The Other Music Update

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	September 26, 2007


	FEATURED NEW RELEASES Damon & Naomi The Dragons People Take Warning! (Box Set) Mum Devendra Banhart Iron & Wine (CD w/ Bonus Disc) The Heliocentrics The Cave Singers Tunng Magik Markers Jose Gonzalez Wooden Shjips Fennesz Supermayer Native Sir Richard Bishop Bob Downes Stars		Roy Harper Eugene Blacknell Alexander Turnquist Summer Records Anthology Red Krayola with Art & Language Concentrick Trojan Country Reggae Takka Takka ALSO AVAILABLE Shocking Pinks Sylvain Chauveau Bettye Lavette Loney, Dear VINYL PRESSING Animal Collective COMPLETE LIST OF THIS WEEK'S NEW ARRIVALS

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		WIN TICKETS TO SEE CLAUDE VON STROKE San Francisco's Dirtybird crew return to APT for their monthly residency this Thursday, September 27. Label heads Claude Von Stroke and Christian Martin, and Tanner Rose will be behind the decks, steering the night through tech-house and Detroit-styled acid. Other Music is giving away two pairs of tickets to this great party, so enter right now by emailing giveaway@othermusic.com, and please leave a daytime phone number where you can be reached. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 APT: 419 W. 13th Street NYC

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		MAPS TICKET GIVE AWAY! This Friday, September 28, UK soundsmith James Chapman (a/k/a Maps) brings his shimmering, laptop-driven psych-pop to New York's Mercury Lounge, supporting his excellent album We Can Create, out on Mute. We're giving away two pairs of tickets to this show, so drop us a line at tickets@othermusic.com to enter, and please include your daytime phone number. We'll be picking the winners this Thursday. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 MERCURY LOUNGE: 217 E. Houston Street NYC

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		WIN TICKETS TO GEORGIE JAMES! Georgie James is actually the duo of multi-instrumentalist John Davis (drummer for the now-defunct Q And Not U) and singer-songwriter Laura Burhenn, whose infectious, breezy indie pop caught the ear of Saddle Creek, who have just released their new album, Places. The duo will be performing at Europa in Greenpoint, Brooklyn on Wednesday, October 3, and we've got a couple of pairs of tickets to give away. To enter, email us at contest@othermusic.com, along with a daytime phone number. We'll notify the two winners on Friday, September 28. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3 EUROPA: 98 Meserole Ave., (corner of Manhattan Ave.) Greenpoint, Brooklyn


	$13.99 CD $9.99 mp3		DAMON AND NAOMI Within These Walls (20/20/20) "Lilac Land" "Red Flower" Though already well-established as a duo, a few years ago these two ex-Galaxie 500 members hooked up with Japanese wunderkind guitarist Michio Kurihara, and have since been hard at work steadily refining their beautiful blend of winsome folk and slow motion psychedelics. Back again with Within These Walls, their second full-length for their own 20/20/20 imprint, Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang present some of their prettiest, most genteel ballads to date. With Kurihara in the saddle once more, and horn and string arrangements care of nmperign's Bhob Rainey, the 10 songs gathered herein float by with gracious ease, draping gauzy melodies and ethereal vocals across languid rhythms and beautifully spare accompaniment. Tracks like "The Well" give Kurihara space to stretch out his electric guitars as a counterpoint to Yang's beatific vocals, while "On the Aventine" finds Krukowski taking a turn at the mic to contrast against some nifty, loping horn lines. Barely breaking into a gallop with the shimmering "Stars Never Fade," Damon & Naomi spend almost the whole of their latest record exploring the furthest reaches of their softest side, crafting their strongest and most memorable batch of tunes to date. [MC]


	$14.99 CD $9.99 mp3		THE DRAGONS BFI (Ninja Tune) "Food for My Soul" "On the Wall" The back story goes something like this: In the late 60s, seemingly influenced by the Beach Boys and the Doors, the three Malibu-based brothers Dragon (for real!) decide to form a band. The interest from record labels amount to about zero and the brothers disband. Daryl, Dennis, and Doug continue their attempt to live the rock 'n' roll dream by playing in the Beach Boys' backing band (and judging by a Japanese website there seems to be some sort of connection between the Dragons and the Farm's amazing Innermost Limits of Pure Fun surf soundtrack, but my poor Japanese knowledge prevents me from confirming that) and Daryl went on to become one half of Captain & Tennille. No points for guessing which half. Fast forward about 35 years and Strictly Kev/DJ Food picks up a bootleg of a surf soundtrack called A Sea for Yourself which features the Dragons' "Food for My Soul," and has his mind slightly blown. He manages to track one of the brothers down and -- fast forward to now -- here's the unearthing of BFI. The moods on this record are similar to parts of the aforementioned Farm album and Tully's Sea of Joy which we reviewed a while back: part studio wizardry, part futuristic space age effects, part lightly hippie/psychedelic touches, part Millennium/Sagittarius-esque soft rock, part laidback jazzy beach vibes. And I'll be damned if there aren't a few tracks that echo United States of America/Broadcast, and one ("Mercy Call") sounds like a gospel choir backed by '60s robots. Great record that's particularly guaranteed to satisfy if you're fed up with the barrage of "classic heavy psych", "loner folk outsider masterpieces", and "killer heavy deep funk" (I'm raising my hand over here!), and just wanna chill out for a while. I'm giving this a nine out of hang ten. [AK]


