FEATURED NEW RELEASES
Voxtrot
Josephine Foster
Halleluja Chicken Run Band
Calexico
Tom Moulton (Compilation)
Growing
Built to Spill
Pablo Gad
Keith Fullerton Whitman
Wilderness
Bobby Womack
Brian Eno & David Byrne
Kaito

The Stuff That Dreams Are Made of (Various)
Pretty Girls Make Graves
Nathan Fake

BACK IN STOCK
Feathers (Available on CD)
Lavender Diamond

DOMESTIC PRESSING
Wire (First three albums)

COMPLETE LIST OF THIS WEEK'S NEW ARRIVALS

VOXTROT
Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives
(Cult Hero)

"Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives"

Voxtrot are primed for a world take-over. Or at least a Fader cover story. With only one previous EP to their name, these hailing popsters from Austin, TX have managed to become one of the most blogged about and debate-inspiring success stories of the year. Sure, the band's unforgettable sweat (nay, swoon)-filled live shows have helped raise their stock higher than real-estate prices in Soho, but the brand new Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives EP proves these guys deliver on wax just as well. Sporting a beefier, more orchestrated production than on last year's Raised By Wolves EP, Voxtrot sound invigorated by all of the success thus far; which is not to say they're breaking any new ground with their sound, hell, even the demure black and white album art seems derivative of the Smiths. That said, when you can pen a jangle-crazed, reverb-drenched X-chromosome rave-up as addictive as "Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives," or a cut like the carefree "Four Long Days," which I might've mistook for a Belle and Sebastian B-side had I not known better, originality should be the least of these guys' worries...they're about to be stars. [HG]

"An Die Musik"

"Wehmut"

Even in this day where so many popular musicians are fixated on the past, Josephine Foster shines as a singular voice, standing in the small, good company of Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom. Foster, who to these ears brings to mind Shirley Collins or an operatic Vashti Bunyan, has always succeeded in taking the listener to another time and place, while most of her contemporaries merely pay tribute to folkies and songbirds of a long-gone era. Over the course of a few short years and a couple of albums, she's brought us reinterpretations of American and British folk traditionals, pagan avant-folk, and a whole album of acid rock which could have been borne from the hippie days of Haight-Ashbury. Most striking, however, is this new record on which Foster now turns her attention to German songs from the 19th century by composers such as Schubert and Brahms, with lyrics derived from the works of writers like Goethe, Mörike and Eichendorf. A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing is a beautifully romantic set, her arrestingly sparse guitar and piano arrangements transporting us some 200 or so years back. Strangely, the occasional ghostly strain of Brian Goodman's electric guitar doesn't seem out of place, cementing the fact that these songs do in fact have a place in the 2006. The centerpiece, however, is Foster's timeless, haunting warble which seems perfectly fitted for these reinterpretations. [GH]

"Mudzimu Ndiringe"

"Ngoma Yarira"

The second release in the Analog Africa series features the first take of music from the Hallelujah Chicken Run Band, an ensemble led by guitarist Lovemore Nyabenzi, with Thomas Mapfumo on vocals, among many others. Originally formed to entertain workers in the Mangura Copper Mines (with some financial backing from the mine company's chairman), HCRB spent many years throughout the '70s touring as a contest band, and they were also the backing group for a slew of inspired singers. Combining talented musicians from across the continent, the ensemble brought a multi-origin mix of African styles and rhythms together, creating a heated and pulsing brew of trance-inducing high life. The key to their sound lies in the mix of electric mbira (thumb piano) and guitar; the amplified strings and the loop and shift of the metal percussion interlock with the bass, vocals and drums, forming a tightly woven stride and groove. A fine selection of high life and rumba styles, I can't wait for the seasonal African markets to open throughout the streets of New York; this will definitely be playing in my headphones. [DG]

"Panic Open String"

"Roka"

Calexico's patented brand of south-of-the-border indie-pop has slowly evolved over the years, from a humble side-project of Joey Burns and John Convertino's work as players with Giant Sand, Neko Case and others, to an ambitious and highly acclaimed group incorporating elements of Mariachi, honkey-tonk and Morricone spaghetti-western atmospherics into a lovely and original sound all their own. Perhaps it was their hugely successful recent collaboration with Iron and Wine that set Burns' songwriting in a new direction, but this new album strips away many of the thrilling yet limiting instrumental flourishes that often define Calexico, and focuses instead on strong, straightforward songwriting. There are, of course, still touches of brass, keys and pedal steel to flesh out the sound but the crux of these tunes is Burns' warm and welcoming voice. Evoking at various times Richard Buckner, Elliott Smith or maybe even Uncle Tupelo, Calexico has made what could be a breakthrough album for them, subtly incorporating all the elements that their fans adore with stronger production and simpler ideas, and have perhaps launched a new phase in a long and storied career. [JM]

