommendation. Welcome back, gents. [IQ]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$11.99
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  KAWABATA MAKOTO'S MAINLINER
Revelation Space
(Riot Season)

"D.D.D."
"The Dispossessed"

It's been 12 years since the last rumblings of Mainliner, a Japanese psych/blowout trio who terrorized underground music throughout the '90s with a series of beyond-heavy, unbelievably loud and dense recordings -- what you'd expect from a lineup including both Acid Mothers Temple guitarist Kawabata Makoto and High Rise bassist Nanjo Asahito. Nanjo has since departed the project, and squatters' rights being what they are, Makoto-san has tacked his name onto the group, joined by drummer Koji Shimura (AMT, Miminokoto) and Bo Ningen's Taigen Kawabe on bass. If there is more room on these recordings than on previous Mainliner efforts, thank Makoto, whose style of play -- cosmic debris and interstellar transmissions spaced out with blues riffs, minimal vocals pushed to the back of the mix, and a rumbling rhythm section -- makes it so, the claustrophobia of records like Mellow Out replaced with a bigger room sound, though no less threatening or aggressive. Five tracks here, two long ones (including the incredible 20 minute closer "New Sun," which approximates the relentless highs of Afflicted Man's Get Stoned Ezy) carve out a bright and threatening new beginning for the trio, one that fans of heavy Japanese psych and stoner sounds should be tracking down, pronto. [DM]
 
         
   
   
   
   
   
   

 

 

     
 

$23.99 LP

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  SPINAL TAP
This Is Spinal Tap
(The Control Group)

"Hell Hole"
"Gimme Some Money"

Reissued on LP for the first time since the 1984 release, this is the original film soundtrack to perhaps the greatest rock & roll film of all time, remastered and housed in a deluxe gatefold package (black cover, black inner sleeve, black vinyl -- natch) including the hilarious original liner notes. Do you remember these songs? Written by director Rob Reiner and the band (Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer), you get 11 brilliant hard rock powerhouses, including "Heavy Duty," "Big Bottom," "Stonehenge," "Sex Farm," and "Hell Hole." What else do I need to say? It's a shit sandwich, for sure. [JM]
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$14.99
CD
$24.99 LPx2

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  RODION G.A.
The Lost Tapes
(Strut)

"Alpha Centauri"
"Caravane"

Totally unheard of but totally essential reissue! In late-'70s communist Romania, Rodion Ladislau Rosca and his band Rodion G.A. made some truly insane psycho-delic electro-rock mash up music that still sounds fresh today. Here we find the Strut label lovingly re-issuing The Lost Tapes, and boy is it a barnburner! This collection starts off with "Alpha Centauri" -- a punishing synth tone parting the electronic sea in a glorious haze, with Casio-styled drum loops fading into the mix and the whole feel taking on a Martin Rev-meets-Omar Souleyman kinda vibe that's totally singular and mesmerizing. Many tracks on the album follow this formula; Romanian melodies played on crude synth, floating atop minimal electronics. Some have vocals, others keep it plain and simple, and sometimes this thing really rocks! There are moments like "Caravane," for example, which trade electronic backing for a full band that has a heavy loner psych vibe with distorted fuzz guitar and funky bass. Any way you look at it, it's unlike anything you've ever heard and stands out as one of more interesting discoveries of the year thus far. [RN]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$13.99
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$16.99 LP

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  LUST FOR YOUTH
Perfect View
(Sacred Bones)

"Breaking Silence"
"Another Day"

Swedish electronic producer Hannes Norrvide was inspired by the sounds of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and the Cure, as well as '80s darkwave, and from these influences he forged his own unique style, channeling a nostalgic mix of synth loops, vocal samples, and drum machines. After a failed attempt to join his friends in a post-punk band, Hannes found himself writing and recording material in his bedroom, and perhaps this isolation helped inform the mesmerizing synth-pop tunes that he now creates under his Lust For Youth moniker. Perfect View is the third album by this young Scandinavian, and it is his second release on Sacred Bones, following last year's Growing Seeds reissue. On his latest, Hannes makes a slight transition from no-wave to rave; the tracks here are a blend of muffled vocals, samples, and synth loops somewhat reminiscent of R.L. Crutchfield's Dark Day. The intoxicating dance tracks create a sort of a cavernous atmosphere that shape-shifts from ambient minimal synth to eight-minute-long nightclub jams. The album is a vivid joyride that sheds some of the lo-fi elements of Norrvide's previous work, yet reveals a stripped-down approach to dark electronica. Perfect View portrays a vast landscape of cold robotic emotions and is a welcome addition to the Sacred Bones roster. [ACo]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$21.99 CD $28.99 LPx2

