NEW RELEASES
Albert Ayler (Box Set)
Les Georges Leningrad
Phonophani
The Electronic Hole (Reissue)
Boredoms
Incredible String Band
Home Video
Tom Waits
Shirley Collins (Reissue)

Subtle
The Sallyangie (Reissue)
Oh No
Love Is All
DJ/rupture

RESTOCKS
Lo Borges (Reissue)
Bill Fay (Reissue)

"Mothers"

"Ghosts"

If only every artist of stature could get the Revenant Records treatment! This time around they address the titanic impact of tenor saxophonist Albert Ayler's artistic legacy through 10 CDs of unreleased and archival material. I'll just go ahead and begin by dropping some of the bombshells to be found on these discs: His first recording session, the only known recording of Ayler's brief stint in Cecil Taylor's group c.1962 (the importance of which cannot be overstated); the recording of his group performing at the funeral of John Coltrane; an unreleased Pharoah Sander's session for LeRoi Jones' Jihad label featuring Ayler as a sideman; the demos for the controversial New Grass record as they were intended to sound before record company meddling; and two discs worth of fascinating interviews with the man himself. These are recordings I've only ever heard whisperings and rumors about, but beyond that there is such a dizzying array of material here that they really only even begin to scratch the surface of what is to be found packaged inside this lavish box.

You also get a 200-page hardbound book with reams of information about sessions, sidemen, influences, rare photos, interviews, etc. Not to mention exact replicas of LeRoi Jones' little magazine "Cricket", Paul Hanie's jazz poetry/polemic about Ayler, a handbill for a gig at New York's legendary Slugs, a "distressed" wallet size sepia toned photo of Ayler, and a dried flower! There is a reason these guys win Grammys.

All that said, Ayler was a volcanic force who made an indelible impact on the landscape of jazz in the 1960s. John Coltrane himself believed that Ayler was his rightful successor, the man who was making the greatest contribution to jazz beyond his own achievements. As has often been said, Ayler was a deeply spiritual performer intimately connected to the sacred nature of early jazz. He was so avant-garde that the only logical place he could end up was right back at his roots. And despite his incendiary reputation, one is immediately struck by how listenable, moving, and indescribably beautiful his music was. So what I'm saying is, don't be afraid! There is truth and clarity in these songs and spirituals and at 90-some-odd dollars for 10 CDs, Revenant is practically giving away one of the most essential musical documents to be released this year. Highest recommendation! [MK]

LES GEORGES LENINGRAD
Sur les Traces de Black Eskimo
(Alien8)

"Nebraska's Valentine"

"Black Eskimo"

According to Les Georges Leningrad, cut-rate electroclash never existed. They live in a universe untainted by weak attempts at liberated electronic pop and, as a result, produce untainted music that occupies its own special place. As I've said before, L.G.L. are chock full of self-taught post-punk cabaret stylings reminiscent of Liliput, Family Fodder etc. but without sounding revivalist AT ALL. (See the review for Deux Hot Dogs..)

Above all, these guys are letting it all hang out, having fun and coming up with some of their own clever ideas on the way. Almost gone is the loose shamble-y Fall style. These songs are mostly propulsive jams -- still loose and immediate as ever -- that make you wanna "FRUG" (most qualified album to inspire use of that word) accented with an odd abstract skit here and there to keep you listening. Other bands that come to mind are Silverfish(!), Le Tigre (at their best times-2), Revlon 9 and prime Brainiac (see bass punch and synth stabs on track three, "Black Eskimo"). Track four, "Nebraska's Valentine" has a beautifully disguised "Sweet Leaf" bassline. Again, these references are just things that come to mind...You'll be too busy digging it to think about it. Recommended. [SM]

"Earth Diver"

"Cloudberry"

After several months of living in the past via the tremendous amount of stunning reissues that seem to be making there way into the store and my general consciousness, it's nice to finally be excited by a new electronic title. Oak or Rock, the third album from Norway's Phonophani (a.k.a. Espen Sommer Eide who is also one-half of Alog), begins where 2001's Genetic Engineering left off, mixing playful albeit fractured melodies to serene effect, at times recalling Markus Popp's stuttering simplicity. Featuring contributions from disjointed vocalist Maja Ratkje and cellist Nicholas Mollerhaug, Phonophani's latest offering sees him exploring new directions dissecting and reassembling 'real' instrumentation via self designed software, in a sense masking the borders between the virtual and acoustic. As one might conclude from the album title, Oak or Rock is a concept album of sorts, but rather than get lost in theoretical demonstration, Eide's music is imbued by a healthy sense of wonder and experimentation too often lacking in the generally sterile quarters of contemporary electronic music. Hopefully we won't have to wait another three years before the next installment. [KH]

