FEATURED NEW RELEASES
Bird Show
Dudley Perkins
An Apple a Day (Various Artists)
Jay Dee
AFX
Gong
Fiery Furnaces
More Pressure: Straight to the Head
Sickoakes
Spank Rock
Honeybus
Klimek

Rosetta Hightower
Chris Harwood
Josh Ritter
Zanzibara 2 (Various Artists)
M.A.N.D.Y. (Get Physical DJ mix)

ALSO AVAILABLE
Voom Voom
Kalas

COMPLETE LIST OF THIS WEEK'S NEW ARRIVALS

"Field on Water"

"Greet the Morning"

The beginning of Lightning Ghost quietly announces itself with a slow fade-in of polyrhythmic handclaps, ticking clocks and soukous sounding guitar lines droning underneath a sleepy, atonal chorus of voices making observations like "You cannot separate the water from the wave." Actually, the opener ("Field of Water") brings to mind the first song off of This Heat's Deceit, a lulling, somnolent start that quickly switches to tightly wound fury using all means necessary. Only here, Ben Vida (who is also a member of Town & Country) continues his mysterious freefall--without the "fury"--into "Pilz," a track that evokes Robert Wyatt, post-rock and New Weird America all at once. But if I may digress, This Heat similarities seem quite apropos at a time where more and more bands are name-dropping these late-'70s boundary breakers in a quest to merit their over-conceptualized recordings.

While Bird Show's home recorded album draws on many of the same motifs as Deceit--world musics, electronic manipulations, tape collages, discordant vocals--Vida is far from mirroring the blueprint of This Heat's classic album. With the absence of almost all proper song structure, Lightning Ghost is free to wander, often going in many directions all at once. During "Seeds," strains of bagpipe and hypnotic, Henry Flynt-inspired saws of an electric fiddle hover over a mix of African rhythms and raga, and all but bury Vida's lethargic vocal melodies. In contrast, "First Path Through" and the title track draw from Teutonic soundscapes, the latter being pretty arrhythmic, its hand-percussion reminiscent of Popol Vuh's fusion of organic and electronic textures. "Greet the Morning" is probably the most straightforward track off the whole record, which really isn't saying much, as its spacey folk is as hazy as anything from Flying Saucer Attack. What makes Lightning Ghost standout, however, is that Vida's incorporation of minimalism, psychedelic folk, Krautrock and ethnic influences isn't forced, and while avant in the true sense of the word, his music isn't overtly academic or alienating. In this day and age where artists like Animal Collective, Jewelled Antler Collective and Black Dice are pushing boundaries while seeing their audiences grow, I can only hope the same for Bird Show. One of my favorite releases this year! [GH]

"Come Here My Dear"

"Testin' Me"

If James Brown is the hardest working man in show bizness, the just-as-funky Dudley Perkins is definitely one of the weirdest. He's finally back with a follow-up to his sleeper jam A Lil' Light, with Madlib at the controls once again (of course). But this time around, they create an ode to the funk-soul sound of their home state, California. Throughout, respect is paid to influences like Sly Stone, George Clinton, Marvin Gaye and Larry Graham (not to mention Prince--check the song "Dear God") in creatively original ways. The inspiration runs deep. On the track "Come Here My Dear", Perkins ever-so-slightly captures the mood of Gaye's 1978 divorce-themed album Here My Dear. "Expressions (2012 A.D)" is more upbeat, yet the song is still a personal outing, full of introspection and thoughtful lyrics, maintaining a strong, hopeful and wishful tread. He's still as leftfield as on the debut, yet against the new backdrop Perkins becomes a bit more accessible and you can tell that the "former rapper" feels more comfortable and secure in his original style of singing. Still filled with his odd harmonies and a fresh sound from Madlib, he's grown from outsider status to now an actual presence in the current state of American R&B. The second great new soul album in two weeks from Stones Throw, the other being from Georgia Anne Muldrow, who also happens to make a nicely timed appearance here on "Coming Home". [DG]