TOM MOULTON
A Tom Moulton Mix
(Soul Jazz)

"You've Got the Power" Camouflage

"More, More, More" Andrea True Connection

"Won't You Try" Udell

Tom Moulton grew up as a soul lovin' white boy from Indiana and after a short stint in the music industry, he ended up making a living as a male model in New York City in the early-'70s. After attending a party in Fire Island, he realized that there was a burgeoning crossover soul scene developing amongst the elite white gay community on the dancefloor, but he noticed one simple problem: the songs were not long enough to dance to. So Moulton created a 45 minute dance mix on reel-to-reel, and gave it to a Fire Island disco. It was after a frantic phone call from the owner, claiming that his mixtape was causing a near riot in the club, that he knew he had hit upon something. Moulton began asking record companies for instrumental versions of songs so that he could make the tracks longer in length. His first assignment was to reedit BT Express' "Do It 'til You're Satisfied"...and the rest is history.

When talking about the history of dance music, especially early New York City club culture, there are a lot of disputed stories about who did what first and where. But when it comes to Tom Moulton, there is no argument about the major influence his productions and mixes had, not only on '70s disco but all dance music that was produced after him, no matter what the style. Some scholars like to say that he invented the remix, which could be valid, but I'm not sure that I completely agree; after all, Moulton wasn't interested in deconstructing and turning the tune into something completely different from the original. What he did do with his extended disco mixes, however, was create a new musical template specifically designed for the dancefloor, but he was always interested in the song first. Moulton could hear things in a song that no one else could, and he would accentuate whatever made a particular track great, and extend that part to create maximum dancefloor effect. He would do this by any means. He would ask for instrumentals of the sessions and separate the rhythm tracks, and shockingly enough, he would minimize or even get rid of the vocals completely if he felt that it was the weakest link. But mainly what he focused on was drums. If you notice anything about a Moulton production, it's that the backbeat is HUGE and pronounced.

His quest for the perfect drum sound led him to invent the 12-inch single, I kid you not. Moulton asked his engineer to make him a 7-inch test pressing of a single he was working on, but the engineer only had 10-inch blanks. After pressing up the single and hearing how huge the sounds were when coming from the spread grooves, he realized that with a 12-inch you could get an even louder more detailed sound and the rest is...well, you know.

In any case, this is a collection of some of Moulton's tightest and rarest reedits and productions. Any passing fan of funk, disco and rhythmic music had better pick this sucka up! Or else!!! [DH]

The vinyl version has been released in two separate volumes, each a double-LP set.

GROWING
Color Wheel
(Troubleman/Megablade)

With pastel-colored pencil explosions on a white background, the cover art gives it away: this is a less aggressive and ominous-sounding Growing. It's a move away from the suddenly fashionable metal-drone scene the Brooklyn duo is sometimes lumped in with, as Color Wheel showcases a band that just took a step out of a dimly lit practice space straight into the ether. There are still enough thundering infernos and colliding icebergs on here to please the noise dudes but more space to breathe for the rest of us, and a wider variety of instruments, hinting more at an Eno-esque Zen-like state than the sound of a thousand jet planes crashing through your living room. Awesome, in the original sense of the word. [AK]

BUILT TO SPILL
You in Reverse
(Warner)

"Goin' Against Your Mind"

"Liar"

Five years in the making, Built to Spill's incredible new record, You in Reverse, is far better than any logic would deem it should be. I mean after you've made three arguable masterpieces (There's Nothing Wrong with Love, Perfect from Now On and Keep It Like a Secret), and your band has been kicking around for over a decade, it's just safe to assume that the creative well is going to run dry sooner or later. Plus, all the warning signs were there during the making of You in Reverse that this would indeed be BTS' first serious misstep: choosing not work with longtime BTS producer Phil Ek to instead produce the record themselves, reportedly building each of the songs out of never-ending live jams (!), release dates getting pushed back time and time again. Thankfully, the album sounds far better than any of this early message board-fodder would imply.

