FEATURED NEW RELEASES
Slowdive (Pygmalion reissue)
Lady Sovereign
LimoNada
Pop Ambient 2006
Bell Orchestre
Never the Same (Various)
Brian Wilson
Tralala
Eno, Moebius, Roedelius
Cast King
Mike Ladd
Tod Dockstader

Appaloosa
Modern Dog (OM exclusive)

ALSO AVAILABLE
Ennio Morricone
Seu Jorge (Life Aquatic Sessions)

RESTOCKS
Os Brazoes
Heptones
Congregacion

COMPLETE LIST OF THIS WEEK'S NEW ARRIVALS

"Blue Skied an' Clear"

"Crazy for You"

Having earned the title of shoegaze royalty with its two previous Creation releases (Just for a Day and Souvlaki), Slowdive's last album, occasionally vilified by the shoegazeratti, is a slight departure. Bored with the direction the band was going in, group leader Neil Halstead started going to techno clubs and experimented with new drugs, seemingly like every other Englishman at the time, and while Pygmalion is definitely not a dance record, it might be the perfect comedown companion.

Pygmalion is all guitar, electronics, and loops, and it's a decidedly more ambient affair, almost entirely free of the swirling walls of sound that trademarked the earlier albums. Reminiscent of Talk Talk and some of Brian Eno's work (and predating Labradford and Sigur Ros), Halstead opted for meditation over reverberation, an approach which gives the album a brooding, hypnotic feel throughout. Slowdive was dropped by Creation shortly after Pygmalion came out (in the midst of Britpop hysteria) and it never saw a proper US release. Here's your chance then, to rediscover a beautifully haunting lost '90s gem. Castle has also reissued Just for a Day and Souvlaki as double CDs, complete with b-sides and bonus tracks, so you might want to pick those up too. [AK]

LADY SOVEREIGN
Vertically Challenged
(Chocolate Industries)

"Random"

"Fiddle with the Volume" Ghislain Poirer Remix

Making a bid for top 10 chartdom around the world, here comes Lady Sovereign, the latest export from the UK's bubbling hip-hop scene. Some may remember her from her verse on the Streets' "Fit but You Know It" remix, or "Cha Ching," her standout track on the first Run the Road compilation. For me it was the cut "Random," which I came across while surfing the web. "Cha Ching" and "Random" are both featured on this EP, cleverly titled Vertically Challenged--she's only 5"1'. Some might say she's the little British sister of Eminem (for her wit); others may say that she's just duplicating M.I.A.'s formula (Lady Sovereign is strictly UK bred and born). Both may be true on some level though, as those are the first two artists that came to my mind. Lady Sovereign brings it with humor, sharpness, fresh energy and verbal skills that have yet to be tapped like this before, the most rough-edged MC to come across these waters yet, signed in the States by Chocolate Industries, and Universal around the world. Yes, this is grime and hip-hop, blended together with the types of accents, punches, and pop sassiness that made you bounce to M.I.A., Dizzee, Wiley, Roll Deep, Basement Jaxx, and Ms. Dynamite in her pirate radio days. This EP features remixes by Ghislain Poirer and Adrock, along with interviews, videos, and extras. Definitely one to watch, her tunes and voice will surely be the sound of 2006. "Make way for the SOV"--get ready for the album. [DG]

"Pies Descalzos"

"Cambiar la Rosa"

Uruguay is the smallest Spanish speaking country in South America, nestled along the coast of the Atlantic and buffered on either side by the massive countries of Brazil and Argentina. Despite its small stature, Uruguay has long had an incredibly vital cultural and arts scene. Its capital, Montevideo, is a port city who once hosted a massive influx of African slaves trafficked by Spanish and English traders. These slaves, of Bantu origin, brought with them what would come to be known as candombe, a highly rhythmic form of music that would become inextricably linked with Uruguay even as its population of African descendents was diluted in the following two centuries by an ever-rising tide of European immigrants. It was in the candombe that sixties pop acts in Uruguay found their distinctive voice and vision. Groups like Totem (see the release we carry on Vampi Soul) and El Kinto (forthcoming on Lion Productions) were highly influenced by the international beat and pop scene, but what really gave their music character and set it apart was the synergetic union between the candombe and the beat they were able to achieve.

