The Other Music Update

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	March 8, 2007


			OTHER MUSIC GOES DIGITAL! Coming Soon! Other Music steps into the Digital Age with the launch of our new download store! We'll be sending out more details via e-mail; you can sign up to this list by going to digital.othermusic.com. Interested labels, distributors and bands should contact labels@othermusic.com.


	FEATURED NEW RELEASES Arcade Fire !!! Bismillah Khan Shivkumar Sharma Zakir Hussain D-I-Y (Soul Jazz comp.) Baby Grandmothers Air Gesualdo Alan Greenberg (Land of Look Behind) Mark Templeton Rjd2 4hero Moloch Gruff Rhys Amon Tobin High Priest Do Make Say Think		Rub-n-Tug Wooden Spoon The Stooges Apostle of Hustle My Brightest Diamond Big Business Cheeseburger ALSO AVAILABLE Peter Bjorn & John (First two albums with bonus tracks) Fingered Dvdzine PRE-ORDER The Ponys

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WIN TICKETS TO VALERIE & HER WEK OF WONDERS
This Saturday and Sunday, Philadelphia musicians bring new life to a forgotten classic of the Czech New Wave: Jaromil Jires' VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS (1970). The sound goes off and the amps get cranked as a collective of Philly’s finest underground musicians pay tribute to this seminal film of the new folk movement. Spearheaded by Greg Weeks (Espers, Grass), the ensemble includes harpist Mary Lattimore, cellist Helena Espvall (Espers), vocalist Tara Burke (Fursaxa), amongst an all-star orchestra. Other Music has a pair of tickets to give away for each night! The two winners will also receive a CD copy of the movie's original soundtrack. To enter, send an email to contest@othermusic.com, and please include your daytime phone number. Winners will be notified this Friday.

In conjunction with the VALERIE PROJECT performance, B-Music will also present a double-bill of freak-folk cinema from the infamous and underexposed Czech New Wave of the late ‘60s / early '70s -- CASSANDRA CAT and MORGIANA -- on SUNDAY MARCH 11 beginning at 3pm.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY MARCH 10 & 11
ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES: 32 2nd Avenue NYC
Advance Tickets Available @ Other Music

Please join B-Music Saturday night for an after-party (Midnight) with DJs ANDY VOTEL and URSULA 1000 @ MIDWAY (24 Ave B btwn 2nd & 3rd streets)

IMAGINE THE SHAPES RECORD GIVE AWAY!
In celebration of the recent release of the Imagine the Shapes CD compilation, New York's What's Your Rupture label sent Other Music a box filled with almost all of their vinyl releases, including Love Is All's "Make Out Fall Out Make Up" 7", caUSE co-MOTION's "This Just Wont Last" 7", the Long Blondes' "Giddy Stratospheres"12" and Comet Gain's "Beautiful Despair" 12", as well as a few other musical surprises to give to one lucky person. To enter, send an email to contest@othermusic.com, and please leave a daytime phone number where you can be reached. The winner will be chosen next Monday, March 12.


	$11.99 CD $17.99 LTD. CD		ARCADE FIRE Neon Bible (Merge) "Intervention" "Keep the Car Running" Like a cult religion gone mainstream, Canadian indie darlings Arcade Fire have been getting a lot of exposure leading up to the release of their second full-length album, Neon Bible. A glowing spread in the New York Times Magazine, an appearance on Saturday Night Live, a string of sold-out shows in New York City at the Judson Memorial Church, and endless critics fawning over the band have made 2007 the Year of Arcade Fire. Any music critic of a certain age compares anything vaguely anthemic of theirs to U2 or Springsteen, and comparisons to Bowie are often invoked, especially as Bowie's been vocal about his love of the band. A similarity to the multi-instrumental, dual gender, egalitarian, and popular Belle and Sebastian wouldn't be far off the mark either -- at one of the Arcade Fire's recent shows, the stage was packed, many string instruments were used, the crowd was euphoric, and the band played a cover of "Poupee de cire, poupee de son," the Serge Gainsbourg-written Eurovision contest winner of '65, which has also been covered live by B&S. Neon Bible, recorded in a church, is full of references to that religious institution -- from the grand, sweeping organ on "Intervention" to lyrics like "Working for the church while your life falls apart/Singing hallelujah with the fear in your heart" or "Dear God, I'm a good Christian man/In your glory, I know you understand" and of course, the title of the album. References to water are also prevalent throughout the album in tracks like "Ocean of Noise" and "The Well and the Lighthouse. Neon Bible's got pounding songs, like the opening "Black Mirror," as well as slow burners which build up beautifully like the title-track and "My Body Is a Cage." The band employs everything from a hurdy-gurdy to a full orchestra and choir to invoke the sweeping and yes, let's say it, anthemic songs. Neon Bible is a must-have for Arcade Fire fans, and if you're not an Arcade Fire fan, well, maybe it's time to convert. Can I get a hallelujah and an Amen? (Limited edition version comes in a hinged box with two 32-page booklets designed by the band. LP version not yet released.) [JA]