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  FINIS AFRICAE
A Last Discovery: The Essential Collection 1984-2001
(EM)

"Masai Mara"
"Zoo Zulu"

EM Records nails it once more with this outstanding career overview of Spanish fourth-world dub aestheticists Finis Africae. Formed in the early/mid 1980s, the group ably weaves a lush latticework of polyrhythmic percussion, chattering rhythm boxes, melodic basslines, echo-laden vocal chants, and flittering textures of brass, thumb piano, wiry guitar lines, and even New Age instruments and sensibilities into a collection of tracks that echo everything from the punk tribalism of the Slits and sci-fi dub of Adrian Sherwood's On-U Sound, to the jazz-inflected bedroom spiritual evocations of Woo and the gentle clouds of ambient sound created by Eno and Jon Hassell, or Robert Fripp in his solo Frippertronic and Soundscapes performances. This group is truly unique amidst an era of endless experimentation with cultural re-appropriation and aesthetic re-contextualization; listening to this excellent compilation, I'm oft imagining a world in which Cabaret Voltaire began making exotica records in the style of Martin Denny, evoking the same "primitivism" of intent, but with more contemporary electronic tools to augment the traditional acoustic ones. If you enjoy the sound of that, or of many of the groups I've mentioned here, I urge you to check this out; EM have been unearthing some true golden eggs from the post-punk basket, and after their stellar Brenda Ray/Naffi collection, this is a logical next step in that direction. It's more accomplished, lusher, and proves to be a stellar soundtrack for lazy summer days. I can't recommend this one more highly, folks!! [IQ]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$37.99
CDx2+BK

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  VARIOUS ARTISTS
Greek Rhapsody: Instrumental Music from Greece 1905-56
(Dust-to-Digital)


The latest offering from Atlanta's Dust-to-Digital is a dotingly prepared book and two-CD collection of 42 rare and mostly instrumental jams from the cradle of Western civilization, compiled and annotated by British musician, Greek music expert, and writer, Tony Klein. Offering a head-spinning variety of instrumental styles, Greek Rhapsody could be considered the Greek equivalent to 2011's outstanding African compendium, Opika Pende. Exhaustive notes on the tracks, performers, instruments (bouzouki, guitar, outi, accordion, mandola, cimbalom, violin, clarinet, etc.), and styles leaves very few questions unanswered, even for those who already have a bit of knowledge on the Greek music vernacular. For those heretofore familiar only with the popular, sordidly and lyrically driven Rebetika tradition from Greece, hold on to your hats: this stuff smokes. While I am captivated by this collection, there is a lot of depth here and I know that I have thus far only scratched the surface of this musical ecosystem, and anticipate spending much more quality time in it. Saying that, some highlights follow...

The music on Greek Rhapsody could almost be divided into two camps: recordings featuring Spyros Peristeris and that not. Performing on 16 of the 42 songs included, Peristeris is not afraid to rock (see "To Mistirio," "O Meraklis," and "Boutzalio"), and he is an absolute string instrument virtuoso! Peristeris played guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, and mandola, and it's no stretch to refer to him as a shredder on each. His dizzying mandolin fretwork on "Hasapiko Laternas" would send Bill Monroe scurrying for his heart medicine, while his guitar playing on "Minore Tou Teke" shows a profound sensitivity to the tune that transcends mere showboating. Some non-Peristeris highlights include a pair of recordings of solo laternas, or unmanned Greek barrel pianos, mechanically cranking out sounds that could effortlessly accompany a Jodorowsky film, perhaps because, like the filmmaker, this music is a perfectly grotesque blend of the familiar and unfamiliar, of the West and the East. The elusive guitarist A. Kostis, about whom there are nine pages dedicated in the book (not too elusive, I suppose), contributes the slithering "Dertlidikos Horos" which would surely make Sun City Girls' Bishop brothers drool. "Karotsieris Hasapiko" and "Vlahiko Hasapiko," by string band Lerotheos Skizas Mandolinata, have all the manic energy and jubilance that one could conjure out of a dance band on a night of depraved reverie. Turk Lambros Leondaridis pulls some mean bow on the Politiki lyra on "Karsilamas," perhaps my current favorite cut on the collection, likely because of Leondaridis' downright soulfulness, but something tells me the longer this Greek stew cooks in the CD player, that distinction will vary with time. Opa! [KC]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 
Revelation
$14.99 CD