LimoNada was formed in the wake of the dissolution of El Kinto, when its main songwriter Eduardo Mateo (a mad genius whose wonderful recorded legacy is also forthcoming) left to embark on a solo career. The no less talented remaining members of El Kinto decided to forge ahead under the name LimoNada and push their art in ever further directions. Still utilizing the beat and the candombe, they entered the studio in 1970 with the idea of making an album as a cohesive whole. The results were boundlessly creative, totally insane, and yet still utterly accessible. At first listen Brazilian tropicalia immediately comes to mind, as LimoNada's album could really be the long lost sister to such masterpieces as Os Mutantes' eponymous debut or Gilberto Gil's celebrated Cerebro Eletronica. Candombe rhythms abound as they careen off the crazy production ideas of engineer Quique Abal. They didn't actually play their first live concert 'til more than a year after their sole album came out, which took some of the wind out of the sails of the initial enthusiastic response it generated upon release. A repressive climate due to a military regime was just around the corner as well, and I'm sure that didn't help things too much either. But it's never too late to recognize a masterpiece in art and it was only inevitable that pop perfection like LimoNada would get the belated recognition it was due. [MK]

"Come to Where I Go" Dirk Leyers

"Albatros" Kohncke/Heimermann

To me, the latest volume of Pop Ambient has the most "outdoors/weather-themed" vibe out of all the installations in Kompakt's annual series. The first section feels like an Indian summer or a sunny dream--from Uli Teichmann's beautiful "Piano Tec," which seems to open up in a sun-soaked field of tall grass and trees swaying in the wind, through to the Orb's "Edelgrun," which just plain rules with its breezy looped acoustic guitar. The true coming of fall arrives with Klimek's aching rendition of Satie's "Gymnopedie 1," with the more austere and introspective feel followed through with Andrew Thomas' "Burning Bright" and Kohncke/Heimermann's version of Fleetwood Mac's "Albatros," with its minimal, cascading late-romantic Roxy Music guitar atmosphere. The lake finally freezes over with the arrival of Popnoname's "Wandel" and onto Mikkel Metal's "Decline." Another excellent Kompakt release that is worth repeated listens. [SM]

"Les Lumieres Pt. 1"

"Recording a Tape (Typewriter Duet)"

Maybe all you need to know about this one is that the Bell Orchestre is an all-instrumental atmospheric conglomerate, masterminded by Richard Reed Parry and Sarah Neufeld of the ARCADE FIRE. Neufeld is the violinist and arranger of that phenomenon, Reed the multi-talented multi-instrumentalist. If that's all you need to take the plunge, I won't try to stop you, and this record will easily hold up to the scrutiny of any super-fan, as long as you're not aching for Win and Regine on the mic. The Bell Orchestre sound is reminiscent of the Arcade Fire's building tension and orchestrated drama, but the open-ended instrumentals leave room for several farther-flung influences as well--from Calexico's punchy Tex-Mex swing via Godspeed You Black Emperor's dynamic sprawl and Ennio Morricone's most lush soundtrack excursions, while still holding onto its own consistent personality. Wonderfully orchestrated with everything from French horn to feedback, somewhere between the best post-rock record that you've heard in years and a long-lost vinyl soundtrack gem that you dug up in the dollar bin, this album is remarkably accomplished and wonderfully nuanced. Well worth a listen. [JM]

"Never the Same" Lal Waterson

"Annachie Gordon" Nic Jones

Having already exposed us to terrific calypso, reggae, soul, Cuban, and Afrobeat sounds, London's Honest Jons label now turns its attention to the British folk revival. The Never the Same compilation is comprised of tracks from some of the greatest LPs on the Trailer imprint, one of two labels run by Bill Leader. Leader began his career during the early days of the folk revival, engineering and doing odd jobs for the Topic label in the mid-1950s, recording one of Anne Briggs' earliest sessions, and taking a young Bob Dylan around to the clubs during one of his first visits. Later, he worked for Transatlantic and recorded now legendary artists, including Bert Jansch and John Renbourn.