"Now and Again Rebecca" The U (Don’t) No Who

"Girl Next Door in a Mini Skirt" Iveys

After a three year wait, RPM has finally completed a follow-up to 94 Baker Street, a phenomenal anthology of rare, whimsical and catchy '60s pop treasures from the Beatles' Apple Publishing venture. An Apple a Day might actually be superior to its predecessor, and it definitely digs deeper into the company's storied vaults. There are lots of test pressings and demos on this CD, including four 2-track home recordings by the Iveys (later renamed Badfinger) that have never been released until now. Also included are versions of two songs written by George Alexander of Grapefruit, a truly great band that had a lot of songs on the prior collection. Alexander's "Charlotte Rose" is performed by Majority One while "Somebody's Turning on the People" is done by Goldrush, a one-off band put together by Terry Melcher for the soundtrack to the film Wild in the Streets. The movie's star Christopher Jones recorded the lead vocals, but Melcer's distinctive voice is prominently audible on the choruses. There are four great folk pop numbers by the duo of Gallagher & Lyle, who wrote songs for Apple recording artist Mary Hopkins, and also three absolutely incredible songs by the U (Don't) No Who. Two members of that group later relocated to France where they formed a great rock band called Bachdenkel and released a couple of LPs on Philips. There are tons of other great tracks by incredibly obscure groups like Mortimer, Turquoise, Jigsaw and Lace. Detailed liner notes by Beatles scholar Stefan Granados round out this practically perfect release. This disc easily lived up to my extraordinarily high expectations; I can't recommend it enough. [RH]

"Guitar"

It's hard to write about Jay Dee because inevitably no matter what you say about the guy, it will always be in the past tense. Crazy to think that the man who produced 15-year-old me's favorite jam (Pharcyde's "Runnin'") is no longer with us. It's also crazy to think that it was only one day before his death was announced that the dude released what in my mind was not only the dopest record of the year, but something of the beat-freaked masterpiece all his followers always knew he had in him. Donuts is still blowing my mind.

Inevitably, now that Jay's gone, people are gonna want to start filling out the Dilla sections of their sound libraries. The Official Jay Dee Instrumental Series: Unreleased Vol. 1 is a great place to start. I remember this record floating around a few years ago and I'm happy to see it available again, as it features eight typically amazing Dilla beats that, rumor has it, were made with guys like Busta and LL (!) in mind. If anything, these instrumentals compiled by Jay himself and the Platinum Pied Pipers' Waajeed catch Dilla in his "lounging with ?uestlove/I'm gonna make the world realize how dope A Love Movement really was" phase, and confirm that nobody could mix a hi-hat or snare drum more crisp than Jay. I think I may have even lost my keys in the bass on these tracks. Damn. Unreleased Instrumentals Vol. 1 is definitely one for the Jay Dee hardcores only, which at this point, really should be everyone. Limited Pressing!!! [HG]

AFX
Chosen Lords
(Rephlex)

"Fenix Funk 5"

"Batine Acid"

For those of us who had the Aphex Twin serve as our gateway drug into the pleasures of electronic music, the past near-decade has been trying on our devotions to the man. Prolific and utilizing more aliases than an FBI's Ten Most Wanted fugitive, post-Windowlicker Richard D. James got downright mute, at least until last year's twelve 12" set under his AFX guise called "Analord." Vinyl only, each disc flew out the store, proving the man's cult was intact. Now a 10-track "best of" of the series comes in a handy single disc package for the turntable-needy. No longer number-crunching with algorithms and hyper-complex cuts, Analord returned to the halycon days of early acid and analog-based techno. Lots of tracks, from "Reunion 2" to "Batine Acid," are based on simple handclaps and hi-hat snaps, but the man can't help but get tricky, weaving synth lines in and out of the mix in ever-ratcheting peaks. No longer concerned with being avant-garde, James reminds us that he's back to form regardless. [AB]

GONG
Magick Brother
(Charly Import)

"Glad to Sad to Say"

"Fable of a Fredfish & Hope You Feel O.K."

Although originally released in 1970 as a solo/duo album from Gong mainman Daevid Allen and partner Gilly Smyth, Magick Brother has come to be regarded as Gong's proper debut. Allen was already a fixture on the burgeoning hippie/improv scene in the UK and France, performing regularly as a solo artist, bandleader, and also with early versions of the Soft Machine with Kevin Ayers and Robert Wyatt. Although the Pot Head Pixie Trilogy has come to be seen by many as the essential Gong, Magick Brother clearly gives those later works, and really ANY early psychedelia, a run for the money. Comparisons to Pink Floyd's Piper at the Gates of Dawn are on point, with Allen's free-association wordplay and shambling pop aesthetic alternating with spacier freakouts more in the vein of Soft Machine or post-Barrett Floyd. The international cast of musicians includes Barre Phillips, Burton Green, Rachid Houri and several others in varying line-ups, adding to the abstract, loose, druggy and intense commune-jam vibe that pervades. Psychedelia was not new at this point, as several of the world's most popular pop bands had "gone psych", but Gong's approach was anarchic, progressive and inspired. Truly mind-expanding and definitely a classic! [JM]