From the get-go, Built to Spill sound reinvigorated. The record's Stratocaster-chugging, tube-screamer-charged opener, "Goin' Against Your Mind" is the most unlabored and straight up rawking the band has sounded in ages. If there was some way to split the difference between the calculated genius of Perfect from Now On and marry it to the off-the-cuff wacky idiosyncrasies of There's Nothing Wrong with Love, the group has nailed it. And it doesn't end after track one. "Conventional Wisdom" is pure seething slacker indie-rock circa '92. The kind of thing the term "indie" used to signify before...well...I'm not quite sure what, but before it started to signify MySpace, American Apparel ads, New York Magazine cover stories, and dudes playing banjos singing songs about States. And yet, even when BTS choose to stretch their wings here they don't miss; the album's closer, "The Wait," might be the first Built to Spill song to get all King Tubby on our asses, and it's all the better for it. Like "Car," "Carry the Zero," and "Fly Around My Pretty Little Mess," "The Wait" is another BTS classic from an album that was definitely worth the wait--don't let the horrendous cover art fool you. [HG]

PABLO GAD
Hard Times
(Soul Village)

"Sad Mistake"

"Oh Jah"

Pablo Gad is one of the more outspoken and militant vocalist of UK's reggae scene, with the classic Hard Times as his calling card. Tough, quick and sharp steppers-style rhythms hold down the foundation for Pablo to spin his tales of downpression. Self-produced in 1980 for the Reggae on Top label, this reissue seems to be the bulk of his output, small but by no means less significant as heavy riddims abound. With no shortage of killer tracks, great vocalizing and crispy production capture the sound of England during the late-'70s and early-'80s with ease. Think of Dennis Bovell or Bunny Wailer at their best. Recommended. [DG]

KEITH FULLERTON WHITMAN
Lisbon
(Kranky)

"Recorded in Lisbon"

Every musician who has ever set music to tape talks about the "one that got away." From the tape running out to a mechanical malfunction to forgetting to hit 'record,' it's something to think about with every live album. What if another night elsewhere had been recorded instead? In the case of Keith Fullerton Whitman, as he toured Europe in late 2005, melding his guitar work to a series of gradual electronic permutations, he was rapidly refining and expanding certain areas of sound. As his testimony claims, one night in Lisbon it all came together and--to borrow a turn of phrase from longtime jammers, the Allman Brothers--he was hitting the note. At 41-minutes in a single track, this bears more than structural similarities to Christian Fennesz's Live in Japan disc from a few years back. The guitar is there as foundation, but it quickly has every characteristic turned inside out, distended at will. The first third of this set is pure toned bliss, KFW crafting and elucidating the shape with gentle movements. As it evolves, the sound gradually expands to a lovely crescendo of fuzz and bass. Evoking those side-long explorations taken by our electronic forefathers, it's Whitman's most refined set yet. [AB]

WILDERNESS
Vessel States
(Jagjaguwar)

"Last"

"Beautiful Alarms"

If I had played this on vinyl, I might have thought this was PiL on the wrong speed. That's not necessarily a bad thing as this is Wilderness whom we are speaking of. The resulting amalgamation of their second album, Vessel States, puts the breaks on the usual post-punk comparisons--there are no funky rhythms with distorted yet accessible guitar licks. Instead singer James Johnson's deep, strangling vocals sprawl over dark, ornamental guitar lines and sparse bass. Drums punctuate the dirge, adding some solid bits to nod your head to. Factory Records comparisons come to mind, but more in the Durutti Column starkness rather than Joy Division's immediacy, especially on the jangly "Beautiful Alarms." Then, maybe add some late-'80s atmospherics a la the Cure's "Fascination Street," and the skeleton of an epic Godspeed You Black Emperor song (as heard on the keyboard-led "Gravity Bent Light"). Similarities aside, Wilderness has something unique and heady amidst all the other dark art rock bands; they're not trying to be hook-laden or danceable. And those vocals--you either love them or hate them. [LG]

Understanding/
Communication
$16.99 CD






The Womack Live/Safety Zone
$16.99 CD

BOBBY WOMACK
Understanding / Communication
(EMI / Stateside Import)

"Women's Gotta Have It"

"(If You Don't Want My Love) Give It Back"

The career rollercoaster of R&B singer and guitarist Bobby Womack took him through the expected highs and lows of a man in the spotlight (and behind it) throughout the revolutionary and perilous times of the '60s and '70s. A journeyman musician who became a member of Sam Cooke's backing band, his song "It's All Over Now" was covered by the Rolling Stones early in his career; when Cooke died under suspicious circumstances, and when Womack married his widow a mere three months after, the music community turned its back on him. Eventually retreating to session work, Womack's guitar playing backed Aretha Franklin, Joe Tex, and dozens of other stars on late-'60s recordings, before he worked with Janis Joplin on Pearl and Sly Stone on There's a Riot Goin' On. Throughout, he took steps to resurrect a once-promising solo career, releasing a string of successful albums in the '70s. In recent times, the best-known of these was his soundtrack for the film Across 110th St., which Quentin Tarantino borrowed from for his Jackie Brown. This series of import reissues stands to reintroduce Womack's stirring soul music to modern audiences.