In 1969, he and his wife started their own pair of record companies. The Leader label would focus exclusively on traditional folk music of the sort that Alan Lomax had collected, totally authentic material that would be purchased, as Bill writes in the disc's liner notes, by people like "the Professor of Ethnomusicology at Vladivostk University." Trailer, on the other hand, would release more commercial folk music by contemporary performers whose repertoires, nevertheless, were made up of almost entirely of the UK's traditional songs. In spite of the labels' manufacturing and distribution dial with EMI via Transatlantic, the LPs were released in small pressings and are today almost impossibly rare.

This collection gives a wonderful overview of the Trailer label's short history with beautiful tracks from Nic Jones, Lal Waterson, master fiddler Aly Bain and his group the Boys Of Lough, Dave Burland, Tony Rose, who accompanied himself on the harmonium, concertina player Alistair Anderson, Dorothy Elliott, and the sheepish Dick Gaughan, who had to be coaxed into the studio by his friends Robin and Barry Dransfield. The songs on Never the Same are simple, intimate, and timeless; this disc is a must-have for anyone with any interest at all in the genre. [RH]

"The Man with All the Toys"

"What I Really Want for Christmas"

Closing out his biggest year in decades, following highly-acclaimed tours behind the Smile record and his general return to the spotlight after languishing for years in the scrap heap of kooky pop stars, Brian Wilson drops a straightforward sparkly Christmas confection on us. Fifteen tracks in all, including many traditional classics, remakes of Beach Boys holiday hits "The Man with All the Toys" and "Little Saint Nick", and two new Wilson originals: a Bernie Taupin collaboration on the slow-burner "What I Really Want for Christmas" (peace, if you were wondering), and a Jimmy Webb collaboration on "Christmasey." Joined by much of the Smile band, layered harmonies and the toot-toot of a flugel horn, soaring syrupy strings and sugar plums rule the roost here, and we can only hope some things will never change. [JM]

"Christmas Never Comes (When You're Alone)"

Between the war, hurricanes, political scandals, and whatever else you can name, 2005 has been a tough year. Maybe it's not surprising that there aren't too many new Christmas records out this season but I, for one, could use a little holiday cheer. While I'm as sentimental as the next guy and certainly love the old standards, I also enjoy an occasional reworking of a holiday classic, or hearing a band take a stab at writing a new one. Thankfully, Tralala pull through and bring us three holiday originals. Beginning with the heartbreaking "Christmas Never Comes (When You're Alone)," the band's "Leader of the Pack" instrumentation is augmented by sleigh bells, and the girls have never sounded better, although the bittersweet sentiment might cause you to shed a tear or two in your eggnog. The romping "Holiday Hearts" picks up the pace, with naughty lines like "Let's skip the midnight mass/I'll make a clumsy pass," guaranteeing that Tralala will find nothing but coal in their stockings; and then they send us off with the fun, fa-la-la filled rave-up "Everybody Christmastime." [GH]

"The Belldog" - After the Heat

"Pitch Control" - Begegnungen

"Hasenheider" - Begegnungen II

Three reissues that shock, firstly, in the fact that they ever went out of print, and secondly, by their sheer quality, inventiveness, energy and timelessness, sounding as fresh, if not fresher now than ever. For most, the big draw will be Brian Eno. Fair enough, as Eno's activities here stand as a kind of parallel discography to his solo releases and will be an amazing treasure trove-like discovery to fans and admirers who have not yet heard them. However, the other members of the collaboration are no less distinguished: Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius, founding fathers of Cluster--original Krautrock crafters of transcendental, outrageously heterogeneous synthesizer and percussion space rock, noise and anthemic sci-fi melancholia, rivaling all others past and present. Literally something for everyone, and especially when synergized with the pop-weirdness of Eno.