	$11.99 CDx2		!!! Myth Takes (Warp) "Bend Over Beethoven" "Heart of Hearts" It's been more than a few years since' the dance (post)-punk explosion initially swept over Gotham. And while these days, beardos seem to outnumber angular haircuts by 3-to-1, it's interesting to see who's left standing and who's down for the count. For those of you not keeping score: the Rapture have since released a couple of decent albums, though they still haven't come anywhere close to touching the cowbell-glory of "House of Jealous Lovers;" Radio 4 seemed to have danced themselves into an underground hole; and LCD Soundsystem, whose 2005 full-length out-funked Daft Punk's Human After All, are about to unleash the best album of their career (not to mention a strong contender for a top spot in 2007). However, of the aforementioned, !!! might be the biggest anomaly. Like LCD, these Brooklyn by way of San Diego disco-punks are well informed by dance music (check Maurice Fulton's co-production credit on their last album). But for !!!, the song often takes a backseat to the groove, with Nic Offer's half-spoken, percussive vocals sitting in the same pocket as the fluid guitar lines and slippery bass and drums. Still, it makes for a great, energetic live show that actually feels more like a dance party. So with nu-rave having spread like an infectious disease across the UK, and space disco revivalists like Norway's Lindstrom heating up party sound systems in the States, the timing couldn't be better for !!! to make their breakthrough. On Myth Takes, you definitely find the band taking many those steps: the production is fuller, the beats are heavier, and the melodies are more upfront with the lyrical content being less political than before. The only thing missing here, however, is THAT SONG. That's not to insinuate that !!! have taken a step backwards; the title track manages to merge spooky, spaghetti western atmosphere with a propulsive Kraut groove as Offer's rhythmic vocal inflections bring to mind the staccato melody of Yellow''s "Bostich," while "Must Be the Moon" sees the band channeling the dancefloor stomp of Happy Monday's "24 Hour Party People" through a darker, funkier filter. And there's no doubt that cuts like the Can-goes-disco "A New Name," the dubby "Break in Case of Anything" and "Me and Giuliani" sequel "Bend Over Beethoven" will get people shaking at their live shows. But being the dance music aficionados that they are, I'm still waiting for !!! to rein in just a little of the sprawl, and focus on delivering that four-minute "White Horse" / "Music Sounds Better with You" floor filler that I know they've got in 'em. (For a limited time: includes a bonus disc featuring alternate versions of "Myth Takes" and "Bend Over Beethoven," plus a Brothers remix of "Heart of Hearts.") [GH]


	Bismillah Khan $21.99 CD Shivukumar Sharma $21.99 CD Zakir Husain $21.99 CD		BISMILLAH KHAN First LP Record (Saregama India) "Raga Todi" SHIVKUMAR SHARMA First LP Record (Saregama India) "Raga Lalat" ZAKIR HUSSAIN First LP Record (Saregama India) "Teentaal" The First LP Record series highlights the first solo works of Indian Classical virtuosos who have gained reverence worldwide as the defining masters of their instruments. Profiled here are three maestros of the highest order and the instruments which they have made famous: Bismillah Khan (shehnai), Shivkumar Sharma (santoor) and Zakir Hussain (tabla). Ustad Bismillah Khan's name is rightfully synonymous with the shehnai, a quadruple-reed instrument of Persian origin which is commonly heard in North Indian weddings and hailed for possessing auspicious qualities. Khan has been an emblematic symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity in post-Independence India, as he was a devout Shi'a Muslim who chose to live his life in the holy Hindu city Varanasi, playing his shehnai outside of temples along the banks of the Ganges. The highly emotive, reflective, hypnotic and sublime qualities of the shehnai are captured here by the man who secured its status as a prestigious classical instrument, playing it for more than eight decades with a heartfelt dedication and precision. The santoor is a hammered dulcimer with one hundred strings, indigenous to the region of Kashmir. Long a popular folk instrument, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma first brought the santoor to the classical stage in 1955, adapting it to better suit Indian Classical music by adding sixteen more strings in order to play on a wider range. Sharma channels from the santoor an effect that is both sonorous and delicate at the same time, invoking a deeply contemplative and dreamy affect on the listener. This recording enraptures us with the mesmerizing sound of the santoor -- a heavenly and mesmerizing instrument given the breath of life by Sharma. Ustad Zakir Hussain, arguably the most famous Indian classical player worldwide, has brought the tabla a new distinction. Thanks to his ecstatic virtuoso, he has been the preferred accompanist of legends such as Ali Akbar Khan, Ravi Shankar and Shivkumar Sharma. Hussain has also fostered successful fusion collaborations with artists such as, to name a prestigious few: the Beatles, Pharoah Sanders, Tito Puente, Mickey Hart, and Bill Laswell. But here he is presented in his essence: as the master of classical music that he is. This album exemplifies the dexterity, intuition, and excitement characteristic of Zakir Hussain, who continues to lead his life fully dedicated to music. [JC]