Understanding / Communication reprises his first two albums cut for United Artists, both tangibly pent-up releases for the years Womack spent trying to get over. It's clear how well Womack had absorbed influences from all the musicians he had worked with--from James Brown to Wilson Pickett--and how naturally he incorporated significant blues, gospel, and country styles where appropriate. These albums fortify a career steeped in '60s soul crooning with fiery determination, his raspy holler and snarling leads holding down forceful stompers such as the Mooged-out "I Can Understand It" and "Simple Man," and aching ballads like "That's the Way I Feel About Cha" and "(If You Don't Want My Love) Give It Back." Naturally, these records are fleshed out with plenty of popular covers of the day, some better than others, but the positives far outstrip the negatives here. The Womack "Live" / Safety Zone collects a serviceable 1970 concert album (embellished by fake applause) and a superior 1975 effort, riding high when many of his contemporaries were falling off. Womack succeeds in strides towards funk, reggae, and disco arrangements without missing a beat, culminating in the ballad "Daylight," where the hard-partying artist laments finding a way out of the trappings of nightlife and partying. It's upbeat, but the weariness in his voice in unmistakable, one of a man who's done the Walk of Shame one too many times. Overall, these releases should satisfy anyone looking for authentic, passionate soul music or in-the-pocket breaks, reopening a chapter of dusty musical history for today. [DM]

BRIAN ENO & DAVID BYRNE
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
(Nonesuch)

"Regiment"

"New Feet"

As we've watched the entire back catalog of Eno get remastered and the Talking Heads put into both boxsets and onto dual discs, we've kept wondering where the synergetic Eno-Byrne collaboration My Life in the Bush of Ghosts went to. Wondering no more, this early-'80s classic of sample-heavy East-meets-West electro funk is finally back in print, as pliant and crisp as we remember it. Imagined as a fake documentary of a foreign culture, creating their own 'forged' tribal music and taking a title from the Amos Tutuola paperback, Eno and Byrne get to work out ideas aside from those that emerged on the Heads' Remain in Light. While in the producer's chair for any number of bands, Eno's own work had abandoned vocals altogether by this point, so it's intriguing to hear the approach of using found vocals of religious zealots, talk radio evangelists, and whatnot, chopping them up and putting them back into a stew stirred by contributions from Bill Laswell, Chris Frantz, and others. There are also seven bonus tracks and the ability to make your own edits of two tracks, though you won't soon find their diced-up "Qu'ran" here. Who knew that 20 years on, this album would be so prescient, in that these same wackos once only heard at the far end of the dial are now running things? [AB]

KAITO
Hundred Million Light Years
(Kompakt)

"Natural Source"

"Nobody Could Be Alone"

Damn. Either Kaito is like Jandek and actually IS that kid on the cover of all his records, or he just f**kin' loves that kid!! (Obviously, it's his son or something...) Anyway, Kaito has been turning his feel-good minimal trance formula inside-out for the past few releases and he's showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. Hundred Million Light Years is expansive, gentle minimal trance that trades some of his usual Göttsching-esque interwoven arpeggiated melodies for rising clouds of melodic drone that just lets the soft beat drive through as it climbs ever higher. In other words, this album has much more of a floaty, ambient quality without sacrificing its lift and gentle propulsion. [SM]

VARIOUS ARTISTS
The Stuff That Dreams Are Made of
(Yazoo)

The dreams referred to in the title are of a rarified sort, although I imagine quite a few of you have had them over the years. The hilarious Robert Crumb drawing that graces the cover of this beautiful 2-CD set, packaged in great tri-fold DVD-style box, says it all: a graying, skinny, sweaty record fanatic in his room, pulling "the dead sea scrolls of record collecting" from the mail "at last, after forty years, it's mine…look at the luster of those grooves!". Yazoo has collected 45 ultra-rare and classic early blues and old-time country tracks, mostly culled from impossible-to-find 78s or never-issued masters (including two never released Son House tracks!). The set magnificently walks the line between obscurity and accessibility, with a trove of treats for collectors that will also thrill the casual listener. You can make your life's work pursuing these rare birds and break the bank in the process…or let Yazoo do the work for you, and sleep the night in peace. Sweet dreams… [JM]

PRETTY GIRLS MAKE GRAVES
Élan Vital
(Matador)

"The Nocturnal House"

