FEATURED NEW RELEASES
Four Tet (DJ Kicks)
Roc 'C'
Minutemen DVD
Dirty on Purpose
Big Youth
London Is the Place for Me Vol. 2
Isan
Boogy Bytes 2 (Sascha Funke Mix)
Chris Smither
Shadowplayers (Factory Records DVD)
Hacienda Discoteque Vol. 1
Dr. Octagon
Flying
Silverhead
Fingletoad, Strange & Siho

In the Loop 4 (Dublab)
Keene Brothers (Fading Captain)
The Takeovers (Fading Captain)
Psycho & the Birds (Fading Captain)
Bruno Spoerri
Matthew Dear as Audion (Fabric 27)
Les Rallizes Denudes

BACK IN STOCK
Takashi Nishioka
Os Mutantes Reissues


COMPLETE LIST OF THIS WEEK'S NEW ARRIVALS

FOUR TET
DJ-Kicks
(!K7)

"Mom, the Video Broke" Syclops

"Figaro (101 Remix)" Madvillain

For most compilations, it's the groups listed in the track selection that draws people to them, while in DJ comps, it's the mixer. With Studio !K7's celebrated series, it's a combination of both as the compiler may be a DJ, a producer, a musician, or possibly all three; but you can bet on hearing some interesting selections with any album bearing the Kicks name. For this installment, Kieran Heben (a/k/a Four Tet) is in full DJ mode, blending much of one song into another so that it seems a remix in itself. The experimental electronics of David Behrman, avant-garde jazz of Heiner Stadler, hip-hop from So Solid Crew and Madvillain, and playful stoner rock of Gong are all mixed, mingled and transfused. Unsurprisingly heavy on the electronic, with the minimal bleeps of Syclops (a/k/a Maurice Fulton) or the sonorous tones of Behrman starting out the compilation, the continuing cross-fade is not weighed down by the digital. Syclops' computer churning gives way to crisp beats that make way for the soulful funk of Curtis Mayfield's "If I Were Only a Child Again," and Stadler's Art Ensemble-esque free jazz morphs into the underground disco soul of Gary Davis' classic, "The Professor's Here." The Gong xylophone and snare jam is punctuated by a loping rhythm from an early-'90s hip-hop track by Showbiz & AG. And those are just the highlights. Also worthy of mention is Animal Collective's "Baby Day" gliding into the Ethiopiques-laden 101 Remix of Madvillian's "Figaro," as are appearances by Akufen and Cabaret Voltaire. The only unmixed song rightfully ends the comp, "Flutter," taken from one of Autechre's first singles. Serious electronic schooling with some playful knowns and unknowns from all genres, this one is definitely worth adding to your DJ Kicks collection. [LG]

ROC 'C'
All Questions Answered
(Stones Throw)

"Hear Me Now"

"Lover's Choice"

You may have heard Oxnard, CA emcee Roc C's rugged wordplay on Oh No's record, or you might have heard him on the super limited "Donuts" seven-inch that was given away with the album last winter. But for those unfamiliar, Roc C has been kicking around for a minute and now he's finally dropped his first full-length on the always dependable Stones Throw imprint. This is probably the most street-oriented album that the label has ever put out. C's flow is definitely a lot more rugged and it's certainly better suited for harder, sparser production, so the beats reflect that. You won't hear any J Dilla /Madlib pysch-soul sampladelics on this one, but there are still elements of the Stones Throw sound peppered throughout and these are definitely the strongest cuts. Tracks like the Oh No-produced "Don't Stop" and "Watching U" have that loping, blunted, true school sound we've come to expect from the label, and Roc C is definitely one of the better emcees on the roster. Other guests on this album include Aloe Blacc, Dudley Perkins, and Bizzy Bone (!). [DH]