	$51.99 CDx3 $4.99 mp3 Sampler		VARIOUS ARTISTS People Take Warning! Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs (Tompkins Square) "Ohio Prison Fire" Bob Miller "Wreck of the Old 97" Skillet Lickers This wonderful three-disc set of classic topical songwriting from the golden age of American roots music is broken up into three sub-genres corresponding to the individual discs: "Man V. Machine," with a healthy dose of Titanic laments, train crashes, bus wrecks, and even one sunken canoe; "Man V. Nature," covering pestilence, fires, floods and general foul weather; and "Man V. Man (And Woman, Too)," chock full of guns and knives and assorted sad ends for good folks. This was a period of history when the news of the day was obviously far tougher to come by than it is in our oversaturated information age, and for a good portion of the population these sort of pointed topical songs, written about real-life disasters and mishaps and often released within weeks of the fateful events, were one of the most reliable sources of information and forums for grieving. And there was much to grieve during the period lovingly covered here, from the Great Depression to the sinking of the Titanic to the Great War and so much more... these were tough times for sure, and the deep emotion and pain in these songs is hard to deny, even when the novelty value is unmistakable as well (crying wives and lonesome train whistles make a few appearances). Seventy tracks in total, from a diverse roster of country, blues, and roots artists including Skillet Lickers, Charlie Patton, Son House, Bob Miller, Furry Lewis, Charlie Poole, Uncle Dave Macon and so many more, beautifully re-mastered, packaged in a great wide book form with a beautiful and detailed booklet, including an introduction from Tom Waits. The only drawback is that Tompkins Square chose to release only a five-song sampler as a digital download until early next year, I'm guessing so they could try to sell a few more of these lovely and lavish physical packages. [JM] Due to the additional weight of this box set, the shipping cost will be slightly higher than the charge that will appear on the computer-generated receipt for your transaction.


	$13.99 CD on Sale $9.99 mp3		MUM Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy (Fat Cat) "They Make Frogs 'Til They Exploded" "Guilty Rocks" Mum's fifth full-length, Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy, finds the experimental Icelandic pop outfit presenting a new incarnation of their gorgeous electronic sound, and embarking upon a much more energized, structured adventure. Their new line-up has been whittled down to half of its founding core and the remaining duo, Gunnar Orn Tynes and Orvar Poreyjarson Smarason, have assembled an inspired, bright musical palette awash with strings, harmonica, horns, and the pure harmonies of two new vocalists -- Hildur Gudnadottir and Mr. Silla. It's refreshing to hear their two delicate voices coexist, at times multiplying over each other to produce a choral effect ("Marmalade Fires"). Go Go is hardly a collection of crooned lullabies however; Mum's caffeinated, goofy interlude "Rhuubarbidoo" is a ditty that would make Dan Deacon proud, complete with taunting trumpet, loping organ, and cartoon honks, giggles and gurgles. Likewise, "They Made Frogs Smoke 'Til They Exploded" is a surreal, rowdy romp through what sounds like a school of scatting Icelandic children and maybe a European bubble festival, made ecstatic by pounding industrial beats and harnessed tribal undulations reminiscent of Animal Collective. While these catchier songs contribute heavily to the album's distinctive personality, the more improvisational, darkly mystical tracks are just as appealing -- all that's missing from the secretive, Gotan Project-style gypsy tune "Guilty Rocks" is a pair of castanets. Mum's more ambient, organic sound develops on this album as well; closing track "Winter (What We Never Were After All)" is a haunting, repetitive song which could double as a soundtrack for drowning -- appropriate for a band who convinced the city of Reykjavik to purchase underwater speakers and host "swimming pool concerts" featuring compositions which they recorded specifically for underwater listening. If you've spent all summer searching for that one album, Mum's Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy -- their most accessible release to date -- bears infinite rewards for the curious, the happy-go-lucky, the emotionally eager, and the imaginative listener. Don't pass this record by! [KS]