	$18.99 CD $22.99 LPx2		VARIOUS ARTISTS D-I-Y The Rise of the Music Industry After Punk (Soul Jazz) "Let's Build a Car" Swell Maps "Distant Dreams Pt. 2" Throbbing Gristle The folks at Soul Jazz bring their typically thorough, rewarding compilation formula to a realm previously only occupied by Chuck Warner's Messthetics series, with the sort of results you've come to expect. D-I-Y Do It Yourself covers the UK post-punk scene from 1978 up through 1986, across artist- and collectively-run labels like New Hormones, Rough Trade, Industrial, Cherry Red, Fast Product, Factory, Rather, and many others. The music on these labels is what we remember, and this is as well-rounded a collection as has been released since the whole post-punk revival got moving. Bands like the Buzzcocks, Fire Engines, Throbbing Gristle and Swell Maps are rounded out by a great deal of lesser-known acts, like the backwards dub of Windows' "Creation Rebel," the solo synth-pop of Thomas Leer, the drums and vocals agitprop of the Frantic Elevators, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry's dark rock stylings, and Blurt's paranoid jazzbo no-wave stomp. Also featuring recent Other Music update notables like Glaxo Babies, Scritti Politti, and A.P.B. (the latter two which graced NYC with their first-ever performances in the past few months), this is a better place than most to jump into the wild and disparate genre reflected here, as well as an easy place to pick up tracks that have eluded you in their pricey, rare original pressings. With a thick booklet describing the ins and outs of the history behind the music, and the individuals who made it happen, D-I-Y is bound to intrigue and sure to please. [DM]


	$15.99 CD		BABY GRANDMOTHERS Baby Grandmothers (Subliminal Sounds) "Somebody Keeps Calling My Name" "Being Is More Than Life" Sweden's Baby Grandmothers released a single in Finland during the late 1960s that has since become something of a holy grail for Scandinavian psych aficionados. Now, those who have gone through box after box of Claritin and Kleenex in day after day of digging through dusty crate after dusty crate in search of the mystic slab can give thanks to the good people at Subliminal Sounds for sparing them from another day in the mines. This collection, which bundles the fabled single together with a cross-section of live recordings, is psych at its primal and wooly best, with roaming guitar lines, dizzying, diving bass runs and prodigious, rolling drums that push the whole organism on toward the Northern Lights and beyond. Reading through the extensive liner notes will make you a fully tenured professor at Pysch University, but before studying up, let a few listens carry you up out of your slippers. [TA]


	$16.99 CD		AIR Pocket Symphony (Astralwerks) "Space Maker" "Once Upon a Time" This record leaves me craving a bubble bath (and wishing I had an actual tub), and that's nothing but a good thing, folks. Following their triumph last year in producing Charlotte Gainsbourg's 5:55 album, Nicolas Godin and JB Dunckel return with a new Air album. Featuring vocal guest spots by Jarvis Cocker, a fabulous cameo by Neil Hannon (though no Charlotte), and drums by Tony Allen and Joey Waronker, the album retains much of the after-hours candlelit moodiness of their recent work, but less of the sly humorous streak woven into Moon Safari and 10,000 Hz Legend (no "Wonder Milky Bitch", then). The arrangements here are beautiful and mainly acoustic -- nearly all songs are lead by heavily reverbed grand piano lines and acoustic guitars; synths take more of a supportive role, making way for vibraphones, kotos, and shamisens. They aren't breaking any new ground here, but as their arrangements grow ever so slightly more exotic, they're simply refining their formula with rather satisfying results. As a wise man once said, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." To paraphrase another wise man, "Soak if you got 'em!" [IQ]