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Adams Apple
$14.99 CD

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  DOUG CARN
Revelation
(Black Jazz)

"Naima"

DOUG CARN
Adams Apple
(Black Jazz)

"Higher Ground"

It's criminal how little known the music of Doug Carn is to the wider jazz audience. His wonderful early-'70s releases on the Black Jazz label all sold a fair amount of records in their day, but Carn's sound couldn't fit into any neat category; a gifted pianist and arranger, he was at heart a jazz man, well respected by his peers, but his music was too out there for mainstream fans, and too pop or too smooth for those who preferred the raw avant-gardism of, say, Albert Ayler and Anthony Braxton. Now, after decades being out of print or only available as cheap bootlegs, Carn's Black Jazz catalog is finally being reissued in partnership with Snow Dog Records. A genuine smorgasbord of pop and jazz influences, these albums combine fusion-era Miles, Coltrane's spiritualism, Sly Stone's lyrical uplift, AACM's sense of adventure, even shades of prog, funk and Broadway (I bet he was a fan of Hair). The two records reviewed here --1973's Revelation and the following year's Adams Apple -- are Carn's finest works.

Most of the tracks on Revelation feature his wife, Jean, on lead vocals (she would go on to have a successful R&B career). Her singing can be a bit thin at times, but she brings great warmth to the songs that might otherwise have been weighed down by excessive musicianship. One of Carn's trademarks was to write lyrics to famous jazz pieces, and here he reworks Coltrane's "Naima" beautifully: lush and soulful while maintaining the original's haunting spirit. The other pieces on Revelation are uniformly excellent; jazzed-up jams occasionally spilling into funk and soul, the sense of joy in the playing is irresistible. Adams Apple goes in some new directions. Jean Carn is gone (the marriage didn't last), and Joyce Greene and John Conner take over vocal duties. They sing in unison throughout, giving the album the flavor of a Broadway soundtrack. Carn introduces other touches as well, with chants and polyrhythmic percussion. "Mighty Mighty" shows flashes of boogie-woogie piano, while "Western Sunrise" opens with spoken-word that borders on rap.

He then changed his name to Abdul Rahim Ibrahim and wouldn't release another album until 2008. In the interim, he enjoyed some success recording with Earth, Wind & Fire and Ramsey Lewis. Carn's first two albums for Black Jazz have been reissued as well: his bold debut, Infant Eyes, and Spirit of the New Land. Both records have Jean Carn on vocals and are more strictly jazz influenced, with a '60s Coltrane vibe. Carn's music was byproduct of the fertile artistic environment of the early 1970s, when many musicians refused to be pigeonholed, absorbed all the sounds around them and followed their own artistic instincts. If you have any affinity for adventurous music from this period, do yourself a favor and check out the work of Doug Carn. [JBr]
 
         
   
   
   
   
   
   

 

 

     
 

$13.99
CD
$17.99 LP+MP3

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  JOHN VANDERSLICE
Dagger Beach
(Tiny Telephone)

"Song for Dana Lok"
"Gaslight"

With Dagger Beach already in the can, John Vanderslice turned to his fans for a little help, launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund this release on his own label, Tiny Telephone. Vanderslice said he wanted to break out of his old ways of doing things, a change that would allow him to be more honest and adventurous in his work. He reached his goal of $18,500 in just days, raising almost $80,000 by the end of the thirty-day funding period. Recorded in the wake of his separation from his wife, Dagger Beach feels like a catharsis; from the opening track, "Raw Wood," Vanderslice splits himself wide open singing, "One day the paint will be stripped right off/Your pretty veneer/You can bet for sure/Raw wood never looked so good." Throughout the record, Vanderslice explores how perspectives shift with time and experience. In "Harlequin Press," an aspiring romance novelist replaces "the songbirds with pornographers, the love scenes with brutal murders" after her book is rejected for having "not enough sex and too much talking." In "North Coast Rep," a reflection on an old photograph, Vanderslice sings to the past: "You should stay/You're just going to leave this place anyway/You should know by now/You are going to ruin the show." Vanderslice is a gifted songwriter and a subtle poet, and his vivid storytelling can break your heart in only a few lines. On "Song for David Berman" he sighs, "I called my doctor on his cell/The call went straight to voicemail/I thought of you." Also a meticulous producer and recording engineer, Vanderslice prefers to record strictly on analog without the use of any computers, a choice that gives his sound its rich depth and texture. Sparse and fluttering guitars float over whispering drums, piano keys are plucked unexpectedly and shimmering melodies emerge and then melt into the background. While his last few releases have leaned more political and anthemic, the songs on Dagger Beach are introspective and personal, the arrangements more organic and fluid. Untethered personally and professionally, Vanderslice has created one of his most cohesive and courageous albums yet. [KB]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$14.99
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$22.99 LPx2