	$11.99 CD on Sale $14.99 Deluxe CD $9.99 mp3		DEVENDRA BANHART Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Mountain (XL) "Rosa" "The Other Woman" Devendra has pretty much got the game plan locked down at this point, with a great international record deal, a sweet little home studio at his Topanga Canyon crash-pad, and a coterie of talented, idiosyncratic musicians and assorted hangers-on who can keep the interesting sounds flowing. Drifting through the compound for the recording of Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon were regulars like Andy Cabic, Noah Georgeson and Luckey Remington, and the guest stars include some you might expect, like Vashti Bunyon and Linda Perhacs, and some you may not, like Black Crowes' Chris Robinson and actor Gael Garcia Bernal. The album captures the free-flowing and fun loving vibe of this still-growing artist stretching out, and while maintaining consistency in tone, it flits between a number of styles, from straight-up folk, to chugging '60s rock to soulful grooves and a healthy dose of Tropicalia-inspired exotica. As such, there are wonderful highlights and some of the best songs of Banhart's career thus far, and perhaps a few tracks that fall a bit flat, but this is really not the point I guess; Devendra Banhart brings wonderful mood and attitude wherever he roams. Picking apart his albums may be like trying to pick the crumbs of last night's dinner from your foot-long beard... it's just a waste of time. [JM] Deluxe CD version includes a 60-page book with photos and original artwork.


	$14.99 CD w/ Bonus Disc		IRON & WINE Shepherd's Dog (Sub Pop) "Boy With a Coin" "Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car" Acres away from the sparse lo-fi recordings that Sam Beam cradled to life in his bedroom five years ago, The Shepherd's Dog provides the impetus for post-rationalizing why he initially released songs under the moniker Iron & Wine and not Sam Beam, solo. It would be an understatement to label I&W's third full-length an ensemble effort. Although Beam's string of collaborators only totals ten on paper, recruited here are those whose experience with the project ranges from a lifetime of teamwork (sister Sarah Beam) to recent co-conspirators Joey Burns and Paul Niehaus of Calexico, with whom Iron & Wine recorded their previous release. It would also not be surprising to learn that Beam had invited the whole citizenry of Dripping Springs, TX, his new hometown, to come jam on his front porch. Accordingly, it seems that a new instrument is being introduced for every 30 seconds of the expansive 50-minute album, from the distinctly non-Southern sitar on "White Tooth Man" to the more subtle, compliant xylophone on "Carousel." "Resurrection Fern," with its organic, clean construction and Beam's unprocessed vocals rightfully at the front of the mix, is the most successful example of Iron & Wine's developed orchestrations; the band patiently and deliberately folds finger-picked acoustic and slide guitar, a hand-held shaker to keep time, and an unassuming bassline into this catchy alt-country nugget which, like earlier Iron & Wine, possesses an unquestionably heartfelt, genuine confidentiality. Luckily, the strengths of The Shepherd's Dog do not solely rest in the tunes that could have easily manifested themselves on previous albums; a big surprise is "The Devil Never Sleeps," an unabashedly poppy call-and-response dance number with lively, infectious saloon piano, chunky '60s guitar, and filtered vocals which nearly transform Beam's South Carolinian lilt into the Scottish swing of Stuart Murdoch from Belle & Sebastian. Despite these musical accomplishments, there are a few moments where the line blurs between Iron & Wine's new songs being appealingly "intricate" or "progressive" and unnecessarily overdone, as in the album's single, "Boy With a Coin," with digitized vocals and rushed, full-on Ani DiFranco-style guitar throughout. Although the collection of songs on The Shepherd's Dog may strike some long-time followers as top-heavy, fans of Iron & Wine's collabo with Calexico will find lots on this album -- and the daringly electronic, exclusive, limited two-song bonus disc -- to love. [KS]