Track 4

Track 7

Last time we discussed Phil Pearlman, I stated he must've been some kind of musical genius, though I knew very little about him apart from the evidence of two highly obscure privately pressed albums. This time around I only know a touch more about his back-story, but this record of his from 1970 under the moniker the Electronic Hole proves he was indeed, a musical genius. Recorded in between the Beat of the Earth and the rural rock masterpiece Relatively Clean Rivers, the Electronic Hole bridges the gap between the drone raga rock of the former and the tunefulness of the latter. And it just may be the best of the three.

Two long suites comprising seven songs of very forward-looking psychedelic rock quite unlike any I've ever heard before, effortlessly prefiguring the likes of Galaxie 500 and Spacemen 3. The Electronic Hole is somewhat more menacing than either of Pearlman's other incarnations, more heroin-y sounding perhaps, but from what I understand he was a teetotaler only prone to getting high on life and the fragrance of incense. Heroin seems an appropriate touchstone though as the only other group even coming close to the primal-ness of these songs were the Velvet Underground, and by 1970 even they'd primarily traded those baser emotions in for a sort of melancholic roots rock. On the final track, an early incarnation of one of the Relatively Clean Rivers songs appears, devoid of any ruralness with pure white noise in its stead. And I mean like Les Rallizes Denudes molten white noise. Superb. [MK]

$36.99 CD

BOREDOMS
Seadrum/House of Sun
(Warner Japan)

"Seadrum"

It's been a long time, my friends, since 1999's Vision Creation Newsun. Words cannot describe how this band, and specifically, the last album changed the way I listen to music. And I don't think I am alone: where would bands from Lightning Bolt to the Animal Collective be without the Boredoms' primordial transmissions? Those are just but two current examples. Don't even get me started how many people they've influenced since their mid-80s beginnings.

Now, after a six-year wait, Seadrum/House of Sun delightfully pulses with the tribal drumming that rattled skulls in Vision Creation Newsun. Two roughly 20-minute tracks swim in and out of chaos and calm, sonority and quietude. From the blue, sparkly cover to the title of the first track, it's hard not to believe the drums-recorded-underwater rumor. On "Seadrum," Yoshimi, ATR, and Yojuro all contribute to the rhythms, amassing man made waves that crash, ebb, and flow around vocals, piano, East Asian percussion and electronic distortions. Founder Yamataka Eye and guitarist Yamamato Seiichi bundle it together, making this album's lineup closer than ever to the constantly evolving original.

Throughout the album, the multitude of psychedelics and electronics from each of the current members' side projects -- OOIOO (Yoshimi), High Rise (ATR), Pica Pica Pica (Eye) for example -- comes through. But "House of Sun" engulfs the more subtle, meditative olio like a warm blanket on a cold night. Sitar, guitar, and dulcimer weave in and out of the currents, faintly resembling the expectant moments when an orchestra warms up just before its performance. As the song progresses, a loose looping pattern emerges - until the mind happily wonders and the music slowly fades, revealing deep piano tones just under the surface. I don't think I can say anything more to stress how much you need this record. Recommended more than you can imagine. [LG]

"Ducks on a Pond"

"The Hedgehog's Song"

When we discovered that one of our all-time favorite groups would be playing in New York for the first time in 30 years we were thrilled, yet a little trepidatious. I mean, how good could they possibly still be? We became even more worried when it was discovered Robin Williamson wouldn't be joining in on the performances. At this point not looking so good right? Next word we get is that original member Clive Palmer (he also of the all time greats C.O.B. and Famous Jug Band) would be coming in his stead, which is a major plus, and that they'd only be doing acoustic songs from their prime late-'60s period. So things are definitely looking up, but still, you never know. All of our worries were dispelled the instant we showed up a little early and caught a bit of the sound check. Sounded goddamn fantastic!

As was the whole show, positively joyous performances with Mike Heron still sounding exactly the same, and Palmer's world weary voice ended up perfectly suiting Williamson's "Ducks on a Pond." The show went over great, with Heron positively beaming at their reception as countless fans mobbed him at the bar to pat his back in thanks. Easily one of the best shows I've seen in ages.