FIERY FURNACES
Bitter Tea
(Fat Possum)

"I'm Waiting to Know You"

"Oh Sweet Woods"

Usually, pop and rock bands wait until they have an established following to get weird on the public, until they have hits on the radio and enough of a foothold within the music industry to confuse the fanbase or generate critical derision. After their brilliant and iconoclastic debut, the Nilsson-esque Gallowsbird's Bark, New York's Fiery Furnaces decided to ignore that rule outright. Brother and sister duo Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger immediately reached for the stratosphere with their second album, a sprawling, somewhat conceptual art-prog monster that bewildered those just getting on the ride. Blueberry Boat crammed in 80 minutes of stultifyingly complex, ingredienty music, and it dropped with a thud; the album's breakout single didn't even appear on the album, and was sold separately. What more bizarre way to follow this than with 2005's Rehearsing My Choir, featuring lead vocals by the siblings' octogenarian grandmother?

Bitter Tea finds the group working with the same strategies as Blueberry Boat in play--songs crashing into one another and jarring changes in scenery, with more buzzing, flatulent analog synthesizer than you thought you'd care to hear on one album (it battles for backwards tape manipulation and vocals as the lead instrument here). But getting past the presentation, a few songs into the album things start to solidify beyond the fragmented arrangements and schizophrenic noises into a warmth and a sadness, and also somewhat of a narrative of crippling loss and meaningless, attention-diverting searches, with Eleanor's melodiously droll voice kinkily strapped into her brother's infernal musical machinations. They skip through classically-tinged and stately, pre-British Invasion pop music (think Connie Francis), rainy day Motown sounds, house beats, slab-construction musique concrète, and Polynesian drumming, like prime-era Sparks on a collision course with Randy Newman with solo Todd Rundgren (A Wizard, A True Star-era) behind the board. Bitter Tea shows the promise this band let on with at the outset, unfurled in a way none of us could have expected, with Matthew's ability as a producer and musician finally catching up to his group's ambitions, resulting in glorious music, the likes of which we've truly never heard before. Once you get past the static present here, and learn to understand the delightfully bizarre musical language they're speaking in, it's impossible to unlearn. This early in the year, the Furnaces already have a contender for year-end Top 10, and that's not something taken lightly. [DM]

VARIOUS ARTISTS
More Pressure: Straight to the Head
(Pressure Sounds)

"Folk Song" Uhuru (The Sound of Freedom)

"The Winner" Barrington Levy

With their latest compilation, Pressure Sounds shift the approach just a bit. Instead of showcasing a particular producer, artist or label, More Pressure: Straight to the Head collects one-off seven-inch singles from a variety of performers. Included are both the vocal and dub sides of the limited vinyl which made its way around the yards and dancehalls of Jamaica (many of these songs never even made it off the island). We get rare, choice selections from Michael Rose, Barrington Levy, Cornell Campbell, and Dillinger, along with various goodies from relatively unknown vocalists that were mostly recorded between 1972 and 1977, with the exception Levy's "The Winner," which is from '82 (a slow-n-low 12-inch version that's a thing of beauty). Deep and rough male vocals ride the tough rhythms at hand, and all are gems of a once truly underground music. Reggae comps are nothing new these days but thanks to Pressure Sounds, many of us get to enjoy these songs for the first time and the depths of Jamaican music continue to expand. True to the nature of DIY, the sound quality isn't always great, yet it somehow lends this set a dirty and mellow backyard party feel. One of the better selected comps I've heard lately. [DG]

SICKOAKES
Seawards
(Type)

"Driftwood"

"Taking the Stairs Instead of the Elevator"

While at first glance it seems that Type is throwing its hat into the post-rock ring about seven or eight years too late, this album from Sickoakes is a noteworthy entry to what the sticker on the record even recognizes as an "ailing" genre. Their roots go back to 1999, and since then they've handed out countless homemade CD-Rs and released a few hard to find vinyl singles, but it's not until now that a full album has been available. Similar to the epic soundscapes of Mogwai and Godspeed, Sickoakes' songs are equally expansive, and in lieu of vocal melodies use ebbs and flows in their music to make an emotional impact on the listener. But unlike most of their contemporaries, the Swedish six-piece rarely crest into deafening crescendos, instead relying on submerged electronic and organic textures, and watery dynamics from echoed guitar work. (It's probably no coincidence that two of the song titles, "Driftwood" and "Oceans on Hold," as well as the album title are aquatic themed.) Add to this some light orchestration and the inclusion of non-atypical influences like Eastern European folk, it's not really as much of a stretch for Type as one would initially assume. [GH]