I don't like to carry too many absolutes in my listening habits anymore, and I especially don't like to allow them to carry over into other areas of my taste and persona if I can help it, especially when other people are involved. But I have at least one music-related adage that I've found is a solid one to live by: never trust anyone who doesn't like the Minutemen; they're looking for a way to oppress you. If someone can't appreciate and love a band that played an aggressive, body-moving message of jazz-inflected, punk-funk pummel which stuffed messages (be they philosophical or focused) in songs that shattered the eardrum and quickened the pulse, entirely on its own terms, then I'll talk to you some other time, man, or maybe not at all. Just as importantly, if one can't see the value in a group that made its audience more aware of the rights of humans, the value of hard work, the ideals of the common enlightened man, and their constant suppression by empowered parties who understand the dangers behind this enlightenment -- all laid out with plaintive verbiage and gripping delivery -- then we have nothing in common. You were never young; never skated, never questioned authority, never broke a rule.

We Jam Econo is a 90-minute documentary about the breakneck history of the Minutemen by filmmakers Tim Irwin and Keith Schieron. Having sold out independent and festival screenings around the world, the movie captures the band's roots and struggles with scene acceptance, unending praise by contemporaries and fans, and the creation of each of their major releases, ending abruptly with the tragic and untimely 1985 death of guitarist D. Boon, at a time when Americans learned to love being beaten down. But as with most protest music worth its salt, the Minutemen's message remains undefeated, either directly or spiritually, and well past its dates of publication, as have the actions of the group's surviving members, Mike Watt (fIREHOSE, the Stooges, solo) and George Hurley (fIREHOSE, the Red Krayola). For fans anxious to see the source material behind the film's unreal live performance snippets, search no further -- a whopping 62 live tracks are included, encompassing gigs early (1980 at the Starwood in Los Angeles), late (1984 at D.C.'s 9:30 Club), and "other" (a 1985 "acoustic blowout" featuring Hurley on hand drums). The infamous "outdoor" interview, which would have fleshed out their unreleased Corndogs VHS tape release, is included here in full, as are 19 scenes that didn't make the theatrical cut, and the group's three music videos, which received significant airplay on MTV in their day. The message of the film, and the band, will reverberate with all those who've ever recognized the power and spirit of the Minutemen's uniquely American music, or those who can learn to see it. [DM]

DIRTY ON PURPOSE
Hallelujah Sirens
(North Street)

"Mara Lights"

"Light Pollution"

Despite the kiddie-core name, Dirty On Purpose are not twee-poppers. And despite the subtly orchestrated ringing guitars, piano, and occasional horn or string flourishes throughout their great full-length debut, the quartet are no Mercury Rev/Flaming Lips wannabes either -- although fans of any of those sounds will find plenty to love on Hallelujah Sirens. What the Brooklyn band has, in fact, crafted is a fine album of retro-pop, of the recent variety. Take one part British shoegaze, add a healthy dose of '90s American indie rock, and toss liberally with Williamsburg '06…bam! You have a slightly intoxicating mix of heavy, droning rhythms, chiming guitar leads, rich orchestration and emotional falsetto vocals, rolled into a record slick and loose, familiar and original, thus securing Dirty On Purpose a spot on the ever-evolving roster of NYC bands to hear this year. Get dirty. [JM]

BIG YOUTH
Screaming Target
(Trojan)

"Tipper Tone Rock"

"Pride & Ambition"

Given his nickname because of his rather large size as a child, Big Youth has been a major toaster/DJ on the reggae scene since the early-'70s. Screaming Target, his debut, was released in 1973 during a more conscious and socially aware time, which was also reflected in the art of toasting and would go on to permeate the scene for the next 10 years (before the excess sex and glamour of the '80s would change everything). Produced by Gussie Clarke, Big Youth rhymes about literacy, equality, and righteousness, with unabashed positivity. Along with the three-disc Blood and Fire collection, Natty Universal Dread, this is one of the best showcases of his talent and output. This release on Trojan includes 14 bonus tracks, including great collaborations with Augustus Pablo, Gregory Issacs, Leroy Smart, Glen Brown, among others. One of the classics of the genre just got even better. [DG]