"Domino"

Following up their 2003 breakthrough The New Romance, Pretty Girls Make Graves' third full-length marks another distinctive shift for these Seattle indie rockers. Replacing second guitarist Nathan Thalen with keyboardist Leona Marrs, the band's songs seem more concentrated with each instrument being a deliberate piece of the musical puzzle. While P.G.M.G. have never been a one trick pony, this less-is-more approach allows the group to build upon their post-punk, hardcore and riot grrrl influences rather than simply regurgitate them, and brings the mighty rhythm section to the forefront. Perhaps enabled by producer Colin Stewart, from dubbed-out opener "The Nocturnal House," in which Marrs' melodica floats above the jagged echoes of J Clark's guitar, to the disco-fied "Domino," you can feel the band embracing a new sense of experimentation. Even vocalist Andrea Zollo has toned down her Poly Styrene-adopted spitfire wail for a little more melody without sacrificing any dramatic urgency in her delivery. Not necessarily a radical reinvention, Élan Vital is a refocused effort that may equate to less t-shirt sales for the band at Hot Topic, but will be another favorite for longtime fans who would never admit to having shopped there oh so many years ago in the first place. [GH]

NATHAN FAKE
Drowning in a Sea of Love
(Border Community)

"Long Sunny"

"Charlie's House"

Nathan Fake is "sowing the seeds of love" with his new album, Drowning in a Sea of Love, by taking a slight detour from the minimal techno of his Traum releases and doing a melodic IDM record. Of all of the trends in electronica over the last eight years, two of the most common would be the "sounds like Boards of Canada" trend and the shoegazing influence of My Bloody Valentine. Nathan Fake brings them both together to make a "My Boards of Canada Valentine" instrumental electronica album. Slow, dreamy, slightly catchy beatscapes bounce along and open up into sweet, gently surging "laptop-gaze". [SM]

"Silverleaves in the Air of Starseedlings"

"Old Black Hat with a Dandelion Flower"

Released last year exclusively on vinyl, Devendra Banhart and Andy Cabic's Gnomonsong label has just issued Feathers' eponymous debut on CD. What drew me to this record weren't the floppy hats, wind catchers or flowers strewn about this cover, especially since I'm still baffled by this whole avant-folk, neo-folk, or whatever-you-call-it movement. I wanted to hear some psychedelic sounds, guitars, and good songwriting. The Feathers self-titled LP pretty much delivers. Mellow, acoustic guitar reigns on this six-song album, reminiscent of Vashti Bunyan on "Ulna," and Fairport Convention on the meatier "Ibez Horn," where lots of acoustic guitars and flute struggle amidst sitar drones and other strange noises. Pretty, but not too delicate and trippy enough to keep it interesting. [LG]

"You Broke My Heart"

The brilliant debut EP by Los Angeles-based folk-pop ensemble Lavender Diamond has finally reached New York. They've been steadily garnering attention on the West Coast for a little while now, having reportedly stolen the show at last year's Arthur Fest. The opening song on this EP is so good, I'm not surprised; Cavalry of Light is easily the most infectious concoction these ears have heard in a good long while. The premise is simple: just have the lovely voice of singer Rebecca Starck repeat the mantra "you broke my heart" for a full two-thirds of the song over a steadily rising battery of bells, piano, and acoustic guitars, which then breaks into a glorious crescendo followed by emotionally engaging text about things like light and love. It's about 10 times better than I could hope to possibly make it sound here and it has practically restored my faith in the power of the single. The remaining three tunes are quite lovely and will make you feel very glad to be living in a Vashti Bunyan-influenced era. [MK]

Pink Flag
$15.99 CD





Chairs Missing
$15.99 CD





154
$15.99 CD

WIRE
Pink Flag - Original Masters
(Pink Flag)

WIRE
Chairs Missing - Original Masters
(Pink Flag)

WIRE
154 - Original Masters
(Pink Flag)

Wire's first three albums are the perfect art-punk trifecta, documenting the band's startling transition over the short course of a couple of years--from the brainy-punk of their '77 debut full-length, Pink Flag, to the more experimental pop territory of the latter two. Finally reissued domestically, each album has been remastered from the original tapes and each sounds as vital today as when first released.

THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS

[AB] Adrian Burkholder
[LG] Lisa Garrett
[DG] Daniel Givens
[HG] Hartley Goldstein
[GH] Gerald Hammill
[DH] Duane Harriott
[MK] Michael Klausman
[AK] Andreas Knutsen
[JM] Josh Madell
[DM] Doug Mosurock
[SM] Scott Mou


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