NEW RELEASES
Skygreen Leopards (CD-EP)
Vashti Bunyan
Animal Collective (Single)
Cult Cargo (Various Artists)
Prince Far I
Antony & the Johnsons (CD-EP)
Peter Brötzmann & Han Bennink
Fiery Furnaces
Susumu Yokota & Rothko

Rogue Wave
Mick Harvey
John Luther Adams
Horace Andy
Jana Hunter


DOMESTIC PRESSING
Colder

"Jehovah I Surrender"

"Play for the Spring"

More hazy technicolor daydreams from the Jewelled Antler collective, except this time fortified with electricity and structure. Donovan Quinn and Glenn Donaldson deliver another stoned psych picnic, still perfectly loose and lazy but in shape of actual pop songs, heavy on the fuzz and with drums that reverberate like empty trashcans rolling down a hill. The great thing about all the Skygreen Leopards releases is that they come across as if everything could fall apart at any moment, without sounding purposely ramshackle.

The six songs on Jehovah Surrender (the opening "Jehovah I Surrender" and "Julie-Anne, Patron of Thieves," in particular) are beautiful golden brown and fading yellow snapshots, with the mesmerizing and haunting quality of a late summer sunset. As far as more tangible references go, this might sit somewhere between the new Animal Collective and Silver Jews albums, and I couldn't recommend it more if I tried. [AK]

"Here Before"

"Same but Different"

The early-21st century has brought us countless music makers who are shunning the shiny technology of this new millennium, instead embracing the same pastoral ruminations of a bygone era which Vashti Bunyan's British folk masterpiece Just Another Diamond Day also reflected. So after all this time, I'm not even sure if you can call Lookaftering a proper follow-up, but Bunyan's first album in 35 years still feels like a record that would have been next in line in her discography. It's a beautiful juxtaposition that her wistful music would find a place in these days of Internet, iPods and smart bombs.

Chances are, you're already well aware of her back-story, but for the uninitiated: In 1965, Rolling Stones manager/producer Andrew Loog Oldham arranged for the English singer (who had recently left art school) to record a Jagger/Richards penned single. The song was released to very little fanfare and Bunyan temporarily "retired" from music to embark on a two-year journey by covered wagon to the Island of Skye, where she hoped to join Donovan's new colony; the Hurdy Gurdy man had left by the time she arrived. She would find herself in a London studio once again in 1968, this time working with producer Joe Boyd, and with a little help from contributors like Incredible String Band's Robin Williamson and Fairport Convention's Dave Swarbrick and Simon Nicol. The album, Just Another Diamond Day, would go unnoticed as well, and subsequently, Bunyan turned her attention to more important matters like raising a family. It wasn't until the late-'90s that a search on the Internet revealed a cult of fans and critics in love with her only, and at the time, impossible to find album--a growing list that would eventually include Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom and Animal Collective--the latter whom released an EP of new recordings earlier this year featuring Bunyan as the vocalist.

Placed amongst recent releases from Banhart, Newsom (both of whom make appearances on this album) and countless other members of today's neo-folk pack, Bunyan still shines as their guiding light. Produced by Max Richter, Lookaftering is beautifully put together, with light flourishes of strings and horns (from Nick Drake's arranger Robert Kirby), piano, harmonium (performed by Adem) and hammer dulcimer (played by Mice Parade's Adam Pierce). Like JADD, there's a lullaby quality to every piece, with Bunyan's softly picked guitar and her beautiful whisper voice--which sounds as lovely as ever--being the soul of each song. While Lookaftering includes much of the same rich imagery of her last record, her poetic storytelling is filled with more personal references that reflect her journey through adulthood. I'm sure to her, it seems that a lifetime has passed between her two albums, especially considering that many of today's fans weren't even born when Just Another Diamond Day was released. While I'd guess that she would have continued making records following her one seminal album, music making didn't--fortunately or not--turn into a career. Instead, here is a talent who, after motherhood, a brother's death, and so many more life stories, has come back to a place she left years ago: a place where music can be magical again, all the while holding onto, and sharing, wisdoms and experiences of which her followers may, or may not, one day tap into so beautifully and poignantly as she has. [GH]

"Fickle Cycle"

One week after the release of Animal Collective's latest album Feels, their new single hits our store's shelves. The title track is much denser and electric than Sung Tong's breezy acoustics, but still full of the Collective's unmistakably playful melodies. "Grass" is backed with two non-album songs, the lysergic "Must Be Treeman" and live favorite, "Fickle Cycle."