	$14.99 CD $9.99 mp3		THE HELIOCENTRICS Out There (Now Again / Stones Throw) "Joyride" "Falling to Earth" Although this is their proper debut album, this UK-based eight-piece has been kicking around for some time now. The Heliocentrics were DJ Shadow's backing band for his last couple of tours, and bandleader Malcolm Catto is one of the most respected drummers in the UK. He, along with Jazzman Gerald, are also responsible for compiling and curating the excellent California and Florida Funk compilations. Four years in the making, Heliocentrics' Out There is an awesome instrumental amalgam of all sorts of instrumental, psychedelic funkiness. Not unlike the recent Voice of the Seven Woods release, Out There is a painstakingly produced album attempting to recreate a certain type of analog, beat-driven psychedelia informed by hip-hop. Sun Ra, Axelrod, Hancock, James Brown, Ananda Shankar, Gainsbourg, Velvet Underground, Morricone and even Pierre Henry are all referenced here, but this band's musicianship is tip-top and there's nary a sample in site. Catto's sick, breakbeat drumming is the glue that ties all of these disparate styles together. Fans of all of the above, as well as Broadcast and the like, should get into this. It's definitely my favorite non-hip-hop related album that Stones Throw has put out so far. [DH]


	$12.99 CD $13.99 LP $9.99 mp3		THE CAVE SINGERS Invitation Songs (Matador) "Dancing on Our Graves" "Bricks of Our Home" Invitation Songs is just that, the Cave Singers' irresistible invitation to join them in their dark, dreamy world. Built around acoustic guitars, brushed drums and intimate, emotional vocals, you could never call their music folk. Even while drawing from blues, bluegrass and country, they attack their instruments with a focus that belies the musicians' punk rock backgrounds. We featured this album last Friday as a Download of the Week and you can read the full review here. (Mp3 version includes a bonus track exclusive to Other Music.)


	$14.99 CD $9.99 mp3		TUNNG Good Arrows (Thrill Jockey) "Bullets" Completely shedding the "folktronica" tag, Tunng's new album is their most concise collection of songs to date. Stereo-panned acoustic guitars and gorgeous male/female vocal harmonies are delivered via Technicolor production; but even amidst field recordings and laptop trickery, there's a comforting well-worn melancholy peering through the digital sheen. Read the full review here, on last Friday's Down of the Week email. (Mp3 version includes a bonus track exclusive to Other Music.)


	$9.99 CD $9.99 mp3		MAGIK MARKERS Boss (Ecstatic Peace) "Last of the Lemach Line" "Bad Dream/Hartford's Beat Suite" Considering that we've experienced this New England group live a good dozen times over the years and have always known to expect the unexpected, be it fiery free-form live shows and acerbic, cardboard-wrapped live CD-Rs, but we were totally not expecting BOSS. For their first dose of "mass" product under the Ecstatic Peace! banner, the Markers have gone deep to lay down this long-player, with Elisa's clear-eyed voice shaping her verbiage into verse-chorus constructs and Pete's octopus-pulsing motorik cohering into some steady rock beat. They not only drop an alt-rock cherry bomb like "Taste," but even hit us with a heart-shredding piano ballad. It's a POP album, fer chrissakes! [AB]


	$14.99 CD		JOSE GONZALEZ In Our Nature (Mute) "Down the Line" "Abram" For those who've been with Sweden's Jose Gonzalez since Veneer was originally released in his homeland, way back in 2003, his follow-up some four years later must feel like the musical equivalent of waiting for Halley's Comet. By the time his album found release Stateside, first being issued on the Hidden Agenda imprint in 2005 and then re-released a year later on Mute, Gonzalez was already a star in his homeland with a gold record under his belt. And since, he's become somewhat of an indie star over here as well, with songs on the OC and television commercials, and late night TV appearances. It's enough to make one wonder what level the careers of Gonzalez touchstones like Nick Drake would have risen to had all of today's media mechanisms and the Internet been around back then. In spite of all this exposure -- possibly over exposure -- Gonzalez hasn't changed his MO for his sophomore full-length; In Our Nature follows the same softly plucked, folk-pop trajectory as Veneer. You'd think that success might have tainted the singer's intimate observations of human existence, but as the album title suggests, Gonzalez is still looking inward for inspiration. Even the politically-charged "How Low," with verses like "How low are you willing to go, before your reach all your selfish goals / Punch line after punch line leaving us sore, leaving us sore," is sung in such a way that sounds as if he's confronting a lover in sad resignation. And once again, like his cover of the Knife's "Heartbeats," Gonzalez turns Massive Attack's classic "Teardrop" into his own, taking the song to new personal depths -- it's quite stunning actually. There's nothing really new to offer here, but this is a rare case in which we wouldn't want it any other way. [GH]