SPANK ROCK
Yoyoyoyo
(Big Dada)

"Backyard Betty"

"Touch Me"

The next big thing coming from the streets of Baltimore, Spank Rock is the name and they're serious about their moniker. SR utilize the influences of Hollertronix, DJ Assault, and Luther Campbell, as well as southern rappers like Master P, Ying Yang Twins and Missy Elliot, taking that formula into slightly new territory. Naughty rhymes and sex tales sit on top of choppy and staggered electronic beats, a formula that's not new, but you can't ignore the fact that it's infectious. Using calculators, Gameboys and laptops, as well as kettle drums, garbage percussion and the like, to create an interesting library of sounds (think Planet Mu, Schematic and Tigerbeat 6 meets 2 Live Crew), the carefree and self-assured talent of those involved can't be denied. Minimal and funky, each sound is shaped and tweaked just right, leaving enough space to hear every shift of flange and every reverse bass. If you're into the aforementioned, or any of the following: Dizzee Rascal, Neptunes, Lady Sovereign, or classic Beastie Boys, this sits in the same crate. For "mature" audiences, yet with an undying freshness, this captures the energy and down-n-out attitude of today's youth. Catchy and weird, sexy and raw, all under its own terms, there is definitely no shame in their game. Need a good laugh or just something to loosen up the party, put this one on. [DG]

HONEYBUS
She Flies Like a Bird: the Honeybus Anthology
(Castle)

"Throw My Love Away"

"Big Ship"

The music business is a bitch. When you weigh all the factors it takes to get music out into the world, it's a wonder anyone's record actually gets released at all. Nobody may understand this fact better than Pete Dello. Honeybus were one of the best Brit-pop groups of the late-'60s to end practically before they even began. Literally. Dello left the band promptly after penning "I Can't Let Maggie Go", the band's one big hit, citing pressures from Decca to top the song and not wanting to tour as reasons for his departure. Thankfully, Honeybus' second songwriter in command/bassist, Ray Cane, picked up the pieces by taking chief writing duties along with guitarist Colin Hare, and securing Dundee's Jim Kelly as a replacement for Pete. All this, and the band's brilliant cult-classic debut and lone album, Story, hadn't even seen release yet. Honeybus would fall to pieces before it even hit store shelves.

Given all the industry shenanigans, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that Honeybus' mix of technicolor harmonies, sprightly Beatles-worshipping melodies, and Left Banke-ian chamber orchestra accompaniment should have catapulted the band way beyond their one-hit wonder status. If there was ever a group in need of an anthology and re-inspection, it's these guys. She Flies Like a Bird: the Honeybus Anthology more than gets the job done.

Over the course of two discs, this collection is something of the definitive testament to Honeybus' talents. Included is the band's Story album in its entirety, all the singles and b-sides one could hope for, a rare interview with Pete Dello, some must-hear live BBC cuts that include an unusually beat-conducted cover of Deram labelmate Bill Fay's "Maggie's Parlour" and John Phillips' "Like An Old Time Movie," extensive liner notes from David Wells, previously unreleased demos, and an especially tasty collection of tracks from the band's shelved 1972 Warner Brothers reunion record, Recital (I believe there are plans to finally release this in full soon!!!). Honeybus cuts like "(Do I Figure) In Your Life" (which Ian Mathews wonderfully covered on his classic album, Some Days You Eat the Bear and Some Days the Bear Eats You) more than show how potentially irresistible this band actually was, but what's most sad is just how great the Recital tracks are--the band was on to some crazy baroque country pop s**t that splits the difference between Ram-era McCartney and the Left Banke and hitting upon a carefree sound undeniably their own. The only thing missing from the anthology is any tracks off of Dello's wonderful 1971 solo joint, Into Your Ears or Colin Hare's also-great, March Hare. Definite further listening for those early-'70s psych-pop fetishists out there. Other than that, She Flies Like a Bird is absolutely essential listening for fans of Bill Fay, the Hollies, Left Banke, Emmitt Rhodes, We All Together and amazing late-'60s pop sounds in general. [HG]

KLIMEK
Music to Fall Asleep
(Kompakt)