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  EMIKA
Dva
(Ninja Tune)

"Sing to Me"
"Fight for Your Love"

You can't pigeonhole an artist with this much talent by geography, but Emika's Bristol youth and current Berlin home base surely do say something about the sound of her second full-length, informed by both the smoky trip-hop of her UK birthplace and the cool and dark experimental electronica of Berlin, as well as a touch of classical composition and a refined sense of sound design. There is a bit more hook-based songwriting than on Emika's 2011 debut, though perhaps nothing quite as indelible here as "Drop the Other," her very first single, but she lets herself really sing more on DVA, rather than rely only on the bedroom whisper she is known for. It's an ambitious set -- guests here include the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Czech soprano Michaela Srumová, whose angelic vocals open the record on the swelling "Hush (Interlude)," giving the album an air of seriousness and melancholy that largely defines these songs -- maybe less so the puzzling cover of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" (sure, it's a good song, but...). Dva walks a line between ear candy electro pop and something darker and more heady, and while it may fail to really blaze new ground in either respect, it's accomplished and enjoyable from front to back. [JM]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$13.99
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$19.99 LPx2+MP3

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  CLASSIXX
Hanging Gardens
(Innovative Leisure)

"All You're Waiting For"
"Stranger Love"

2013 is turning out to be somewhat of a watershed moment for dance-oriented music, particularly in how it's finally starting to show itself in its former glories. The kids might still be raging to dubstep but many others seem bassed out and trying to avoid any drops that aren't of the 9 o'clock Andrew Weatherall persuasion. Alongside substantial works by Daft Punk and Disclosure comes the LA duo Classixx, throwing their weight towards over an hour of bubbly, infectious electro-pop and blog house, leveraging the earlier triumphs of the Helmeted Ones against the driven, overcharged melodies and endorphin rush prevalent in the music of groups like Phoenix or even Junior Senior. (Remember them? Their vocalist Jeppe turns up on "I'll Get You," one of the standout cuts on Hanging Gardens, Classixx official debut, following a series of well-regarded remixes under the name Young Americans). As you're wondering how the heck they cleared that Fleetwood Mac sample, you'll start to appreciate the craftsmanship and overall good times endorsed by the music within. It's not as straightforward as the Disclosure record, nor as monolithic as Daft Punk, and that might be the key to Classixx's longevity. [DM]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$18.99
LP

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  CALL BACK THE GIANTS
The Marianne
(KYE)

Anyone who's been following former Shadow Ring member Tim Goss' Call Back the Giants project has been eagerly awaiting a proper LP to follow up 2011's absolute masterpiece The Rising for a few years now... and FINALLY Goss unleashes his latest saga, The Marianne, in an edition of 400(!), on sea foam vinyl, courtesy of past creative partner Graham Lambkin's fascinating label KYE. Whereas the Shadow Ring and many Lambkin-related offshoots have tread similar territory to said cabal, CBTG is an entirely different beast, with Goss, and sometime collaborative family member Chloe Mutter, totally murking-out on primitive synths, discombobulated beats, submerged electronics, and seemingly trance-tongued vocal stylings. Mutant music for sure! The press release states, "The Marianne charts the epic voyage of Capt Fletcher and his patrons as they passage across the 'sour ocean,' through a prism of supernature and on toward an uncertain end." And believe it or not, it somehow sounds just like that! Total synth-wash meltdown from start to finish, with Goss chiming in occasionally on pitch-shifted vocals and shimmering symphonic undertones, ending up somewhere between a lost Lovely Music release and an imaginary twisted, symphonic Nurse with Wound. It's gonna take a while for this one to "sink in," but after a handful of plays through it's already solidified a place in this reviewer's collection forever. This record is amazing, and is wholly recommended for fans of kosmische, musique concrete, field recordings and weird music in general. All aboard! [RN]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$15.99
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  MAURICE DEEBANK
Inner Thought Zone
(1972)