	$13.99 CD $9.99 mp3		WOODEN SHJIPS Wooden Shjips (Holy Mountain) "We Ask You to Ride" "Shine Like Suns" About two years ago, a mysterious package arrived in my mailbox, and the mystery continued long after I opened it and played its contents -- a single 10" vinyl record with minimal packaging and no clue as to its origin or performers. All that identified it was a small card that read "Wooden Shjips Free Records" and an email address. The record itself was a scorcher -- thick, mantra-like space psych with blaring distortion and a sense of purpose, not to mention a high point in outsider rock philanthropy, the band having made and given away 300 copies of the release (now fetching big dollars on eBay). Another 7" followed, continuing in the tradition of its predecessor. By this point, Oakland, CA's Wooden Shjips had become one of the most talked-about bands on the underside of American rock, with forthcoming singles on Sub Pop and Pollymaggoo, and this debut full-length. Organ, guitar, bass, drums and vocals get on board in a more subdued manner than past releases might have indicated, with a Doors influence not exactly present in their past. But it's certainly not a bad thing; if you wanted less Jim Morrison babble and more of the band locked in together, this is along those lines. Other touchpoints include Hawkwind and long-forgotten Milwaukee space explorers F/i (who are long due for more recognition than they've gotten as of late) -- longer songs that stretch out in all the right ways, with the appropriate levels of freakout and trance balanced at the controls. Great live band, too. [DM]


	$15.99 CD $9.99 mp3		FENNESZ Hotel Paral.Lel (Editions Mego) "Blok M" "Traxdata" Wow! Has it seriously been ten years since Christian Fennesz dropped his debut full-length? Nominally a guitarist, this Austrian took said six-string and instantly obliterated it. While his first EP, Instrument, took the work of folks like My Bloody Valentine, Seefeel, and Porter Ricks as a jump-off, Fennesz veered closer towards the noisier electroacoustic side of things with Hotel Paral.Lel (referencing a pensione in Barcelona), making granular de-compositions out of that cumbersome rock device via his PowerBook. Taken in light of his pop slant come 2001's Endless Summer, this now re-mastered album remains as bristling, irreducible, and beautiful a decade on as it was then. [AB]


	$14.99 CD $12.99 mp3		SUPERMAYER Save the World (Kompakt) "The Art of Letting Go" "Planet of the Sick" After releasing remixes for the likes of Losoul, the MFA, Gui Boratto and Geiger, Kompakt superpowers Michael Mayer and Aksel Schaufler (a/k/a Superpitcher) have joined forces again bringing us a full album called Save the World. You can tell the boys had fun putting this record together as it's an eclectic selection of songs, with post-punk/DFA meets Le Dust Sucker-style club tracks ("Art of Letting Go" featuring Superpitcher on vocals), expansive floor-fillers like "Saturndays" where you can imagine Mayer doing his sweeping/pointing-finger dance in the DJ booth, rumbling club epics ("Two of Us"), Detroit/Rob Hood meets jacking minimal space disco ("Planet of the Sick"), plus a Lindstrom-esque, downtempo space-cocktail ("Cocktails for Two"). Quite a variety, you can preview all of the sound samples on Other Music-Digital to hear for yourself! [SM]


	$17.99 CD $9.99 mp3		NATIVE Rockstone (Pressure Sounds) "Rockstone" "Late September in May" Pressure Sounds unearths another gem from Lee Perry's Black Ark era. Native were Wayne and Brian Jobson, two British brothers who had migrated to Jamaica and settled in St. Ann's Parish, the same area where Burning Spear was born. The Jobsons caught the ear of Perry, who began work on their album in the late 70s and, in true Upsetter style, torched his studio before the sessions had been completed. But with encouragement from some high profile friends (Vivian Goldman, John Lydon, Joe Higgs, Errol Thompson, Chris Blackwell, among others), the Jobson Brothers continued on with their record and it would finally find release on the Arista label. This great, mysterious slice of reggae finds the former Brits digging deep into their new homeland, and is on par with Perry's work with the Congos, though it has a different feel than the producer's bubbly, rubber band-style productions. Rockstone is deep, moody and dark, and dripping with Perry eccentricities; musically speaking, it has a lot in common with Keith Hudson. Native's vocal delivery and lyrics are grounded in the observer style, a knowledgeable outsider's stance, watching the masses and commenting on the trials and tribulations at hand (check the songs "In a Strange Land," "In the Land of Make Believe," and "Meet Mr. Nobody"). A few versions are included here as well to stretch out the musical journey. The CD comes with excellent new liner notes from Wayne, who writes about his truly original adventures. Recommended not only for the Lee Perry faithful, but for all lovers of deep reggae music. [DG]