"Standing Ausser on the Beach Gefahr"

"Kingdoms Here We Wiggin’ by Night Come"

Klimek have already made one of the most enduring popambient songs of recent years with "Milk and Honey." They've dedicated tracks to popambient predecessors like Eric Satie. Now out of the blue comes the first Klimek full-length album, Music to Fall Asleep, with a cover art tribute to the Smiths' single "This Charming Man"--except here with a charming woman. (Oh you're so romantic, Klimek!) The same high and low pitched, glass-like string plucks echoing into space peer in and out of Music to Fall Asleep. The prevailing atmosphere is pretty and slow-moving, like light traveling through ice. All 11 tracks weave into the next and distinguish themselves from each other by rising and falling, and swelling and contracting, while still maintaining a feel reminiscent of the Harold Budd and Cocteau Twins' collaboration, Moon and the Melodies. Put this album on repeat and have sweet dreams. Recommended. [SM]

ROSETTA HIGHTOWER
Rosetta Hightower
(RPM)

"Big Bird"

"Never Can Say Goodbye"

RPM does us all a great service by reissuing another fantastic lost soul album from an amazing soul-belter, who got lost amongst the shuffle in the late-'60s. Rosetta Hightower was a member of an obscure vocal group called the Orlons, who specialized in upbeat pop R&B inspired by the classic Detroit sound, or "northern soul" as the Brits like to call it. Although they only had minor hits in the US, they were well-loved by northern soul punters in the UK. Three of those tunes, "Spinning Top", "I Ain't Coming Back" and South Street," have been floor filling anthems within that scene for over 30 years, but are unfortunately not represented here. Instead, we get Hightower's UK-only solo LP from 1971, as well as all four-sides of her solo singles from that period.

After the Orlons broke up, she married Ian Green who produced this album of amazing covers. This record sounds huuuge! Soaring strings, heavy backbeats…and that voice! Rosetta could really belt it out, and I'll be damned if her version of "Every Little Bit Hurts" isn't as intense as Brenda Hollaway's version. It was enough to drive this grown-ass man to tears. It also includes a killer version of Eddie Floyd's "Big Bird" and the first 30 seconds of this track are insane. Heavy, distorted breakbeats give way to a lacerating psych-guitar freakout, before dissolving into the lushest pocket of orchestrated soul you are ever likely to hear. If you dig on Tina Turner, PP Arnold and the like, you'll find a lot to love about this one. Dope! [DH]

CHRIS HARWOOD
Nice to Meet Miss Christine
(Finders Keepers)

"Never Knew What Love Was"

"When I Come Home"

Nice To Meet Miss Christine was basically a vanity LP as far as I can tell, albeit one that featured a lot of noteworthy musicians and a well-known producer, and came out on a small but legit label that was distributed by CBS. I'm not entirely sure if Chris Harwood's vocal and songwriting talents were all that spectacular on their own, but her boyfriend had a lot of music scene connections (and money, one would assume) and somehow managed to get her into a studio with Miki Dallon behind the board and a band that included Peter Banks (Yes), Dave Lambert (The Strawbs), Tommy Eyre (Joe Cocker, John Martyn) and Ian McDonald (McDonald & Giles). So, even though the songs on here aren't necessarily killer, the backing tracks absolutely burn. There are some very cool sounds on this record, which more than justifies the CD reissue and the ridiculously high fetching price for original copies. [RH]

JOSH RITTER
The Animal Years
(V2)

"Monster Ballads"

"One More Mouth"

Keyboards. Lots of keyboards. Vintage Wurlitzers and Hammond organs and mellotrons and Rhodes and pianos played frontwards and backwards and inside out and back again. No, this isn't some home recording of Garth Hudson screwing around in his basement, or some new s**t Jim O'Rourke cooked up for the next Wilco record. This is the new V2 debut from singer-songwriter Josh Ritter, entitled The Animal Years. Whatever preconceived notions you have of acoustic guitar slinging songwriters, with hushed reedy voices who swear by everything Dylan ever did, The Animal Years will transcend them.

Apparently, Ritter is some kind of star in Ireland and this makes perfect sense. His previous records, like 2001's Golden Age of Radio and 2003's Hello Starling, featured enough teary-eyed introspection and earnest acoustic guitar strums to power a whole city for a day. However, The Animal Years is a completely different affair. Producer Brian Deck has really outdone himself with this one. The guy has worked with everyone from Modest Mouse to Iron & Wine, and yet it's on this little unassuming record where his genius really shines. In other words, this is as much of a Brian Deck record as a Josh Ritter one. Somehow these songs sound luminous and large, while still being vulnerable and inviting. A person could crawl up and hide in the sonic spaces Deck's created for Ritter. I'll be between the tenor uke and the organ. This is exactly how a singer-songwriter record should sound in 2006.