	$17.99 CD		GESUALDO Quinto Libro di Madrigali (1611) (Glossa) "Poiche L'avida Sete "Tu M'uccidi" Probably not until the grisly murders that marked the Norwegian black metal scene in the early 1990s did the music world have an episode as sordid and disturbing as the one that involved the sixteenth century Italian prince and composer Gesualdo Da Venosa. It was an episode whose circumstances were so bizarre as to be unbelievable were it not for the numerous contemporary accounts and documentation that provide history with irrefutable verification. No doubt that if those circumstances were repeated today any number of producers for Court TV or Dateline NBC would be beside themselves with giddiness. No less a personage than filmmaker Werner Herzog deemed the whole affair to be eccentric enough to warrant one of his characteristic documentaries, 1995's Gesualdo; Death for Five Voices. Some, but by no means all, of the salacious details in brief: heir to the most powerful family in Venosa, Gesualdo was already single mindedly obsessed with music by the time it was arranged for him to marry his first cousin Maria d'Avalos. It appears that after a period of neglect she entered into an adulterous affair with a nobleman named Fabrizio Carafa that lasted for two years, unbeknownst to the preoccupied composer. After having finally been tipped off, Gesualdo arranged to set a trap for the unsuspecting lovers. Barging in on the sleeping pair post-coitus, Gesualdo and his men at arms proceeded to brutally murder the two. After having eviscerated their sex organs, and dressing Carafa in women's clothing, he unceremoniously dumped the pair outside his castle gates to be discovered by the scandalized town's populous. It is be believed that he subsequently murdered his young son due to his doubts about the child's parentage, and that he had his guards homicidally dispatch his revenge seeking father-in-law. Though outraged, the town's populace had little recourse or standing to prosecute such a notable member of the aristocracy. The subsequent years show Gesualdo becoming increasingly eccentric. Racked with grief and self-loathing, the composer changed estates and in a fit of paranoia razed the forest surrounding it. He ensconced himself within the walls of his castle, rarely venturing out, surrounded by a phalanx of bodyguards and young men who routinely flagellated the prince to satiate his sado-masochistic desires. But he also hired himself the best musicians that his considerable fortune could afford and proceeded to compose some of the most avant-garde music of his day or any other. Two centuries had to elapse before his advancements could be taken up again. This is a beautifully produced CD with superb packaging by the excellent Italian ensemble La Venexiana, performing pieces from Gesualdo's fifth book of madrigals, when his compositions were taking a decidedly weirder turn. They're littered with unusual juxtapositions, characterized by the frequent use of colliding tempos and abrupt chromatic changes. Although it can be a dissonant and disjointed music, it is one also marked by areas of exquisite pause and lyrical reflection. And as to be expected it is incredibly tortured, laden with never-ending references, to grief, sorrow, pain, and death. The fascinating tone and theme of his work can be neatly summed up in the lyrics to "Poiche l'avida sete": "Since your avid thirst/for my sad tears/isn't quenched yet, o cruel heart/sate it with my blood/now that my wounded breast is about to gush forth/a painful river/And you, source of the atrocious sorrow/that leads me to death/see, despite yourself, the pious effect/of your cruelty and my torment/as I die from sorrow, I do not feel death." [MK]


	$17.99 DVD w/CD		ALAN GREENBERG Land of Look Behind (Subversive) In one of this deluxe DVD's bonus clips, filmmaker Alan Greenberg retells a short yet poignant story of meeting Bob Marley for the first time. Greenberg was in the yard of Marley's Kingston home, when the reggae legend comes out and simply kicks a soccer ball to him. Greenberg, of course, kicks it back. The filmmaker also tells of why his first feature film, Land of Look Behind, would be about Jamaica and Bob Marley's untimely death and funeral: While standing before the singer's casket in Marley's Miami house, a family friend relays to him a vision that she had from Bob, where he told her that Greenberg needed to make a film about his life. The rest of the family insisted. Prior to this film, Greenberg wrote a book about movie visionary Werner Herzog, and there's no doubt that this research and experience prepared him for his later mission. Originally released in 1982, Land of Look Behind is a gem of a documentary and certainly a Jamaican classic. While Rockers and The Harder They Come were basically Blaxploitation films adapted to a Jamaican setting, this resonates with the pure heartbeat of the Isle. Upon his arrival to begin filming, Greenberg establishes a friendship with Mutabaruka and Gregory Isaacs, quite possibly the two polar spectrums of Marley's musical influence: Rastafarian roots and the dance hall stage. There's a great sequence that follows Isaacs through the streets of Kingston from his African (music) Museum to the stage of a local sound system party. The documentary also delves into the hills showing the Nyabinghi drum connection. But at the center of the film is the humbling procession of Marley's horse-pulled casket going across the hills, countryside, and townships of JA (at Bob's request), giving every islander a chance to view their most celebrated resident. I could go on with many more descriptions. Land of Look Behind is raw and rich, a beautiful document of a man, a music, and an island, with a wealth of imagery, magic, and a joy that comes from the trance-like energy and pace at which the scenes unfold and connect. A complete soundtrack is included on a separate disc as well. Recommended for anyone interested in Jamaican history -- not strictly the music -- and for those that long for more than just another true Hollywood story. The reward is rich for those who dig deep. [DG]