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Cult Cargo: Belize City Boil Up
(Numero)

"The Same Old Me" The Web

"The Back Stabbers" The Professionals

"Theme from the Godfather" The Professionals

The Numero Group label has put together some of the best compilations and reissues in recent memory, including Eccentric Soul and Yellow Pills, and this new collection is another success. Cult Cargo: Belize City Boil Up is mostly comprised of 45s released by Contemporary Electronic Systems, a Belizean home security company and record label founded in the mid-1960s. The scene in Belize was influenced by music from the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean, particularly funk, R&B soul, and reggae. None of the tracks on here are really a fusion of all three styles, but there are some seriously incredible songs representing each genre, from the Latin funk of Jesus Acosta's "Guajira," to the mellow psychedelic soul of the Professionals' "A Part of Being with You," and Lord Rhaburn's infectious "More Love Reggae." There's even a song by a Belizean expatriate folk singer who lived in London, and amazing covers of "Theme from the Godfather" and the disco classic "Shame, Shame, Shame." Featuring something for just about everyone, Cult Cargo is not to be missed. [RH]

"Gimme"

"Silver & Gold"

Following up their welcome return with the Willi Williams set, Blood & Fire collect Prince Far I a/k/a/ the Voice of Thunder, Cry Cry, the Vincent Price of reggae. Drawing from singles released on his own Cry-Tuff label, they pre-date his Virgin years and the bonkers Cry Tuff Dub Encounters (but parallel some of his work with producer Joe Gibbs). The gruff, tuff sides here show how Far I growls like some Old Testament dictum, with excellent bass rumbles and some thunderous versions beneath throughout. Call it Jahovah dub. [AB]

"You Are My Sister"

With I Am a Bird Now recently awarded Britain's prestigious Mercury Prize, it's almost hard to believe that Antony and the Johnsons were one of New York's best kept secrets five years ago, playing their first residency at Joe's Pub. (For further proof, witness Antony's national television performance last week on Late Night with David Letterman.) The title-track of this four-song EP, the same song he performed on Letterman, is one of I Am a Bird Now's highlights, a slow, cabaret-styled number and one of the most memorable vocal duets in recent time, with Boy George's heart-break voice wonderfully complimenting Antony's sad vibrato. The three additional tracks, unreleased until now, were recording during the making of I Am a Bird Now and are far from filler. As always, Antony's vocals pack an emotional wallop, supported by his Johnsons who sculpt a beautiful soundtrack infused with gospel, klezmer and chamber pop. [GH]

"Nr.7"

"Nr. 18"

The older I get, the more I appreciate Peter Brötzmann. At first, like any other rock and roll kid, I was attracted to the pulverizing assault of works like Machine Gun, etc. Now, however, I'm beginning to see the human side of his music. I've also been enjoying a seasoned reassessment of his canon lately, so this reissue couldn't have come at a better time. Schwarzwaldfahrt was one of those FMP dates I couldn't quite commit to hunting down on LP due to its often nosebleed-inducing price tag. I was, however, aware of its story, which is a good one. In the mid-'70s, Brötzmann, Bennink, and their varying associates played a number of shows in towns such as Loerrach and Villingen. Along the way, they would often pass through Germany's Black Forest and one day it occurred to them to record some duet sessions alone in the woods. That they decided to do this toward the end of winter was an especially interesting decision given that 20°F is a seasonal average high for the region. (Yes, I looked that up.) Anyway, they borrowed some mics and a tape recorder, packed some horns, and hit the road. Bennink, it should be noted, left his kit at home, choosing instead to use the Earth itself as his instrument--something that anyone who's seen him perform live knows he's more than capable of doing. The results of this effort are both exactly what you'd expect and pleasantly surprising. Sure, there's enough squeaking and skronking for nine Sun Ra records and Bennink sticks largely to that thing he does where he alternates between 16th and 32nd notes--a sort of quasi-drum roll over whatever surfaces happen to be nearby--but one also hears birds, running water, and any number of other naturally occurring sounds of the landscape. Let's face it, European free jazz of the order discussed here can sometimes sound cold and detached. Hearing it in this manner really drives home the fact that, at the end of the day, this was (and is!) music performed by two living, breathing mammals in conversation with one another…the very sound of life. Note: This reissue includes an additional hour-long CD of unreleased material from this session. [BB]