	$13.99 CD $13.99 LP $9.99 mp3		SIR RICHARD BISHOP Polytheistic Fragments (Drag City) "Elysium Number Five" "Quiescent Return" Sun City Girls' (R.I.P.) resident occultist/guitarist Sir Richard Bishop drops his 6-6-6th official solo outing of lone guitar stylings, entitled Polytheistic Fragments. After putting out full-lengths on such esteemed imprints as Revenant (Salvador Kali) and Southern (Fingering the Devil), and especially Chicago's Locust (Improvika, Electronika Demonika and While My Guitar Violently Bleeds), Sir Rick has landed at Drag City. Technically impeccable and drawing on all the ideas of his previous records, with a few new ones in there to boot, he has assembled a suite of eleven, mostly guitar-centric tracks that are not as esoteric sounding as their titles might suggest. Despite having names like "Cross My Palms with Silver," "Hecates Dream," or (my personal favorite) "Free Masonic Guitar," there is a sense of familiarity to these tunes even in their most fanciful moments. As the title suggests, Polytheistic Fragments is a record of many gods -- as usual, Indian ragas, flamenco, early country blues and the spectre of Django Reinhardt all figure heavily into the mix -- and seems to be more about presenting a pantheon of revered musical ideas than about the ecstatic, long-form flights of his previous records. There are no 20-minute Gypsy ragas to be found here; the pieces on Fragments are concise -- all but one clock in around or below the five-minute mark, and the tone, while varied, is markedly lighter than his other releases. Fragments is almost, well...fun. There are a few heavy tracks for sure, even a leaden piano track complete with tambura drone, but the majority of the album tends toward the bucolic or the downright festive. Just check the blissed-out overdubs of "Ecstasies in the Open Air" or the virtuosic boogie of "Canned Goods & Firearms" if you want proof. [CC]


	$16.99 CD		BOB DOWNES OPEN MUSIC Episodes at 4 am (Paradigm) "Flute Circles" "Tribal Dance" Bob Downes originally released Episodes at 4 am on his own Openian label in 1974. Though primarily known as a flautist and reed player, Episodes attests to Downes' prowess as a multi-instrumentalist. Joined by Wendy Benka on zither, cello, and varied percussion, Downes plays flutes, marimba, gong, cymbals, bells, hammer dulcimer, and even a public phone on this record. While the sheer variety of instruments is itself impressive, the most striking feature of this record is the fact that nearly every sound it contains has been processed by some form of analog synthesis or tape manipulation. Bells, cymbals, and gongs are subjected to shimmering, panning delay effects, while elsewhere other acoustic sources are transformed into hypnotic, electronic throbs or overtone-rich metallic tones through intensive filtering and feedback effects. With this emphasis on electronic processing, Downes is able to downplay some of his instrumental virtuosity in favor of some truly mysterious atmospheres. This CD collects the 1974 LP -- which, like the dance piece it was composed for, was inspired by Alberto Giacometti's sculpture "The Palace at 4 A.M." -- and adds almost forty minutes of bonus material that is at least as interesting as the original music. A sure-handed, if out there, mix of acoustic instruments and adventurous electronic experimentation, fans of improvised and electronic music should both find this record equally satisfying. An unearthed gem to be sure. [CC]


	$13.99 CD $9.99 mp3		STARS In Our Bedroom After the War (Arts & Crafts) "Take Me to the Riot" "Window Bird" The immediate impression of In Our Bedroom After the War would be that Stars have backed off a bit from the intensity of their previous album, the breakthrough hit Set Yourself On Fire. Perhaps the two titles say it all, with the previous record burning hot and fraught with emotion, and the latest a cooler, serene and intimate comedown from the messy emotions of love. This band can deftly handle either mood, with sure control on their key ingredients: slick, precise musicianship and production that draws on '80s pop without ever sounding retro or hokey, the emotional singing of Amy Milan and Torquil Campbell, and of course their great songwriting. In Our Bedroom... lays off on the tension but nudges up the theatricality that both of these vocalists are drawn to, as they inhabit characters and craft sagas with a storyteller's eye and a Broadway actor's pomp that few indie bands can approach. More than ever, the group uses the unusual treat of their two lead vocalists to tell stories, and rather than just harmonize they create real harmony, and disharmony, by playing roles and playing off of each other with drama and emotion that sets this band apart. [JM]


	$18.99 CD		ROY HARPER Return of the Sophisticated Beggar (BGO Records) "China Girl" "Black Clouds" Led Zeppelin took their hats off to him, Joanna Newsom cited him as inspiration for her album Ys, yet it's not always easy to track down the work of Roy Harper. His debut album, Sophisticated Beggar, had scarcely a thousand copies passed around, leading towards the reissue treatment once he palled around with Page and Pink Floyd's David Gilmour and the like in subsequent years. Return of the Sophisticated Beggar showcases how Harper was both in the lineage of Bert Jansch and John Renbourn while also on a parallel track of British madness (a la Barrett) on tracks like "October the Twelfth" and "Committed." An auspicious debut. [AB]