	$16.99 CD		MARK TEMPLETON Standing on a Hummingbird (Anticipate) "Amidst Things Uncontrolled" "Tentative Growth" Resembling that state you're in when you fall asleep with the TV on best describes the debut release from Canadian electronic artist Mark Templeton. You know, that blissful, half out of it feeling one gets as dreamland is a mere fraction of a moment away but that late night infomercial keeps you stirring. Templeton uses his laptop to compose songs out of snippets of people talking, static, chirping birds and a variety of acoustic instruments. Each starts with the pairing of a sampled sound or noise -- violin and rain on "Refrain From" and a single resonating note and the rifling through a kitchen drawer on "Amidst Things Uncontrolled." Like a free jazz composer, Templeton proceeds by introducing a crackling new tone or instrument as previous ones drop away, making for uncluttered arrangements that breathe. What is most notable about Standing on a Hummingbird is the serene, pastoral beauty Templeton creates using fractured, stuttered samples via modern means. The poignant guitar and static duet on "Tentative Growth" delivers hope in its midsection thanks to the addition of a chorus of birds while sparkles of static dance around unedited guitar on "Difficult To Light." This inaugural release from the new Canadian label Anticipate Recordings is a good reason to look northward for some prime "electro-acoustic" music. [CC]


	$11.99 CD		RJD2 The Third Hand (XL) "Have Mercy" "Beyond the Beyond" To his credit, RJD2 understands that the road he has been traveling from obscurity to indie success was nearing a dead end. Despite his undeniable ability to produce hypnotic instrumental hip-hop, it's hard to imagine where to go next with these accomplishments. To take his music to the next level, he needed a star, or a star-turn; the bottom line is that even the most talented top-tier producers often seem lost when they are not supporting their superstar muses on the mic, and it's the rare production genius who can command the spotlight alone. But with no Cee-Lo knocking on his door, RJD2 decided that it was time for him to step up to the microphone himself; he just had to make a complete about-face to reach it. The Third Hand eschews the sample-heavy soulful grooves of his previous work for a straight-up pop sound, mainly live instrumentation (all played by RJ), piano and keyboards and the producer's clear, high vocals at the center of a sound that owes more to Wings and Steely Dan than it does to Terminator X. Although RJD2's past productions have showed admiral depth that clearly came from a love of classic songwriting and progressive rock (amongst many other influences), nobody could have expected an album of progressive pop last heard on AM radio in 1975. [JM]


	$17.99 CD		4HERO Play with the Changes (Milan) "Morning Child" "Something the Way" A new 4hero album is always a welcome release, given the fact that they don't happen very often. Regardless, Play with the Changes more or less picks up where their last album, 2001's Creating Patterns, left off, though they've all but let go of their drum-n-bass roots for a smoother yet expansive sound. Like Outkast, the duo of Marc Mac and Dego split the songwriting and production duties, and rarely even appear on the same track together. That said, each brings a unique vision to the 4hero equation that's one part broken beat and one part lush soul, yet it never feels uneven. You can definitely detect a strong influence of the latter on Play with the Changes. Displaying a strong fondness for Charles Stepney- (Rotary Connection, Terry Callier, Minnie Riperton) style production, 4hero utilize live instrumentation and lush string arrangements throughout, referencing classic '70s soul, a la Isaac Hayes, Barry White and Stevie Wonder, but with a definitive UK bent. As always, the duo welcome several female guest vocalists, including Jody Watley, Ursula Rucker, Carina Anderson, FACE, Bembe Seque, along with the fresh new voices of Darien Brockington and Jack Davey. Fans of labels like Giant Step, BBE, Ubiquity, and Compost will no doubt find a wealth of soulful listening in these 14 tracks. [DG]


	$15.99 CD		MOLOCH Moloch (Fallout) "Helping Hand" "Maverick Women Blues" Many bands claim the mantle of best group you've never heard of, and Moloch is no different. But if these unsung Memphis heroes, led by Lee Baker (that best guitarist you never heard of), haven't left a long shadow over the popular imagination at least so far as name recognition goes, they've left an indelible foot print on album after album of humid, neck pick-up bluesy woggle ever since they crawled out of Tennessee back in 1969. The product of a 1970 session at Ardent Studios with Memphis Sound titan Don Nix at the knobs, this record, originally released by a Stax subsidiary only to vanish from the scene like a decaying blue note, will leave you wondering how anything so elemental could have been so easily lost in the mists of time. "Going Down" is the standout canon fodder here, and it's been imprinted in the pop DNA by admirers like Eric Clapton, but the album works best in its entirety. Just the thing to make the walls sweat a little while you wait for the weather to get warm enough to put away your wool hat. [TA]