"The Wayward Granddaughter"

"The Garfield El"

What's the sound of the Fiery Furnaces going overboard the Blueberry Boat? How about a radio play? Not far enough out for you? How about if they enlisted the help of their granny Olga Sarantos to spin this complex and oft-times fascinating tale? Her voice gets echoed by Eleanor in a young-old dichotomy, with Matt handling most of the musical duties. The result is a story of exuberance and regret, of the old world being replaced by the brand-new, generations separated by linear time, but overlaid and echoed here. For those that dug the intricacies of BB's storytelling, Rehearsing will really have even more to digest here. Or it'll at least hold everyone over until their next rock record appears early next year. [AB]

"Deep in Mist"

"Brook and Burn"

The thought of Susumu Yokota and Rothko collaborating brings good things to mind: long, expansive textures, slow post-rock and warm drones sparsely decorated with delicate electro-acoustic bits that sound like a field during Indian Summer. What we get contains those elements, but in the end, Distant Sounds of Summer is a bit more varied than expected. The first track is surprisingly obvious romantic trip-hop, with female vocal bits; it only serves to defy our expectations. The second, "Waters Edge," is more subdued and rewards our optimism; it starts off with a typically sweet, chime-y and pastoral Yokota loop, with patterned voices set alongside occasional piano stabs that build into more active melodies. Track 3, "Path Fades into Forest," begins with acoustic guitar and warm rumbling bass notes that introduce a rimshot drum pattern, accented with minimal house rhythms that pick up and groove along with guitar notes woven in. Track 4, "Lit by Moonlight," is moody jazz/minimal post-rock that sports a nice Yokota bass loop and cavernous guitar notes a la Dif Juz. Both track 4 and 9 are good examples of what the two can create together: Tortoise-Rococo Rot in a really good way. Tracks 5, 8 and 10 introduce female vocals that have a very plain, mildly sultry, and almost soulful indie feel at times, but at best just adding vocalization underneath the sounds. The vocals sometimes work, and sometimes don't, but they ultimately cannot detract from the overall quality of this collaboration. [SM]

"Bird on a Wire"

"Publish My Love"

Rogue Wave's 2004 debut, Out of the Shadow, was by and large a solo album by the band's singer-songwriter Zach Rogue, a sweet, melancholic, and joyful pop confection that earned high praise from fans of the Shins, the New Pornographers, and the rest of the '60s-pop dreamers. Rogue took the show on the road with a flesh and blood rock band behind him, and the new album that the group recorded after months on the road showcases his delicate melodies and subtle arrangements as interpreted by these collaborators, adding power and depth while maintaining Rogue's original vision. The single "10:1" may rock harder than anything on the first record, with distorted vocals, a driving organ swell, and a total rock and roll meltdown at the finish line, and it does reflect the heavier tone of Descended Like Vultures. But throughout, this is a sensitive and varied record, and Rogue still intersperses quiet acoustic numbers and restrained orchestration with the more propulsive keyboard-and-electric-guitar rockers. A lovely and intimate album, only strengthened by Rogue's newfound co-conspirators. [JM]

MICK HARVEY
One Man's Treasure
(Mute)

"Hank Williams Said It Best"

"Man without a Home"

I am rarely disappointed by an ex-members-of project from people of Birthday Party, Crime and City Solution, and the Bad Seeds. This album, Mick Harvey's first solo record in nearly eight years, is definitely one of my favorites--along with Rowland S. Howard's record Teenage Snuff Film. With One Man's Treasure, Harvey establishes himself not only as prolific composer but brilliant songwriter, with a heartbreaking, devastating, and exalting selection of covers (including Tim Buckley and Lee Hazlewood) and originals. Intoxicating and intricate like his arrangements with the Bad Seeds and Birthday Party, this is a stellar album, perfect for the imminent winter solstice...gorgeous like Scott Walker, dark and lilting like Nick Cave, and epic in the vein of Jarvis Cocker or Richard Hawley. Recommended. [MT]

JOHN LUTHER ADAMS
Strange and Sacred Noise
(Mode)

"...Dust into Dust..."