After the Heat was the trio's second collaboration and is a gorgeous mixture of instrumental and vocal (Eno) tracks, where analog synthesizers and pianos commingle with prog bass lines and minimal percussion emerging as soundtrack-styled sonatas of spacey pitch-shifted sadness and slow motion motorik beauty. (I would bet money that the boys from Boards of Canada have been quietly worshipping this album for their entire musical careers.) Begegnungen and Begegnungen II are both "greatest hits" selections of the trio's other work together, which invariably involved German super-producer Conny Plank (producer of Can, Neu!, Kraftwerk and others, as well as member of Guru Guru), whose touch is unmistakable as the material fans out into fast paced Neu!-like jams to uber-strange reggae and Asian-influenced hybrids, to explosive percussion-centered efforts. Stunning and varied music that is sure to enchant not only Brian Eno and Krautrock diehards, but all (other) music fans as well. [MC]

"Saw Mill Man"

"Wino"

Here's a weird, intimate little slice of Americana for you. Cast King (yes, an actual man's name) was born in 1926 in Alabama. He grew up playing all kinds of country music, started his first band at the age of 14, and eventually fronted a touring group called Cast King and the Country Drifters. They recorded a demo that ended up on Sam Phillips radar and he invited Cast and the group to cut eight sides at the legendary Sun studios in Memphis. And that was that. Enter one Matt Downer some 40 odd years later, a musician and budding folklorist who began recording the old-timey musicians still left around Sand Mountain, Alabama in 1998. One name frequently mentioned by his contemporaries was Cast King, still known in those parts for the fine songs he had left in him. And fine songs they were indeed, as evinced by the recordings Downer was eventually able to coax out of him at their weekly picking sessions at the shack adjacent to King's house. This is a wonderful collection of low-key murder ballads, love songs, and tales of hard luck. They operate in a similar psychic space explored by another of Sun Records' most famous sons, Johnny Cash, in his later years when he was recording with Rick Rubin. If you care for those records at all, I think you'll find much to enjoy here. [MK]

"Apt. C2"

"Awful Raw"

Like his previous albums, Mike Ladd's latest effort is a manifesto of forward-thinking, completely uncompromising avant-hip hop that has more to do with free improv and the Nuyorican Poets Cafe than Hot 97. Divided between vocal and instrumental tracks, Father Divine invokes the spirit of '80s NYC, a time when flagrant, curious mixings of styles were occurring left and right. The ghosts of post-punk and skeletal electro echo amongst gurgling synths and fried keyboards (thanks Dan). High Priest (Airborne Audio/Antipop Consortium), Jaleel Bunton (TV on the Radio), Raz Mesinai (Badawi) and pianist Vijay Iyer all contribute to the pleasing clutter and chaos, but it's Mike's words and phrasing that are catching my ears. The rapid-fire delivery waxes on everything from consumerism to passivity. Definitely one of the more ambitious albums I've heard in awhile, Father Divine was created by a man with no shortage of ideas to express. [GA]

TOD DOCKSTADER
Aerial Volume 2
(Sub Rosa)

"Wire"

"Bottom"

For those of you not familiar with the work of Tod Dockstader, he is one of America's first and finest electromagnetic tape composers, making classic compositions of the genre like "Luna Park," "Apocalypse," and "Quatermass" at the dawn of the sixties. As expensive as such electronic components were at the time, mostly holed up in universities, Dockstader was a maverick outside of the system, but that also meant him being left behind as the technology changed and he didn't keep up. Working instead in video and installations, his music fell silent for four decades, only flickering back to life this year. And what a return this is, as his most recent work, Ariel, is shaping up to be his Music of the Spheres. Culled from radio waves and assembled via computer, Dockstader blends together static, atmospheric interference, scrambled signals, squelches, numbers stations, and other noise into a new world. The second disc in the proposed three-disc set, Ariel is by turns warm yet slightly alien sounding, and the man's expert touch is evident throughout here. [AB]

APPALOOSA
Appaloosa
(Collectors Choice)

"Tulu Rogers"