	$13.99 CD		GRUFF RHYS Candylion (Team Love) "Candylion" "Ffwydriad" Hold hands, psych heads and Britpop fans! Gruff Rhys continues down the genre-hopping path he forged with Super Furry Animals with Candylion, his second solo album. It's quite a departure from his solo debut, which was sung in Welsh and had a distinct bedroom sound, with Technicolor fidelity and string arrangements by High Llamas' Sean O'Hagan. The vibe is decidedly retro but the playful experimentalism bridges the gap between yesterday and tomorrow nicely, and keeps it from sounding rehashed and stale. Rhys draws from country rock, Tropicalia, soft rock, and the Welsh psych-folk he compiled on last year's Welsh Rare Beat, and Candylion is quite an accomplished statement by one of today's most imaginative songwriters. [AK]


	$14.99 CD w/DVD		AMON TOBIN Foley Room (Ninja Tune) "Ever Falling" "At the End of the Day" It seems like a strange drug-dream, remembering those ancient days at Other Music when electronica was quite literally turning the underground on its ear. Many forward-thinking music fans actually turned green if you mentioned the words "rock" or "pop" or (cringe) "guitars," and Amon Tobin was king of our universe. Tobin's mid-'90s thrillers (Bricolage and Permutation were both monumental chart-toppers at the shop) took the generally mundane soft-serve of trip-hop, where any punter with a sampler and a stack of Blue Note vinyl could become a hotel-lounge star, and approached the genre like a surgeon AND a songwriter. Meticulously disassembling jazz and Brazilian records and crafting exhilaratingly human grooves out of forgotten Buddy Rich drum solos, Tobin set a standard for musicality and taste that has perhaps never been matched, crafting albums that, in the best possible sense, had universal appeal. Flash-forward 10 years; sampling has moved well beyond the realm of hip-hop and trip-hop to become standard fare across genres and our customers have grown long beards and a deep passions for acoustic music. While Tobin has churned out a series of smart and interesting records and solidified a "career" with a bevy of car ads and video-game soundtracks, his 2007 release arrives in danger of being greeted with the dreaded "haven't we heard this before?" Well, not exactly. Foley Room takes its name from the film world, where sound designers record their aural illusions for the big screen, and for the new album Tobin has changed his tactics from mining his vinyl for inspiration to exploring (and recording) the world around him. Collaborating with scientists, zoologists, musicians, and a cast of thousands, he tracked sources from bugs and ants to wolves and tigers to trains and motorcycles to the Kronos Quartet to (literally) the kitchen sink (there was an extensive underwater strings and percussion recording session). Tobin then returned to his own studio to sample, loop, and painstakingly assemble this suite of sounds into a dark, often intense swirl of song. The results have much in common with Tobin's classic records of yore, but also the more experimental works of artists like Markus Schmickler's Pluramon project or some of Matthew Herbert's more abstract work. Dark, haunting, ambient or pounding and percussive, Foley Room is hypnotic and deep with a pervasive feeling that Tobin has, for a moment, harnessed the earth's intoxicating power on record. Tobin has managed to find a new direction yet seamlessly builds on his past explorations, and as the accompanying DVD shows, he clearly had a ball along the way. While not exactly the sort of thriller that Tobin's music tends to evoke, the film shows Tobin and crew traveling the world in pursuit of sound, blowing wind into a tin-foil bubble of bugs to make them take wing or laying quietly by some deserted railroad tracks waiting for a train. It gives a sense of a mad artist at work and along the way inspires us all to simply take pause in life and listen. [JM]


	$14.99 CD		HIGH PRIEST Born Identity (Sound Ink) "Book of Keys" "Holler Atta General" High Priest is one of the few abstract MCs who actually still resides in NYC. Once a member of the famed Anti-Pop Consortium and more recently Airborn Audio, HP releases his solo full-length Born Identity on the NYC-based Sound Ink label. More agitated and grimy than anything he's appeared on thus far, he journeys deep into the black hole. Like a futuristic narrator to an urban-galactic video game, HP's dark and deep voice creates a vortex of word association, apocalyptic tales, and warped visions of a new world. Less of a partier than Beans (his former partner in rhyme), High Priest is more concerned with twisting your brain. The thick production -- courtesy of Anti-Pop producer Earl Blaize, DJ Raedawn (Tigerbeat 6, Lex) and HP himself -- reaches for the outer realms of digital hip-hop and often borders on grime-styled beat constructions. Overall, Born Identity is darker and denser than APC, and more digestible than El-P, with notable guests that include L.I.F.E. Long and members of TV on the Radio. [DG]