Despite how that went though, I was again a little anxious to hear how this new record would turn out. I can report that there's nothing to worry about, in fact it's very similar to the concert we watched with finely off-balanced renditions of old ISB classics (as well as a couple of stellar Palmer originals) recorded warmly in a live setting with highly sympathetic accompaniment. So if they didn't make it to your neck of the woods this time (and even if they did) I'd strongly recommend picking Nebulous Nearnesses up as it thankfully doesn't disappoint at all. I can only hope they make like that other life long outsider folkie Michael Hurley and come around at least once a year to put a little bit more joy into the area's clubs. [MK]

HOME VIDEO
Citizen EP
(Warp)

"Citizen"

"In a Submarine"

Home Video's Citzen EP gives credence to a sneaking suspicion that Warp is making an evolution as more and more song based bands are being released by the label. The New Orleans trio (now living in Brooklyn) are intriguingly restrained throughout this five-song EP, balancing melancholic pop with nice moody electronics. At times there's a bit of an early-'80s Factory Records feel, certainly the prominent bass guitar in the title track and "Tundra" cements this impression (a la Peter Hook-style), though its rumbling melody also reminds me of "Faith"-era Cure. While the robotic beats and some of the synth arpeggios bring to mind Kraftwerk, I don't want to pigeonhole Home Video as revivalists. There's a certain hazy atmosphere that's reminiscent of Boards of Canada and there's no denying that the vocalist sounds more than slightly like Thom Yorke. It's easy to try to guess Home Video's influences, but the sum of everything here equals a strong EP; I looking forward to their full-length. Definitely recommended to those who are into song-based electronica but wanting something more moody to round out their Junior Boys, Postal Service and Go Find records. [GH]

$16.99 CD

"Dead and Lovely"

"Make It Rain"

What can I say about Tom Waits? He's remained one of my favorite artists for the last 15 years, one reason being that, like all of the greats, he's firmly rooted in traditional music. Somehow though, he has managed to make something very unique and beautiful without resorting to cliché or rehash. Since the advent of his relationship with his wife and now co-producer/writer Kathleen Brennan just prior to 1983's brilliant Swordfishtrombones, Waits has carved out a singular trajectory in the music world. Equal parts Charley Patton, Kurt Weill, and Harry Partch without sounding much like any of those geniuses, Waits has amassed a catalog of songs, soundtrack work, and opera unrivaled in contemporary American music.

With Real Gone one gets the sense that Waits has rediscovered the potential of his voice to express what cannot be put into words: it's almost like a perfect melding of Doug E. Fresh and Howlin' Wolf with a little James Brown thrown in for good measure. The lead track, "Top of the Hill", alerts the listener that what lies ahead is not going to be a pretty ride. In addition, the delightfully angular guitar work of former Lounge Lizard and long-time Waits collaborator Marc Ribot is back and in top form. Ribot's Cuban music interests of the last several years with Los Cubanos Postizos are apparent and quite effective on "Hoist That Rag." Of course, his impeccable blues chops receive a nice home in "Shake It" and "Baby Gonna Leave Me," both tracks that even Lightning Hopkins would have to approve of.

Lyrically, Waits seems to have perfected his Faulkner-meets-Flannery O'Connor rustic savvy style that's he's been working on since around '92's Bone Machine. The characters have never been more downtrodden, drunk, desperate, lost, and generally cantankerous than on this collection of tunes. Although he's put aside the piano for now, Waits hasn't abandoned his surrealist sense of humor as evidenced in the spoken word piece "Circus," as well as in his first stab at writing from the perspective of the deceased in "Green Grass." In addition to the fun witticisms that we've come to expect from Waits, we also get a rather serious, moving, and timely criticism of war in "Day After Tomorrow." To boot, he's also included one of his most accessible gems, "Make It Rain," a blues featuring Wait's son Casey on drums. Let's hope a family business is in the works. Overall I'd say that you'd be hard-pressed to find a better new record this year. [KC]

"Murder of Maria Marten"

"Poor Murdered Woman"

Released in 1971, No Roses was Shirley Collins' first foray into folk rock oriented material. Though she no longer performs, since at least 1959 she's been widely considered to be one of England's finest interpreters of traditional song and ballad, with a handful of highly acclaimed and enduring albums executed either alone or with the arrangements of her talented sister Dolly. In 1971 she married Ashley Hutchings, an integral member of Fairport Convention and one of the catalysts for that group's merging of traditional English music with the urgency of Rock and Roll.