VARIOUS ARTISTS
London Is the Place for Me Vol. 2
(Honest Jons)

"Onmonike" Tunji Oyelana

"Yolanda" Ambrose Cambell

This is an absolutely joyous new collection from the Honest Jons label. Covering the mid-'40s through to the '60s, the second volume of London Is the Place for Me chronicles an amazingly fertile period in which immigrants from Nigeria, South Africa, Trinidad, Jamaica, Haiti, Senegal and many other locals converged in London to create the new music of the day. This music was a fusion of styles that represented the players' homelands, with jazz saxophone solos mixing freely with calypso and highlife. And some of the songs really are hilarious. For example, Young Tiger's commentary on be-bop, "'Calypso Be," name checks Dizzy Gillespie, Coleman Hawkins and Charlie Parker, and goes on to say how confusing this new "monstrosity" is. The American jazz players may be good musicians, but as far as Young Tiger was concerned, they could just keep this music. In contrast, Gwigwi Mrwebi's "Nyusamkhaya" sways at a relaxed pace, as horns and piano tickle the ear with some of the warmest melodies I've heard in a while. There are also plenty of jump-up jazz tunes and stark, rhythmically complex percussion songs. You can tell that many of these songs were aimed squarely at the dancefloor and it's not hard to imagine that the atmosphere in some of the nightclubs at this time must have been electric. The music also served as an escape from the cold and often dreary London landscape, a reminder of warmer places back home. I, myself, can't think of a better summertime soundtrack. [GA]

ISAN
Plans Drawn in Pencil
(Morr)

"Yttrium"

"Amber Button"

Remember Isan's classic Salamander? It still stands as my favorite album of theirs -- full of spacey and floating melodies (unhindered by any tired breakbeats) that you can daydream or just peacefully fall asleep to. The black-key, melody-filled duo is revisiting the blissful, lulling qualities of said album, with new melodies and an updated palette. These are definitely soothing sounds for the baby inside us all, and certainly less scary than Raymond Scott. [SM]

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Boogy Bytes 2: Mixed by Sascha Funke
(BPitch)

"Where We At" Henrik Schwarz, Dixon & Ame

"Uccellini" Carsten Jost

As one of the best producers/DJs on the Bpitch Control team (for me anyway), I have to say that I approached this mix with a lot of anticipation. After hearing an awesome mix on Dublab from about four years ago, and seeing the dope track listing featuring multiple Dial releases (upcoming Efdemin releases featuring Nico covers!), then Sleeparchive's "ACD Voice," Carsten Jost's killer "Uccelini" on Sender into Louderbach (Troy Pierce), I knew this was going to be a good one. It was just a matter of putting two and two together. Sascha Funke is one of the rare producers who puts out killer tracks AND finds killer tracks to play in his DJ sets that could almost pass for his own releases! Both having that killer dark house groove offset by an effective poppiness that tips the hat "just so'', and it's skillfully programmed to exist somewhere between a club mix and a headphone/listener mix, perfect for his style. I also love the whiplash-face-in-motion cover concept for the Boogy Bytes series -- I can't wait to see Ellen Allien's! Ha ha! [SM]

CHRIS SMITHER
I'm a Stranger Too!
(Tomato)

"Have You Seen My Baby?"

CHRIS SMITHER
Don't It Drag On
(Tomato)

"I've Got Mine"

We just scored a handful of the first two albums by one of our all time favorite singer-songwriters, Chris Smither. They are cut-outs and this is probably the last time we'll be able to get them, and they're only a mere $9.99 so you better act fast because they're pretty essential. Originally released on Poppy, home to the early Townes Van Zandt records, Smither's debut and sophomore releases have weathered the years gracefully well. His guitar playing is incomparable, his original tunes beautifully written, and his choice of covers beyond reproach. If you're a fan of Townes, Neil Young, Michael Chapman, Little Feat, or Exile-era Rolling Stones then you must pick these up. They're that good. [MK]