	$14.99 CD		DO MAKE SAY THINK You, You're a History in Rust (Constellation) "The Universe" "Herstory of Glory" Whether it's because of some moonlighting in Broken Social Scene or just life in general, post-rockers Do Make Say Think must have been busy; it's been almost four years since the release of the band's acclaimed Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn. Yet, with their long-awaited fifth release, the Canadian quintet proves that they are able to pick up right where they left off. With a combination of deliberate instrumentals and perky rhythms, You, You're a History in Rust is a testament to the group dynamic of DMST. The album as a whole manages to balance the sonic raging of amped-up guitars and crashing drums with the gentle tickles of muted acoustics so characteristic to ambient pieces -- check out the succession of "The Universe!" to "A Tender History in Rust." And while the listener's thirst for beautiful rippling soundscapes is satiated with cascading synths, DMST also manages to surprise the well-seasoned fan with the appearance of vocals on the second track, "A With Living," and a cheery, poppy burst in album closer "In Mind." DMST has created an album that is both familiar yet completely new, and the resulting You, You're a History in Rust feels like an eight-song collection of their work from past to present -- and that isn't a bad thing. [PG]


	$15.99 CD		RUB-N-TUG Campfire / Various (Eskimo) "Lady Bug" "Midnight Man" New York's illest DJ duo crafted Campfire, a mix CD for the Eskimo imprint (home to Lindstrom and Prins Thomas) that recreates a night out at one of their gigs. It took a while to get over here though, but it's a delight to hear this thing in daylight, rather than 3 A.M. Sure, there's a loin-throbbing mix of house and funk from Daniel Wang and Bumblebee Unlimited, as well as face-tingling side effects, from beeps and roosters to needle-drops on choice tracks by the likes of Aphrodite's Child and Hot Chocolate. And what would a wasted morning be without weird drop-outs, skipping records, and the boys whispering in your ear on the dancefloor? [AB]


	$17.99 CD		WOODEN SPOON The Folk Blues Guitar of Wooden Spoon (Bo Weavil) "Maimie" "Dead Shrimp" Improvisational folk guitar, as guided by the delicate hands of Wooden Spoon, a/k/a Owen Hills, is a far cry from the beatnik tunings of 1960's coffeehouses. This British musician's graceful, primitive sound combines free jazz, slow Southern picking and the sparkling simplicity that can resonate from just an acoustic guitar. The opener, "By The Riverside," sets the tone with layered, elegant strumming that rambles along like Nick Drake at his most thoughtful. "Maimie," a tune named after the composer's young daughter, is an affectionate, childlike skip-a-long. The blues mosey in on "Jesus" and, thanks to the addition of background percussive clatter, sounds like an American Folkways field recording. Wooden Spoon beautifully extends the life of these simpler, American music traditions, making for a welcome respite from the clamor of 21st century life. But tools of modernity are not entirely shelved. The track "Oban" features sampled notes played brusquely and seemingly backwards to mimic bagpipes. Wrapping up The Folk Blues Guitar is the sparsely plucked track "In the Dark Night," that clocks in at 17-plus minutes giving Wooden Spoon the occasion to flex his improv muscles while never, ever showboating. This sophisticated, lovely soundscape of a bygone era is a humble effort from a man who, after all, chose to veil his identity behind a simple utensil and allow his guitar to bask in the spotlight. [CC]


	$12.99 CD		THE STOOGES Weirdness (Virgin) "Trollin'" Don't you hate it when a record store or magazine reviews a record and says it's best for you to decide on your own if you like it? Get ready to hate us: the Stooges reunion album is here and it's a very direct, heavy effort of simple, knuckle-dragging rock, same as you remember them. The polarizing force here is Iggy Pop, who is basically reporting on the world just like he's always done. Do you think he feels the same way as he did in 1969? How about 1973? No? Good, then basically what you're getting is Iggy's new album, with his most direct backing band since Raw Power (Ron and Scott Asheton with Mike Watt on bass). Recorded with a wallop by Steve Albini, these twelve songs aren't out to answer any unresolved questions, and sound like a bunch of old friends having fun together. And what's the harm in that? [DM]


	$14.99 CD		APOSTLE OF HUSTLE National Anthem of Nowhere (Arts and Crafts) "My Sword Hand's Anger" "National Anthem" National Anthem of Nowhere is the second "solo" release from Broken Social Scene lead guitarist Andrew Whiteman. In reality, Whiteman's music is far from solo, though his pop songs come across as substantially less cacophonous and anthemic than they do in that other group. But Apostle Of Hustle is a full-fledged rock band in its own right, and a pretty cool one at that...time and again it's proven that even the spin-offs of BSS are a few notches above most indie fare out there. Mainly consisting of straightforward guitar bass and drums, AOH adds sophisticated touches like subtle loop programming and keyboards and the occasional Latin flourish, giving the album a wonderful pulse of life. [JM]