And then there are the songs. If I said that numbers like "Lillian Egypt" or "Monster Ballads" or "Good Man" were so great they might convince Ryan Adams to stop hanging out with Courtney Love, I'd only be half-kidding. The album's opener, "Girl in the War" is practically a revelation, and it's surely the best protest song I've heard by anyone in recent history. Even dear old Devendra lost me with his all too-predictable and unfettered hippy-dippy trip of "not wanting to kill." Ritter's brand of protest is far more subtle and spiritual; the war rears itself most brutal, as it always inevitably does, along personal lines--Ritter sings, "I got a girl in the war, man I wonder what it is we done / if they can't find a way to help her, then they can go to hell." It's a breathtaking moment. And The Animal Years has countless more. [HG]

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Zanzibara 2: Golden Years of Mombasa Taarab
(Buda Musique)

"Dada" Matano Juma

"Mpenzi Azizi" Zuhura & Zein Musical Party

Originating in East Africa (from Kenya to Mozambique), with echoes of Arabian, European and Asian influences, Mombasa Taarab is characterized by a colorful mix of vocal and instrumental music. This influence can be heard in the instrumentation (harmoniums, sitars, ouds, violins, tashkotas, etc.), as well as the arrangements and source material which reference and borrow everything from Bollywood and Egyptian cinema to Persian vocal stylings. Throughout the '60s, Bollywood films became very popular in East Africa and were often "translated" into Swahili popular music known as Taarab. With the introduction of upright bass and electric guitars, this music would later include a little more Western influence but what we have here are songs collected from the "'Golden Age" of Taarab, with euphoric swirls of singing, percussion, organ and strings retaining a distinctly East African foundation. [GA]

"Mandarine Girl" Booka Shade

"Say a Little Prayer for Me (Dub)" M.A.N.D.Y.

A German hipster disco mix blended by the duo M.A.N.D.Y., known for their hit track, "Naomi" on MBF from a little while back. With a name like Get Physical, I thought the mix would dive right into some rough and tumble, jackin' neo-disco, but instead the CD warms the floor up with some lighthearted, melodic disco from Chelonis R. Jones ("Na Na Na") and Jona ("Yellowstone"). Think Metro Area, then DFA, a constant 'pop' element and an unshakeable dose of Rephlex-inspired space disco. (Tracks like Zwicker's "Monkey Mood" is just goofy enough to get the shy, ex-IDM wallflowers on the dance floor.) Things get down and dirty, and a little funkier by tracks 11, 12 and 13 (M.A.N.D.Y. vs. Booka Shade, Jona and Sunsetpeople, respectively). F**kpony and Snax bring up the rear on tracks 14 and 16. Definitely in the Triple R/MBF mix vein, but with a lot more bandanas and Nike Dunks. It creates an ideal image of electroclash and rock/disco/house invading Berlin simultaneously. It's also worth mentioning that this is a 'fun for all ages' mix; when we put it on the store stereo, many people asked, "Hey, what are you playing?" They ranged from sunglasses-wearing weekend warriors who go to clubs, to middle-aged couples who never go to clubs. "Cool." [SM]

"Baby to the Third Power"

Peter Kruder returns, with help from Christian Prommer and Roland Appel (Truby Trio and Fauna Flash), as Voom Voom. An eclectic and infectious mix of jazzy electronica, deep house, and funky electro, Peng Peng will demand dancefloor attention all throughout the summer.

Shredmaster Matt Pike adds yet another page to his already impressive resume (Sleep, High on Fire), this time as vocalist. Kalas' self-titled debut is more introspective and brooding than either of the aforementioned bands, with a nod to crusty doom/hardcore here and there. Still, guaranteed to please fans of High on Fire, as well as Neurosis, Sabbath, and Discharge.

THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS

[GA] Geoff Albores
[AB] Adrian Burkholder
[DG] Daniel Givens
[HG] Hartley Goldstein
[GH] Gerald Hammill
[DH] Duane Harriott
[RH] Rob Hatch-Miller
[JM] Josh Madell
[DM] Doug Mosurock
[SM] Scott Mou


THANKS FOR READING
- all of us at Other Music