	$15.99 CD $18.99 LP		EUGENE BLACKNELL We Can't Take Life for Granted (Luv N' Haight) "I'm So Thankful" "Jive Kinda Friends" In spite of a career that spanned well over three decades, East Bay funk guitarist Eugene Blacknell never cut a proper full-length, and this collection of his songs -- lovingly compiled with the help of his son Gino -- is the first time any of his work has been culled together as a complete album. We Can't Take Life for Granted starts with raw, early-'60s instrumental recordings and then, over the course of 25 tracks, chronologically follows Blacknell's musical evolution. Though not a household name unless you're a rare funk aficionado, behind the scenes the guitarist was a mover and shaker, from opening for Marvin Gaye in 1964, to performing at Harlem's Apollo Theater when he was only 17. Often compared to players like Albert King and B.B. King, his blues-style attracted a crossover audience and he used this as a strength, helping raise the wage scale for black musicians. Blacknell and his band stayed active on the circuit, concentrating more on performing live than recording, all the while their music constantly changed with the times. Tracks like "Get in a Hurry" and "I'm So Thankful" are right up their with the heavy party-funk vibe of Sly and the Family Stone, while much of his '70s work found him experimenting more with styles, such as disco on "Holdin' On," or laying down some atmospheric wah-wah on top of a deep, synth-heavy groove during the unreleased (until now) "Space Funk." There's really too much ground covered on this comp to give a play-by-play, but there's a ton of great material here from this gifted guitarist for funk enthusiasts to get excited about, plus detailed liner notes with interviews from Blacknell's family, fans and friends. [GH]


	$13.99 CD $9.99 mp3		ALEXANDER TURNQUIST Faint at the Loudest Hour (VHF) "Amongst the Swarm of Hummingbirds" "White Out" It's tempting to pin young New Yorker Alex Turnquist into the same corner as other new jack acoustic guitar slingers like Jack Rose and James Blackshaw. After all, the man's dexterous precision on both six- and twelve-string guitar seems to share more than a few common tones with the likes of those two. But while folks like Rose and Blackshaw take an obvious influence from the Fahey-dervied Takoma school of performance, Turnquist pulls his inspiration from less obvious channels. To wit, though the tracks of his debut Faint at the Loudest Hour are dominated by rough-hewn guitar figures, he plies his songs with enough field recordings, samples, distant vibes, and piano to make his music something more than the musings of another neo-Americana poster boy. Gathering steam quickly with "Amongst a Swarm of Hummingbirds," Turnquist gradually takes the track's spare acoustic lament and dresses it with buzzing drones. Elsewhere, the samples that open "Water Spots Upon My Mind" build into a low rumble, marking an ominous introduction that Turnquist capably punctuates with his frenetic strings. He ends the album on a brief note with the effervescent cascades of "As the Sun Sets, We Think of Days to Come..." bringing to a close a fine debut that signposts the beginnings of a nascent career with, hopefully plenty more to come. [MC]


	$17.99 CD $9.99 mp3		VARIOUS ARTISTS Summer Records Anthology 1974 1988 (Light in the Attic) "Love Makes the World Go Round" Johnny Osbourne "One and Only One" Adrian Homer Miller Light in the Attic continues their series of Jamaican music made in Canada, with this excellent collection of songs from the Summer Records label. Spanning 1974 to 1988, this anthology covers the sub-genres within reggae, from roots to rockers and dub to dancehall. There's lots of unreleased material alongside nice selections from Johnny Osbourne, Willi Williams, Noel Ellis, and Earth, Roots & Water. And as an added bonus, the dual-disc includes a documentary with timeless footage of producer Jerry Brown working in the studio with Jackie Mittoo and Stranger Cole, and offers a brief but in-depth view of their working process, business ethics, and leisurely pleasure. A perfect kiss goodbye to the summer of 2007. [DG]