"Maestoso Con Anima"
"Silver Fountain of Paradise Square"

Maurice Deebank was the lead guitarist in the first incarnation of the infamous UK post-punk group (and Other Music faves) Felt. His playing during the first half of Felt's career was intricate, melodic, and serpentine, adding a touch of Spanish classicism to Lawrence's songs, which they often co-wrote in those days. He and Lawrence had a notoriously fraught relationship (immortalized in Felt's single "Battle of the Bands"), and Deebank left the group in 1986, seldom to record again save for the occasional guest spot on tracks by artists like Saint Etienne. Before his departure, however, he cut one masterful album of solo guitar entitled Inner Thought Zone. Few records have such beguilingly appropriate names. Felt fans occasionally received glimpses of his instrumental prowess, and their superlative Strange Idols Pattern album featured a handful of Deebank instrumentals as interludes throughout. This record, however, is the full monty, overflowing with Deebank's sensual, airy, detailed fingerwork and dreamlike atmosphere. His only true comparative contemporary would be Vini Reilly of the Durutti Column, but the comparisons there are still only half-accurate, as Reilly's sound was more rooted in flamenco and jazz; Deebank often evokes clouds of atmosphere akin to Cocteau Twins at their most dreamy and sultry, sans the rhythmic drive or vocal acrobatics. It's a truly unique album, and it's a massive shame that Deebank seemingly retired from playing soon afterward, as the record shows true promise if not for a full-blown solo career, then for at least one as an inimitable sideman. Long out of print, this is a welcome reissue of a special album with few aesthetic peers. [IQ]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$19.99
LP

Buy






  NEAR PARIS
Near Paris
(Medical Records)

In the mid '80s, synth-pop duo Near Paris were acquiring quite a bit of attention in the Columbus, Ohio underground music scene. They played art galleries, created original scores for local artists, and even opened for Section 25. However, in spite of their various successes the band's only release was a four-song 12" EP. Now, almost three decades later, Near Paris finally gets a well-deserved reissue, which includes the original EP plus seven unreleased tracks. The group was made up of Gerald F. Nelson and Dana Riashi, who handpicked the extra music for this collection from their archives; their art school esthetic and love of synthesizers led the duo to create some of the finest minimal synth/new wave you've never heard. Dana's vocals channel Human League and the Slits, backed up by Atari-esque synthesizers and hyperactive drum machines. We can thank the Crispy Nuggets blog for unearthing these gems and collaborating with Medical Records for this compilation. The record is presented on 180-gram oxblood opaque vinyl in a limited edition of 650 copies with an insert documenting Near Paris' bio and photos. The reissue also serves as a memorial to late member Gerald F. Nelson, who unfortunately passed away before the project's completion. [ACo]
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 



$13.99 CD - Partygoing Only
$25.99 CDx4
$32.99 LPx3

Buy



  FUTURE BIBLE HEROES
Partygoing
Memories of Love, Eternal Youth, and Partygoing
(Merge)

"Death Opened a Boutique"
"I'm a Vampire"

In last week's Update, we inadvertently left off the single CD version of Future Bible Heroes' new album, Partygoing, which is available separately or as a part of a 4CD or 3LP collection which also features their entire back-catalogue. It's great to hear new material coming from this project after well over a decade and hopefully some of our readers caught their show last night in Brooklyn at the Bell House, as part of Chickfactor's 21st birthday celebration which wraps up tonight with Lois, Joe Pernice, Dump, and more. Here is the Future Bible Heroes review from last week in case you missed it:

Aside from his defining pop project Magnetic Fields, Stephin Merritt has long been involved in various intertwined side projects like the 6ths, Gothic Archies, and Future Bible Heroes, which includes his longtime Magnetic Fields collaborator (and on-stage foil), Claudia Gonson, and popular Boston area DJ Christopher Ewen. The three have known each other for 25 years, and Future Bible Heroes released their first electro-synthpop record Memories of Love in 1997, which was followed by Eternal Youth five years later; after 11 years, the trio is back, with another great set of downcast synth-driven pop pleasure.