For No Roses, Hutchings' vision was to use Collins' crystal clear and high keening voice in a similar approach to the one that Fairport had recently embarked on. They enlisted a gigantic crack band featuring nearly every name of note then on the scene, people like Richard Thompson, Nic Jones, the Watersons, Barry Dransfield, Maddy Prior, and Simon Nicol to just name a few. The results were pure genius, and No Roses remains a high point in Collin's career and a milestone in English music, comparable in impact to Fairport's classic Leige and Leaf. Collin's was never one to shy away from the dark corners that lurk in the old ballads, her song selection is always impeccable, with "Murder of Maria Marten" and "Poor Murdered Woman" both being particularly harrowing.

No Roses is an excellent and accessible place to delve into her rich and rewarding repertoire; indeed it is one of the finest British records of the '70s. [MK]

Track 7

Track 9

Subtle is an extension of cLOUDDEAD and includes core members Doseone and Jel. Their new album for Lex, A New White is another genre fusion of jip-jop, emo, psychedelia, spoken word and indie rock. Six members in total, instrumentation like keyboards, melodica, cello, bass, guitar, drum machines, woodwinds, and samplers weave the shifting textures for Doseone's murky elastic lyrical flow. Definitely the tightest thing the CLDD collective has come up with so far.

The live band lets the groove simmer, mutate, grow, expand, collapse, and stretch under Dose's vocals, bringing to mind a darker Animal Collective, a paler Cee-lo, Pavement, Mike Ladd, Beach Boys, Mum, Tortoise, and even a little Saul Williams, (without the thrashing). Subtle seem like they've developed a way of holding the rhythm together and actually creating songs that make you move, not just scratch your head.

Dose's vocals also seem more mature and functional than before. His voice is the instrument that pushes the others. It's hard to deny, they're talented and doing something interesting touching on and creatively blending various influences and styles. Not for everyone, still, but those that like what cLOUDDEAD offered, kinda know what to expect; the rest maybe surprised at what they hear. Subtle tickle the ear with various textures, come up with some solid beats, and keep the whole thing swirling. Nice one Lex. [DG]

"Lady Mary"

"Midsummer Night's Happening"

We've seen no dearth of great psychedelic folk reissues make their way into the store this year. One of my latest favorites is Children Of The Sun, a 1969 release by a British brother-sister duo known as the Sallyangie. Legend has it that singer-songwriter Sally Oldfield penned the bulk of the album's 16 tracks over a period of two days before showing up unannounced at the offices of Transatlantic Records (home to one of her favorite bands, the Pentangle) and successfully winning a recording contract. Unbelievably, Mike Oldfield -- who would later play on several Kevin Ayers records and find fame with his own Tubular Bells album -- was only 15 years old when he and his sister made this album. His acoustic guitar playing was completely outrageous even at that age, throwing in odd harmonics and off-kilter slide work to complement some already impressive fingerpicking.

There's a bit of Vashti Bunyan's sing-song nursery rhyme style in these songs: Vashti borrowed the melody from "Baa Baa Black Sheep," Sally and Mike used "Three Blind Mice," sung in a round. That said, Sally's voice is a bit higher and heavier on the vibrato than Vashti's. I love the baroque arrangements on a couple of these songs, the mandolin, harpsichord, and flute are all used perfectly, and the string parts are fantastic. It isn't all renaissance fair vibe though; things get pretty dark in a couple of key moments. It's never as out-there as Comus or Simon Finn, but it isn't all love, peace, and poetry either. For every couple of lines like "little bluebird fluttering into my hand/sun falls in love over the land," there's also "I will die on a mountain/when the evening is falling/kill softly my baby/for I rise in the morning." If you love the Fairport Convention, the Incredible String Band, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and the recently unearthed album by Extradition, I strongly recommend that you give this one a shot. [RH]

"Get Away"

"Break"

New from Stones Throw, the debut album from Oh No is the latest to get a blessing of a mostly Madlib production. And with The Disrupt, Cali hip-hop gets a little rougher, tighter, and with realistic street atmosphere. (Didn't think that Cali could bring the darkness and still show some style?) With no less than five Madlib tracks and one by J-Dilla, Oh No, who happens to be Madlib's younger brother, produces the rest.