	$14.99 CD		MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND Tear It Down (Asthmatic Kitty) "Golden Star" "Disappear" Some might recognize Shara Worden (a/k/a My Brightest Diamond) as one of Sufjan Stevens' cheerleader uniform clad Illinoisemakers. It turns out that Worden is a classically trained singer who possesses a voice way more powerful and versatile than what we've heard from her while singing backup in Stevens' troupe. Her album debut as My Brightest Diamond, 2006's Bring Me the Workhorse, definitely caused people to do a double take; the record was a sweeping, dramatic affair that had critics and fans heaping on comparisons to Kate Bush, Portishead, and even Bjork. It was also no doubt good fodder for a remix album, as Tear It Down finds 13 different producers reinventing Workhorse, steering the original tracks in more electronic but, almost always, equally lush territories. With the exception of the two re-workings of "Freak Out" (Gold Chains' electro-house Panique mix and a breakbeat version via DJ Kenny Mitchell's REWIND 93 REMIX), most of the other treatments are more subdued. Lusine and Strings of Consciousness apply a dark, Bristol-inspired trip-hop sheen to "Workhorse" and "Gone Away" respectively, (so does Alfred Brown's stripped-down version of "Magic Rabbit" which strengthens the Portishead comparisons), while Murcof places minimal electronic beats and textures underneath the orchestrated "Dragonfly." All in all a satisfying companion to the original Bring Me the Workhorse, not to mention something fans of the aforementioned artists may want to check out. [GH]


	$13.99 CD		BIG BUSINESS Here Come the Waterworks (Hydrahead) "Hands Up" "I'll Give You Something to Cry About" Big Business' first album Head for the Shallow raged hard, but lingered like a hasty product of tragedy, a band trying to pick up the pieces. Days before they were to embark on their first US tour, Olympia, WA metal/sludge trio The Whip ended with the accidental death of drummer Scott Jernigan, who had played in Karp with Big Business's Jared Warren. (If you like this record, you owe it to yourself to check out the past works of both these bands.) Teaming up with ex-Murder City Devils drummer Coady Willis, Warren started Big Business as a duo, lumbering and raw; imagine Animal from the Muppets playing drums with second-string Muppet, Sweetums, on bass and vocals. Last year, one of the biggest honors that could be bestowed upon a band like theirs happened, as they joined the Melvins, intact, as that band's new rhythm section. Having the godfathers of slow and heavy noise bring the band up into the ranks has energized the group, and on Here Come the Waterworks they expand their sonic palette even further, with a fuller sound, stronger songs and a more menacing vibe. Rock and metal fans will be pinned to the floor by this monstrous record. [DM]


	$12.99 CD		CHEESEBURGER Cheeseburger (Kemado) "Let the Good Times Roll" "Easy Street" NYC scum-rock trio Cheeseburger performs a series of songs about pirates, drugs, street livin' and partying with all the candor you'd expect from a band that so deliberately smashes good taste like a 40 oz. bottle on Kent Ave. Raw, dumb, disgusting fun, nothing more or less. [DM]


	Peter Bjorn & John $19.99 CD Falling Out $19.99 CD		PETER BJORN & JOHN Peter Bjorn & John w/ 5 Bonus Tracks (Wichita) "Don't Be Skew" PETER BJORN & JOHN Falling Out w/ 5 Bonus Tracks (Wichita) "See Through" Here are the first two Peter, Bjorn & John albums, the self-titled debut from 2002 and Falling Out, from 2005, courtesy of Wichita. These expanded import versions come with five bonus tracks each.


	$14.99 DVD		FINGERED DVDZINE Winter/Spring 2007 (Fingered) The new edition of the Fingered Dvdzine spotlights the San Francisco Bay Area’s ever-fertile artistic community. Features a live performance clip and a video tour diary from Erase Errata, plus Tussle, Fuckwolf, Black Fiction, Clipd Beaks, the work of visual artists Olivia Park and Joe Roberts (aka Krak!), and more.


	$11.99 CD		PONYS Turn the Lights Out (Matador) "Double Vision" "Exile on My Street" Pre-order the Ponys' new album (out Tuesday, March 20), and you'll receive a bevy of goodies, including a stream of the new album, an exclusive b-side, an exclusive live show download and a poster designed by Pony-man Nathan Jerde. Full details are listed on our Web site's News page.


	PHONE ORDERS Phone orders are accepted at (212) 477-8150 (ext. #2, mailorder) Mon-Fri, Noon - 7pm EST EMAIL For general inquiries or other information please email sales@othermusic.com. Do not reply to this message. REMOVE This is an automated list. If you would like to be removed from it for any reason, please send an email from the address you wish to delete to list@othermusic.com and make sure the word "Remove" is included in the subject line.		THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS [JA] Janine Annett [TA] Tim Annett [AB] Adrian Burkholder [CC] Carol Candeloro [JC] Jo Colagiacomi [PG] Pamela Garavano-Coolbaugh [DG] Daniel Givens [GH] Gerald Hammill [IQ] Mikey IQ Jones [MK] Michael Klausman [AK] Andreas Knutsen [JM] Josh Madell [DM] Doug Mosurock THANKS FOR READING - all of us at Other Music

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