"Pasal's Paradox"

By far, my favorite musical discovery of 2005 has been a bootleg CD reissue of the 1971 album To Luna by singer-songwriter John Parker Compton*. The absolutely sublime To Luna is apparently due for a legitimate Japanese CD reissue in the near future, but until that comes out I'm ecstatic to have a CD of the terrific 1969 Columbia Records debut from the singer's short-lived folk quartet Appaloosa. Compton, who was 19-years-old at the time this was recorded, wrote all of the songs on this album, which was produced by Al Kooper...you might have seen him in the documentary No Direction Home, he was the guy who played organ on "Like A Rolling Stone." The core group--Compton on guitar and vocals, Robin Batteau on violin, Gene Rosov on cello, and 17-year-old David Reiser on bass--sounds incredible, the only thing that keeps this album from being a legitimate masterpiece in my mind is the superfluous saxophone and drums that become more prominent on a couple of the later songs. In spite of these relatively minor flaws, Appaloosa is one of my favorite reissues of the year. Compton's songs--inspired, he said, by Tim Hardin and Donovan, among others--seem way too moving and sophisticated to have come out of the mind of such a young man. With this album on CD for the first time and To Luna coming soon (and hopefully Compton & Batteau's 1970 album In California sometime in the future), this singer-songwriter might finally be recognized as one of America's forgotten greats. [RH]

*Abundant thanks are due to occasional OM update contributor Brooks Rice for bringing the To Luna CD to my attention.

MODERN DOG
That Song
(Bakery)

A week or two ago, the New York Times' Travel Section ran a feature titled "To Be Young and Hip in Bangkok," a piece dedicated to the city's cultural transformation. The article left the reader with the impression that this little area named Soi Thonglor was equivalent to Williamsburg's Bedford Avenue, or perhaps more appropriately Tokyo's trendy Shibuya district, a creative Mecca for fashion, art, music and design. While the story was mostly centered on places to visit and, overall, the changing attitudes in the area, it did devote a few paragraphs to Bangkok's healthy indie music scene, listing Futon (whom we've featured in previous Other Music Updates) and Modern Dog as two rising stars.

In contrast to Futon's club-friendly electro sounds, Modern Dog is nothing less than a solid rock band. Fronted by a singer named Pod, who is considered a star in his homeland, the trio's fans hail them as Thailand's Radiohead. While their latest album, That Song, avoids most of the electronic dabbling of Thom Yorke and co's last few records, Modern Dog share a similar affinity for the kind of melancholic melodies and crunchy guitars heard on Pablo Honey and The Bends. But they are far from copycats and the dynamic songwriting and creative rock arrangements place the group in the company of other modern English rockers like Doves and Coldplay; I could even hear a little R.E.M. influence during the record's quieter moments. Unlike so many American/European influenced bands from the Far East, there's nothing really "exotic" or "cutesy" about Modern Dog. Even with non-English lyrics, I would hope that they could cross over to a more international audience; and judging by the caliber of That Song's guest musicians and contributors, it looks like they're on their way. Listed in the liner notes are Mogwai/Belle & Sebastian producer Tony Doogan (who also sits in the production chair for this album), Cibo Matto's Yuka Honda, Sean Lennon and Buffalo Daughter's Yumiko Ohno. [GH]

Quick tip: Prepare for a Siamese Renaissance explosion taking place next summer at the Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. There will be a presentation of a contemporary Rmayana Spectacle written by Modern Dog, Sek Loso, Futon, the Photo Sticker Machine with Rik, and Bruce Gaston's Fong Nam Orchestra, plus Cibo Matto, Buffalo Daughter and Arto Lindsay and the artist Rirkrit Tiravanija.