Even when Madlib isn't producing, his beat style is still present, but with much less audio collage. A bit more straightforward but just as tasty, guests include many from the Stones Throw stable: Wildchild, DJ Romes, J-Rocc, Madeaphoar, and Dudley Perkins. The Disrupt is a good listen -- a little freaky, yet totally accessible. Lyrically there's nothing new but his sense of confidence, timing, and feeling keeps it moving nicely as Oh No tells his story in an approachable way. Talent really does run in this family. It's good to see Stones Throw and Madlib get back to hip-hop. [DG]

The seven-inch EP record was once one of independent music's finest formats. But with the many bands that now use it to release a current hit from an album, and then back it with a throwaway song on the flipside, over the last few years the seven-inch has certainly lost favor. Well, that's not the case here with the Love Is All single. It's been a long time since a simple 7" record has made me this excited about a group. Equal parts pop (but not at all twee) and post-punk (but without the typical disco/punk beats that everyone's using these days), this three-song platter will spend a lot of time on your turntable. The snotty, echo-y vocals, the saxophone bursts, the jagged efficient guitars, the busy driving drums -- all come together to create a slightly lo-fi wall of sound from Sweden that's as catchy as it is charming and edgy. Fans of bands like the Shop Assistants, Au Pairs, Huggy Bear, or the current crop of post-punkers will find a lot to admire in this silkscreened poster-wrapped seven-inch disc of black vinyl! [RS]

$14.99 CD

"Lonesome Side"

"Dem Nuh Know Me"

Ah, the return of man of mystery, DJ/rupture. Special Gunpowder is an album full of his tight, high-flying, tribal, twisted, soulful, urban, crunchy production work. The record is mostly dancehall with vocals by Sister Nancy, Wicked Act, Junior Cat, and Wayne Lonesome, but those aren't the best tracks. Yeah they're great, but the real gems come from the spoken word of Elizabeth Alexander, vocalist Lily, and Sindu Zaporen's banjo. The arrangements juxtapose electronically made reggae and dancehall rhythms with organic instrumentation like trumpets, guitar, melodica, organ, Rhodes, saxophone, live bass, cello, violin, and cicadas, to make this album a rich and international blend.

DJ/rupture may come from the Muslimgauze and Autechre school of beat construction and sonic deconstruction but Special Gunpowder isn't all "nails on a chalkboard" like some of his previous releases. Rupture brings a broad sense of cultural reference including France, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Jamaica, and Europe. The importance of blending them together, side by side, or on top of one another places him somewhere between the digital and indigenous worlds. One of the best producers around and Special Gunpowder pushes rupture even further ahead with a little assistance from Kid 606, Ghislain Poirier, and Ove-Naxx. Another lighter-in-the-air collection of hot tunes and with plenty of rewinds in store for you, fans of Dizzee, Wiley, Grime, Planet-Mu, Rephlex, digital beat science, ragga jungle and dancehall should no doubt check this out. Recommended. [DG]

"Homem Da Rua"

There are a few records…you know, the kind where when you hear them you think to yourself, why isn't this taught in schools? How could I have missed this one all these years? Do I really need to keep all of these other records? Two such releases are Milton Nascimento's masterpiece Clube da Esquina and its companion piece of sorts, Lo Borges' self-titled debut release from 1972. Created with some of the same players, Nascimento among them, the sheer joy of this record is really beyond description. Without falling into the oft-tread trappings of excessive soloing and "big for the sake of being big" production, the music here is of a very progressive Brazilian pop type, carefully arranged to, dare I say, perfect effect: everything in the mix is essential.

Although there was definitely something in the air in the music world during the years 1969-1972, this album transcends even the times and provides further evidence of Borges' prowess as a master arranger, songwriter, singer, and guitarist of great originality. Also, in case you need something else to remind you that you've accomplished very little in your life so far, he was 19 years old when he made this record! Quite an achievement considering the fact that to this day it remains one of the greatest recordings committed to tape. I cannot recommend a record more. Best reissue of 2004 by far! [KC]

"Maxine's Parlour"

"Maudy La Lune"

Whoa! I've never actually heard either of Bill Fay's two apparently bizarre late-'60s Decca albums, each recorded straight through in a day-long session, but the previously unreleased tracks on From The Bottom Of An Old Grandfather Clock are totally mind-blowing. The tracks on this new collection are virtually all demos that were rejected outright by Decca, which makes close to no sense at all because some of these songs are so brilliant it hurts. British singer-songwriter/psych-pop/soft-rock very rarely got much better than this. As these are demos, things are pretty stripped-down, but you can hear the beginnings of ideas for arrangement that would have been pretty incredible if they'd ever been properly executed. Fans of Emitt Rhodes, Badfinger, the Left Banke, Nick Drake's first album, and last year's Zig Zag compilation, this one is for you. Stunning. [RH]