Inevitably, some are going to go into this DVD expecting to see a Behind the Music-styled docu-drama, or perhaps a fancily edited prequel of sorts to 24 Hour Party People. Shadowplayers is far from, there's not even incidental music playing behind the talking heads. However, you won't get a better history lesson on the formative years of Factory Records than this. Over the course of two hours, director James Nice cross-cuts between interviews with key figures behind the label and Manchester's post-punk scene, including Factory honcho Tony Wilson, graphic designer Peter Saville, Joy Division/New Order bassist Peter Hook, Durutti Column's Vini Reilly, A Certain Ratio's Martin Moscrop and Simon Topping, Chris Watson from Cabaret Voltaire, Section 25's Larry and Vin Cassidy, the Names, Minny Pops' Wally Van Middendorp, and Buzzcocks/Magazine founder Howard Devoto. Divided into 19 chapters, we hear both the label and artists' perspectives on early releases from Joy Division, Durutti Column, ACR and Section 25, as well as discussion about Saville's iconic album art, producer Martin Hannett, infamous gigs and tours (including a hilarious exchange about the April 8th riot in Bury Derby Hall), the Factory Benelux label, the death of Ian Curtis, the birth of New Order, and much more. Nice's just-the-facts style isn't fast-paced, but it allows the viewer to experience true glimpses of the individual personalities -- Tony Wilson is self-assured as ever, chewing gum and nonchalantly stroking his cat through much of his interview segments; bad boy Peter Hook calls A Certain Ratio a bunch of Nancy boys; the still thick-maned Vini Reilly makes many candid references about his health problems. Unexpectedly, the occasional differing versions of a story offer us outsiders an insider's view on label politics. Not a DVD for the casual Factory fan, but definitely essential for diehards. [GH]

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Hacienda Discoteque Vol. 1
(Gut Active)

"Situation" Yazoo

"Wild Times" Deee-Lite feat. Osca Child

Hey Hacienda heads, its ANOTHER compilation of those acidified and pill-fluenced dance tunes from one of the world's most celebrated institutions. Maybe not as 'definitive' as the triple disc version that came out not too long ago, but this volume was lovingly and knowledgeably put together by dance music connoisseur Ian Dewhirst (Mastercuts, Salsoul) and annotated by acclaimed author Tim Lawrence (Love Saves the Day) for a package also documenting the history and the impact of the club. Over 20 years ago, New Order and Factory boss Tony Wilson had a vision of opening a New York style club in Manchester, and the night expanded out of the passionate visions of resident DJs like Mike Pickering whom envisioned a repertoire that would place the Peech Boys next to the Smiths and New Order. Instead of having one DJ playing six nights a week, he introduced Greg Wilson, who pioneered the electro-funk New York sound with tracks like SOS Band's "Just Be Good to Me" and Shannon's "Let the Music Play," as well as John Tracey, who dropped amazingly diversified mixes of Simple Minds, Iggy Pop, Sharon Redd and Willie Hutch. Add that element to live bands that included Cabaret Voltaire, Orange Juice, Grandmaster Flash, Echo & the Bunnymen, and Curtis Mayfield, along with renowned guest DJs, club kids from around the world of all different colors, and a mountain of drugs ---- all this is what made the Hacienda an experience never to be forgotten and compilations like these are ones that make sure the impact is always to be felt. [MT]

DR. OCTAGON
The Return of Dr. Octagon
(OCD International)

"It's the Morning"