"Giorno di Notte"

"Spiriti"

Just in, this much-anticipated compilation of legendary film composer Ennio Morricone's darkest, most psychedelic, experimental and positively bizarre…and brilliant recordings. Executive-produced by Mike Patton and meticulously compiled by the Sun City Girls' Alan Bishop, this is an essential rarities collection for hardcore fans as well as neophytes. Thirty tracks over two discs full of sitar, backwards tracking, heavy breathing, haunting soundscapes and heavy feedback drone plus, of course, thrilling orchestration. All tracks are from the fertile late-'60s/early-'70s period, many available on CD for the first time ever, wonderfully remastered, with a glossy 24-page booklet of film stills and liner notes from John Zorn. [JM]

$17.99 CD

"Rebel Rebel"

"Changes"

Though Brazilian musician/actor Seu Jorge first caught the attention of American audiences with his role in City of God, it was his much smaller part in Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, which jump-started his music career here in the States. In that movie, Jorge was the guitar playing member of Zissou's crew, singing David Bowie tunes in Portuguese. This great compilation includes all six songs from the excellent soundtrack, as well as seven other equally enchanting Bowie covers from the same sessions, plus another Jorge original called "Team Zissou." If you dug his renditions of the Thin White Duke's songs in the movie, you'll want to check this CD out. [GH]

"Pega a Voga Cabeludo"

"Carolina, Carol Bela"

An obscure slice of late-'60s Brazilian psychedelia. Os Brazoes' main claim to fame was being picked by Gal Costa for her backing band when she was making her hugely influential early forays into Tropicalia. Turns out her sidemen had a pretty great album in them as well; they created a similar synthesis of North American rock and roll and local Brazilian forms, with very similar results, as those being explored by Tropicalia ringleaders Os Mutantes and Gilberto Gil (whom they cover here). There's a great version of Jorge Ben's classic "Carolina" included, as well as lots of fuzz guitar, phasing, and studio trickery loading up all the tracks. They never get too far away from the samba however and the entire record ends up with a pretty sweet party vibe throughout. [MK]

"Party Time (Extended Mix)"

"Warden"

One of the truly great harmony groups from Jamaica, the Heptones got their start early on during the rocksteady era, but over the years developed their sound and set a high standard for roots reggae craftsmanship. Here, the Hot Pot label has been kind enough to offer us 11 unreleased tracks and dubs from the famed Black Ark sessions with Lee Perry. Lead singer and bassist Leory Sibbles once said that he really enjoyed these studio experiences with Perry, as this was before the producer went way off the deep end and became difficult to work with. But this is just what you would expect, top notch backing by the Wailers, as well as the superb playing of the Heptones. Lee Perry's presence is definitely felt with his incredible collection of leftfield flying samples and warm, liquid rhythms. These are prime time Black Ark sessions here. [GA]

"Arrebol"

"El Dulce Espiritu de la Soledad"

An undeniably beautiful gem from the early-'70s Chilean underground, Congregacion's album Viene is a rarely heard masterpiece full of delicate atmospherics and dreamy textures. Congregacion (not to be confused with those other OM Chilean favorites Congreso) were a group spearheaded by the apparently mythical figure of Antonio Smith, whose progressive and hopeful lyrics no doubt earned him the enmity of the Chilean military dictatorship; he was forced to flee the country and Viene proved to be Congregacion's only release. I personally think that if things had worked out differently this album would be held in as high regard as comparable masterpieces like Milton Nascimento's Clube de Esquina or Joyce and Nelson Angelo's eponymous work from the same year as the present release. Viene shares with those albums a highly evocative sense of space, using natural sounds and lots of acoustic textures to foreground Smith's soaring melodies. The results are incredibly romantic, and this is one of those perfect albums that works just as well on a Sunday morning as it does late on any given night. Like another album that Viene reminds me of, Bulent's Benimle Oynar Misin, it has just the perfect balance of gently arranged pop and plaintively sorrowful folk. This is a very highly recommended album that is surely one of the pinnacles of Latin American folk. [MK]

THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS

[GA] Geoff Albores
[AB] Adrian Burkholder
[MC] Matt Connors
[DG] Daniel Givens
[GH] Gerald Hammill
[RH] Rob Hatch-Miller
[MK] Michael Klausman
[AK] Andreas Knutsen
[JM] Josh Madell
[SM] Scott Mou



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