Partygoing finds Future Bible Heroes continuing to do what they do best; as usual, Merritt's lyrics are full of heartbreak, melancholy, death, and the general "terrible advice," yet his devilish sense of humor continues to shine. Claudia shares vocal duties, providing a great counterpart to Stephin's deep baritone, and the instrumental tracks are created by Ewen, whose playful bubbly synth melodies are often reminiscent to Magnetic Fields' more electro-inspired tracks. It's a quirky and catchy album throughout, showcasing the group's signature mix of party anthems and sad ballads.

In addition to Partygoing, FBH are re-releasing their back catalogue which includes Memories of Love, Eternal Youth and a compilation of the band's three EPs -- The Lonely Robot, I'm Lonely (And I Love It), and Lonely Days -- plus a couple of tracks from various compilations, including the goofy role-swapping cover of Human League's "Don't You Want Me?" This collection marks the first time all of Future Bible Heroes' material is available in one place. Definitely recommended to Stephen Merritt/Magnetic Fields fans and all lovers of indie-synthpop goodness. [ACo]
         
   
   
   
       
   

 

 

     
 

$10.99
CD
$19.99 LP+MP3

Buy



  QUADRON
Avalanches
(Epic)

"Favorite Star"
"Neverland"

Second full-length from Denmark's Quadron, the duo of the sultry-voiced Coco O. and musician-producer Robin Hannibal, who's been behind such names as Boom Clap Bachelors, Parallel Dance Ensemble, and recent favorites, Rhye. With the jump to a big label, Quadron's Avalanches is a sleeker yet no less soulful outing that effortlessly moves from modern Quiet Storm-inspired ballads to funky thumpers, and includes a guest spot from Kendrick Lamar. Fans of Jessie Ware, Adele and the aforementioned Rhye on back to '90s R&B and the King of Pop himself will keep this in heavy rotation well through the summer and beyond.
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$13.99 CD
$19.99 LP

Buy



  SURFER BLOOD
Pythons
(Kanine)

"Demon Days"
"Weird Shapes"

Surfer Blood have had a tumultuous year that found their singer John Paul Pitt in the news for troubling reasons having nothing to do with music, and as such the band's fairly innocuous indie pop has understandably become somewhat divisive. But they have returned with their follow-up to 2010's much-loved Astro Coast, and their major label debut is brimming with infectious, hook-filled songs that continue in the tradition of alt-rock institutions like Pixies and Weezer, while incorporating little bits of African-inspired guitar lines, with Pixies producer Gil Norton polishing away the reverb and fuzz of Astro Coast and adding a new clarity and depth to their summery sounds.
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$11.99 CD

Buy
  CSS
Planta
(SQE)

"Honey"
"Too Hot"

Produced by TVOTR's Dave Sitek, CSS return with their first album since the departure of drummer/producer Adriano Cintra, who had been the Brazilian group's principal composer until he parted ways in 2011. You'd never know it by Planta, however, as their fourth record marks a nice evolution for the girls, who've toned down their bombastic, punky synth-pop for something a little more, dare we say mature, without eschewing their weird, sassy sense of fun. It makes for a globe trotting, club-friendly set that fans from Tom Tom Club to Santigold to Bomba Estereo won't want to miss.
 
         
   
   

 

 

     
 

$14.99
CD
$24.99
LP+CD

Buy






  CLOSE
Getting Closer
(K7)

"Born in a Rolling Barrel"
"Beam Me Up"

The debut album from the newest guise of Will Saul, who also runs Aus Music and Simple Records, a pair of influential UK dance labels that have released vinyl sides from the likes of Actress, Carl Craig, Joy Orbison, Scuba, and many more. Fleshed out from initial live takes recorded with Fink's drummer and bassist, Saul immersed the sessions in a heavy electronic sheen with production assistance from the likes of Scuba, Appleblim, and Tam Cooper, and enlisted guest vocalists such as Tikiman, Charlene Soraia, and the aforementioned Fink. Far from the club-oriented progressive house 12"s that he's released under his own name, Getting Closer is more visceral and song-oriented, a sublime, beguiling outing of contemporary electronica.
 
         
   
       
   
         
 
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THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS

[KB] Kari Boston
[JBr] James Bradley
[ACo] Anastasia Cohen
[KC] Kevin Coultas
[DG] Daniel Givens
[IQ] Mikey IQ Jones
[JM] Josh Madell
[DM] Doug Mosurock
[RN] Ryan Naideau


THANKS FOR READING
- all of us at Other Music

 
         
   
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