"Ants" feat. DJ Dexter

Keith Thornton, better known as Kool Keith, returns as his most beloved alias, Dr. Octagon. Where the debut, Dr. Octagonecologyst, was an abstract tale of a patient at Bellevue, this installment finds Keith going far into the atmosphere. Ten years in the making, The Return is an electro-synth journey into his twisted, warped and funky world. Self-produced (along with the One Watt Sun collective), his production style has been updated to fit the times, reminding me of Anti-Pop/Beans, MF Doom, and El-P (kinda crunchy, with live bass). Recorded in Prague and Berlin, as well as Melbourne and Byron Bay, Australia, the sound has a bit of a Euro twist, yet it's still undeniably an indie hip-hop record. Guests include DJ Dexter (Avalanches), and kind of a surprise, although not a stretch, Princess Superstar. My favorite songs upon first listen are the alt-party jam "Green" and the Tom Waits feeling of "Gorilla Driving a Pick-up Truck." Definitely not for everyone, and not as immediate as the debut, but if you like the darker side of hip-hop, (Ol' Dirty Bastard, Prince Paul, Rob Swift, Necro, Tricky, and even Gnarls Barkley), you'll find plenty to love. [DG]

FLYING
Just-One-Second-Away-Broken-Eggshell
(Mill Pond)

"Alice"

"Mosquito"

We did quite well earlier this year with the self-released EP by New York-via-Boston acoustic weirdos Flying, so their official full-length debut arrives with some anticipation. While the trio originally came off a bit like a less dense Animal Collective, with offbeat co-ed vocals and sweet yet shambling song structures, Just-One-Second-Ago-Broken-Eggshell pushes their sound into new frontiers of fidelity. Anchored by fluid piano playing and fleshed out with strings, accordion and other swelling orchestrations, the album calls to mind Plush or even Todd Rundgren at times, albeit with an off-the-cuff spontaneity that neither of those artists ever exhibited even on their most basic demo recordings. [JM]

SILVERHEAD
16 and Savaged
(Repertoire)

"More Than Your Mouth Can Hold"

"Rolling with My Baby"

This reissue has been available for almost a decade but it's new to the store and worth some attention, especially if you were a fan of the Velvet Tinmine junkshop glam compilation that came out a couple of years ago. It's pretty surprising that Silverhead didn't make it onto that collection or any of the sequels, although a track from their first album was included on Ursula 1000's similar Clap Your Hands, Stamp Your Feet disc. 16 And Savaged was the second and last Silverhead record and is a bit less glammy than the first. There are some T-Rex style boogie riffs and handclaps, and a couple of Bowie-ish moments, but the bulk of the album sounds like it was inspired by the Faces. Drummer Pete Thompson, who plays organ on a handful or tracks, must have absolutely idolized Ian McLagan. Frontman Michael Des Barres, who was married to notorious groupie Pamela Des Barres and had a successful career as a TV actor in the '80s and '90s, had a great raspy voice kind of like Rod Stewart's or Robert Plant's, or even Bon Scott's. Silverhead and AC/DC also shared a penchant for playfully obscene lyrics, as evidenced by the title track and the almost laughable "More Than Your Mouth Can Hold," one of the highlights of this terrific CD. This is definitely an underappreciated record! [RH]

FINGLETOAD, STRANGE & SIHO
Mazzola
(Shadoks)

"Woman"

"Angela Lee"

Some truly lost music here, in every sense. Fingletoad & Strange was a high school hippie/psych duo out of Oak Park, IL who recorded two albums between the years of 1968 and 1970, barely gigging locally due to the group's age and academic priorities. In collaboration with a guitarist, nicknamed Siho (c'mon, nobody is named Fingletoad, and only a handful are Strange), the group sowed its musical oats on albums heard by pretty much nobody; the first never made it past acetate stage, and the second, Mazzola, received a vanity pressing of less than 100 copies. The group's music is surprisingly lush, well-produced, and skillfully arranged, given the circumstances, with obvious but intricately-crafted nods to artists ranging from Paul McCartney and Crosby, Stills, and Nash, to the Byrds, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Buffalo Springfield, and the Flying Burrito Brothers. Inspired and instrumentally accomplished, the sounds here will impress and stick with folks who gravitate towards psychedelia, roots-rock, country, folk-pop, and the Beatles as their main listening habits. [DM]