"Triadic Iteration Lattices"

Strange and Sacred Noise, a cycle of compositions for percussion quartet, was written in 1997 by prominent contemporary minimalist John Luther Adams. A lifelong resident of Alaska, Adams claims the aural landscape of the Alaskan wilderness as a major influence on his composing style. These pieces were inspired partly by a camping trip on the Yukon River, where the composer was surrounded by "the sounds of the great river breaking free from the frozen stillness of winter... the delicate glass tones of candle ice swimming in a whirlpool, the intricate arpeggios of meltwater dripping, and the ominous rumbling and grinding of icebergs." Masterfully performed by the Percussion Ensemble Cincinnati, which has previously recorded some of John Cage's material for Mode Records, the Sacred Noise cycle is stark, repetitive, and intentionally emotionless. The individual works, which are dedicated to Conlon Nancarrow, Peter Garland, Edgar Varese, Alvin Lucier, and Morton Feldman, are performed on snare, field, tam-tam, tom-tom, and bass drums, air-raid sirens, marimbas, vibraphones, crotales, and orchestra bells. Adams has spent time studying chaos theory and fractal geometry, both of which inform the simple, symmetrical structures of his music. With at least a couple of long passages that are ambient nearly to the point of silence, this is the kind of album that you really have to sit down and pay attention to, but it definitely rewards a close listen. [RH]

HORACE ANDY
Exclusively
(Wackies)

"Stop the Fuss"

"Eating Mess"

If you haven't heard Horace Andy's sweet angelic voice alilt on either his own fine reggae records or on Massive Attack's, you don't know what you're missing. Even fans will get a treat out of this reverent early-'80s session (around the same time as his Dance Hall Style.) Cut with New York's Bullwackies killer crew, it pays homage to recently-departed Bob and uplifts with positive vibes. "Live in the City" is especially rugged, bidding dreads to persevere in the face of oppression. And be sure to peep Andy's creamy white cover digs. [AB]

"Restless"

"Farm, Ca."

This is Jana Hunter's debut album after some dribs and drabs including a recent split EP with Devendra Banhart, who loved her so much he went ahead and signed her to the new label that he's running with Mr. Vetiver. Dense and difficult singer-songwriter fare, as dark and dreary as the title would suggest. Hunter veers from a classic blues-woman wail to more abstract styling that almost approaches the sound of a less "free" Jandek, with simple and measured guitar and lost, lonely poetry. [JM]

"Wrong Baby"

"To the Music"

I always thought the Joy Division comparisons given to Colder's debut album, Again, were way overused, but when the stiff, chugging drum intro that kicks off Heat's opener, "Wrong Baby," leads to a percussive-picked bassline, I can't help but think of "She's Lost Control." Only here, Marc Nguyen Tan's ghostly, understated vocals are more Alan Vega than Ian Curtis. (You'll hear even more apparent Suicide influences a few songs later in the mechanical pulse and the dark melody of "Downtown.") In the track that follows, the tight angular funk of "Losing Myself" doesn't really move forward, but more so, hovers in place, no doubt inspired by Can rhythm-makers Jaki Liebezeit and Holger Czukay. Yes, the reference points of Again and Heat are mostly the same, but they are clearly two different albums. "To the Music" is driven by a punchy bass, and is much more propulsive than anything off of Colder's debut. In "Tonight," Tan's dark dub turns downright funky, while the eerie "Your Face" is made even more haunting by the spooky swirl of an organ. If anything, Heat seems to be more organic than its predecessor, with the presence of more live instruments rubbing against the electronic production. Indeed, Marc Nguyen Tan adeptly walks that fine artistic line, producing a record that retains the same icy visions of his first Colder album, while offering subtle differences that will keep fans looking forward to the next. [GH]

THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS

[AB] Adrian Burkholder
[BB] Brandon Burke
[GH] Gerald Hammill
[RH] Rob Hatch-Miller
[AK] Andreas Knutsen
[JM] Josh Madell
[SM] Scott Mou
[MT] Mahssa Taghinia


THANKS FOR READING
- all of us at Other Music