The label, radio-show, podcast, sound system, and collective know as Dublab continues their limited 12" series called In the Loop. After presenting selected tracks from a host of new talents like Daedelus, Sa-Ra, Dntel, Milosh, Caribou, Postal Service, and Caural, the fourth installment journeys into the new folk sound of today. We get "that" song from Lavender Diamond ("In Heaven There is No Heat") an old favorite from Animal Collective, ("Chocolate Girl"), Devendra Banhart in Spanish drag mode as Devendrita, along with variations on the folk theme from Feathers, Dirty Projectors, and the Long Lost. If you're familiar with a couple of these names, you'll know what to expect. If not, this is good, new American folk (not folk) music. [DG]

KEENE BROTHERS
Blues & Boogie Shoes
(Fading Captain)

"Beauty of the Draft"

THE TAKEOVERS
Turn to Red
(Fading Captain)

"Insane/Cool It"

PSYCHO & THE BIRDS
All That Is Holy
(Fading Captain)

"The Killers"

It's practically Christmas in July -- well almost July -- for Robert Pollard fans, with three new albums coming out on the ex-Guided by Voices frontman's Fading Captain series. Take into account Pollard's endless wellspring of melodies and obtuse lyrics and song titles, I guess this musical trifecta isn't really that much of a surprise.

First up is the Keene Brothers, which is actually a collaboration between Pollard and celebrated power pop songsmith Tommy Keene, a pairing sure to get many salivating before even having a chance to peel the shrink wrap off the CD case. The two had already worked together last year on Pollard's From a Compound Eye, with Keene supplying the guitar work, but here the duo really locks in. Any so-called "indie" sensibility flirts with the kind of big hooks usually heard coming from platinum selling artists. (Not that either's previous output suggests they would shun the chance for a crossover hit.) But quite frankly, their songcraft is too good for today's drive time radio, with tunes like "Beauty of the Draft" and "Where Others Fail" seeping with melodic nostalgia for greats like the Who, Cheap Trick and Big Star. Pollard has never sounded better; his vocals are practically velvet, wrapped in thick layers of Keene's guitars. While GbV's latter work didn't do it for me as much as their lo-fi classics like Vampire on Titus or Bee Thousand, I'm really digging the big production here (a majority of the music tracks were recorded in Keene's home studio). Could the Keene Brothers spell the beginning of a new boon for both songwriters?

And now for something completely different. Compared to the Keene Brothers' focused pop oeuvre, the Takeovers album is a lot more oddball. Joined by former GbV bassist Chris Slusarenko, with guest turns from Mudhoney's Dan Peters and Quasi's Sam Coomes, strange phone messages, fake news announcers, and other cassette tape madness frame this loose, assorted collection of garage rock and stripped-down, conceptual weirdness. Stomping tracks like "Insane/Cool It" and "Fairly Blacking Out" commingle with nonsensical keyboard-driven tomfoolery ("The Public Dance") and ditties like "Scuffle with Nature," where Pollard shows that he's still got the knack for turning freakish lines like "Eggs make me sick / everything I think about / eggs make me sick" into totally hum-able melodies.

Though inconsistent, perhaps the most interesting of the bunch is Psycho and the Birds. Apparently, Pollard sent a bunch of demos to longtime collaborator Tom Tobias to flesh out in the studio. Pollard himself sounds like he's singing into a mini-cassette recorder, but juxtaposed against the cleaner production of Tobias' music overdubs sort of sets new expectations for lo-fi in the 21st century. Loose and shambolic, Psycho and the Birds come across like an arty hybrid of new wave/post-punk and jangly '60s-influenced power pop -- a descriptor that could easily be used to describe Guided by Voices' early records. Add to that, no songs here break the three-minute mark, with less than half of the 17 tracks not even going past two-minutes. Truth be told, All That Is Holy doesn't come close to touching those classic albums, but songs like the upbeat "The Killers," "Father Is God," and "Kiss You/Kill You" certainly recall the beer-drenched glory of GbV's halcyon days. [GH]

"Les Electroniciens"

"Soft Art Theme"

Another gem from Finders Keepers, in the form of a collection of hard-to-come-by works by Bruno Spoerri. Spoerri was a prolific electronic composer in the '70s (and recorded an album with Can's Irmin Schmidt), producing TV jingles for Swiss television and motivational music for industrial sites(!), as well as scores for documentaries and radio plays. As it turns out, some of these recordings are incredibly funky or reside far, far out in space -- and when Spoerri's at his best, he simultaneously achieves both. Gluckskugel is a mish mash of musique concrete, analog electronic experimentation, synthesizer psychedelia, and accidental funk, resembling the works of Moog pioneer Dick Hyman and library music heavyweights Eddie Warner and Cecil Leuter. Switched on Switzerland, indeed! [AK]

MATTHEW DEAR AS AUDION
Fabric 27
(Fabric)

"Ketamine Christmas" Lee Curtis

"Battlestar" Rovert Babicz

Matthew Dear steps up as minimal acid/pop-house producer Audion for his contribution to the Fabric series. Following in the footsteps of previous Fabric heavyweights Carl Craig, Michael Mayer and Akufen, Audion goes with the flow (which in the Fabric series seems to be about doing a signature style mix) and delivers a consistent blend of poppy Perlon style, bumpy minimal house grooves. Names like Robag Wruhme and Villalobos are peppered with revisits from Audion himself, making this all about the soft and jacking pop-funk, sorta similar to the Dominik Eulberg double-CD mix from a while back. The difference is that Audion's mix is less experimental and a little more focused on bumpin' deep groove. [SM]

LES RALLIZES DENUDES
Deeper Than the Night
(Echo)

"Distant Memories"

German vinyl reissue of the second official Les Rallizes Denudes album (which was available in Japanese record stores for about eight seconds). Recorded in 1970, side one sees Takashi Mizutani in an unusually reflective mood, as he delivers a bunch of beautiful acid-loner-folk songs. A different kind of stoned than what we're used to. Side two is taken up by a supercharged 23-minute live version of "The Last One," one of Mizutani's signature blowouts, containing all the godlike distortion and repetitive psych-rock rumble you can handle. Massive music that's massively limited. We've only got a couple of copies here, so don't hesitate. [AK]

Takashi Nishioka's Manin No Ki is surely one of the finest psych-folk singer-songwriter albums I've heard; if it weren't for the fact that it's sung in Japanese it'd probably already be in your collection. Nishioka has had a long and artistically successful and varied career of enough stature that he's been afforded a five-CD box set in Japan. He first came to public attention in the '60s as a member of Five Red Balloons, a group whose music was indebted in great part to the folk revival taking place in America at the time. Where his career really begins to interest us, however, is around 1970, when he was the nominal leader and songwriter of Tokedashita Garasubako (Melting Glass Box), whose members included notable musicians from Apryl Fool and the Jacks. They made one extraordinary and essential album of dreamy and avant-garde psych-folk that stands on par with any thing else of the era. Unfortunately, that CD is long out of print and vinyl copies sell for exorbitant amounts of money, but they do have a fine song included on the Japanese installment of the Love, Peace and Poetry series. After Tokedashita Garasubako dissolved, Nishioka began work on his first solo LP for URC (Underground Record Club), a label that had been started to document the intriguing folk and pop music that was being made in Japan's early-'70s counter-culture, a good portion of their catalog has been reissued and is well worth tracking down. Manin No Ki is far less amorphous than Tokedashita Garasubako, it begins on a foreign sounding note with a short ditty laden with ethnic string instruments and rattling wood blocks. It's probably the weirdest piece on the album and it barely hints at the songwriting to follow.

Nishioka is a master of the lilting melody and he specializes in those mid-tempo ballads that characterize many of Neil Young's greatest moments. Not that Nishioka just sounds like a Japanese Neil Young, far from it. His writing includes space for complex vocal overdubs and he uses a diverse array of instrumental shading, including marimba and xylophone sounds that would make Tom Waits jealous, and whoever engineered his drums is a complete genius. But now I'm starting to come across like a real nerd, because truly the main strength of the album is simply Nishioka's moving songwriting, that the sounds surrounding his songs are interesting only adds to the appeal. Manin No Ki is the album I've listened to the most this year by far and it won't fail to make it to my top ten. [MK]

OS MUTANTES - FIRST FIVE ALBUMS

Os Mutantes
(Universal Brazil)

"A Minha Menina"

Mutantes
(Universal Brazil)

"Magica"

A Divina Comedia Ou Ando Meio Desligado
(Universal Brazil)

"Meu Refrigerador Nao Funciona"

Jardim Eletrico
(Universal Brazil)

"Jardim Eletrico"

E Seus Cometas No Pais Do Baurets
(Universal Brazil)

"E Seus Cometas No Pais Do Baurets"

At long last, the first five records from legendary Brazilian psych-art-folk-prog-freaks Os Mutantes are again available. Considering the importance these records have in the history of Brazilian music and psychedelia, as well as the sheer joy that radiates from the grooves, it is amazing that these have been unavailable to us for so long. (We sold close to 2000 copies of the debut when it was first made available domestically in '99). Os Mutantes were central to the famed Tropicalia movement that shook Brazil in the late-'60s, as a group of young artists and musicians revolted against the restrictive policies of the culture ministry (and the government in general), incorporating American and British influences of folk, rock and roll, and psychedelia in a decidedly Brazilian concoction that is percussive, playful, and electric at a time when it was actually forbidden to use an electric guitar in public.

The core trio of Arnaldo Baptista, his brother Sergio Dias Baptista, and chanteuse Rita Lee crafted a number of brilliant records, beginning in '68 with Os Mutantes, but they were not alone in their efforts; the trio was also a vehicle for the masterminds of the movement, with the majority of the tracks on the debut written by Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Jorge Ben in collaboration with each other and the band. While all these artists were making revolutionary music at the time (quite literally, as both musically and lyrically they were aggressively challenging the status quo, eventually causing a number of the key players to be exiled to Europe to avoid prosecution), Os Mutantes were in many ways the wildest of the lot, famed for full-scale performance art concerts that pushed the boundaries of the absurd while remaining anchored by truly timeless songwriting.

Even today, the music rises above the drama and politics from which it sprang, managing to be smart, funny, catchy, creepy, danceable and thought-provoking all at the same time, while never losing its sense of fun. Driving percussion, swirling organ, fuzz-guitar, strummed acoustic, punchy horns and layered harmonies all join together in this steaming dish, and nearly 40 years later, the plate is still hot and fresh. As with many groups, their debut is probably their finest moment, in their case likely due to a combination of the intense political and emotional battles they were fighting to be heard, and the tight-knit group of collaborators with whom they were working, soon to be blown by the winds of change to the four corners of the world. But the first three albums are all thrilling from start to finish, and even as they grew more outlandish and "progressive" on the following few albums, they remained one of the most interesting groups of the time.

As the group takes to the road for the first time in more than 30 years (sans Rita, who has maintained a huge pop presence in Brazil and declined to reunite with her former comrades), now is the time to start your collection or fill in the gaps. We hope to keep these classics available, but historically that has not always been easy to do, as this is must-hear music for fans of psychedelia, Latin, folk, protest…or good music in general. [JM]

THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS

[GA] Geoff Albores
[LG] Lisa Garrett
[DG] Daniel Givens
[GH] Gerald Hammill
[DH] Duane Harriott
[RH] Rob Hatch-Miller
[MK] Michael Klausman
[AK] Andreas Knutsen
[JM] Josh Madell
[DM] Doug Mosurock
[SM] Scott Mou
[MT] Mahssa Taghinia



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