	$13.99 CD $9.99 mp3		RED KRAYOLA WITH ART AND LANGUAGE Sighs Trapped by Liars (Drag City) "Fairest of All" "Jerry Fodor's Story" If you are a fan of Mayo Thompson's 40-year-old experimental pop project, you may recall the name of conceptual artists Art & Language from Red Krayola's 1981 Kangaroo? album, when the two complicated artistic entitles last met (on record at least). On the new album, Mayo handles the musical compositions and Art & Language pen the lyrics, which nonetheless are typically dense and arcane, funny and sharp-witted and often just plain baffling, as could be said for most any words associated with the group over the years. The band this time around consists of several great players that Thompson has turned to before, including John McEntire on the drums, Tom Watson on guitars and bass, Noel Kupersmith on bass, Jim O'Rourke on a variety of instruments (and mixing the affair), with Thompson on piano. I was sad to learn that he eschewed the mic for this outing, as I've always been charmed by Thompson's oddball yelp of a lead vocal, but Elisa Randazzo and Sandy Yang both do a fine job with a mouthful of abstract poetry, lending the affair a somewhat rambling indie-pop feel, but of course as with any record by this iconoclastic artist, Sighs Trapped By Liars is pretty much impossible to pigeonhole. [JM]


	$13.99 CD $9.99 mp3		CONCENTRICK Aluminum Lake (Drag City) "Waterfall" "Expertz" Concentrick is the alter ego of Tim Green, who has a miles-long rock and roll resume, including his fierce guitar work in the Fucking Champs and previously Nation of Ulysses, and production work for the Melvins, Karp, and many more. This project takes the multi-instrumentalist in a different direction, crafting sprawling psychedelic soundscapes in the vein of Kraftwerk or Manuel Gottsching, with wonderful loopy, melodic, grooves built around his electric piano, synth, guitar synth, drums, and of course Green's fuzzed-out, power-house guitar work as well. [BC]


	$19.99 CDx3 $17.99 mp3		TROJAN COUNTRY REGGAE Box Set (Trojan) "Snowbird" Dennis Walks "Sweet Dreams" The Pioneers Trojan continues with the always enjoyable rethinking of their legendary catalog, this time with a triple-long collection of Trojan artists doing reggae versions of country music classics. (It's perhaps a little known fact that American country artists such as Hank Williams and Marty Robbins often shared top billing with the established reggae and R&B on the Jamaican charts in the '60s and '70s.) This excellent and comprehensive box set compiles the best of the Trojan stable's versions and interpretations of country tunes, including tracks by Max Romeo, Skatalites, and many more. The cultural juxtaposition of Dennis Brown rocking "The Green Green Grass of Home" or John Holt doing "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" is superceded by the pure pleasure of great singers enjoying great songs. [BC]


	$15.99 CD		TAKKA TAKKA We Feel Safer at Night (Ernest Jennings) "Coco on the Corner" "Sofia" It was almost exactly a year ago to the day that we featured Takka Takka in our update, who at the time had just put out their self-released album. Fast-forward to 2007 and the band are signed to Ernest Jennings, who've reissued that said album to the masses, tacking on a few extra tracks from their Talk Faster EP. Here's what we wrote about the New York boys last December: You know how Clap Your Hands Say Yeah has the totally trainspottable influences but, gosh darnit, you can't really hold it against them cause they do it with such open-armed, just clever enough skill to pull it off? Well, say hello to Takka Takka. No, they don't sound like Clap Your Hands, but they are definitely brothers in arms, and I guess in more ways than one since they are actually joining them on their next tour. Where C.Y.H.S.Y. has that soaring, Tele-Velvet-Heads vibe, Takka Takka has a completely catchy, neo-indie version of Velvet Underground-meets-Jonathan Richman self-knowledge, with that nothing-is-gonna-get-me-down-ultimately vibe of Broken Social Scene. (And like V.U. and Modern Lovers, there is a definite NY/post-college bend to the lyrics.) Check out "We Feel Safer at Night," "Coco on the Corner," "Joshua and the Professor" and "She Works in Banking." A self-assured/self-aware and humble collection of songs here. [SM]


	$11.99 CD		SHOCKING PINKS Shocking Pinks (DFA / Astralwerks) "Emily" Very light on dancefloor bangers for being on DFA, but fortunately Shocking Pinks' (a/k/a Nick Harte) US debut is heavy on great pop songs. Featuring tracks from two EPs released in Harte's native New Zealand, the mess he conjures up is a mix of great fuzzy noise pop, percussive clatter, and new wave-y lo-fi beauty. The fact that his records are released on Flying Nun in NZ should give you some idea. Highly recommended.


	$16.99 CD		BETTYE LAVETTE Scene of the Crime (Anti-) "Take Me Like I Am" At 61, Bettye Lavette is still one of soul music's most fiery female vocalists. Back with a new album where she's accompanied by the Drive-By Truckers, Lavette belts out soul stompers, heartbroken ballads, and goodtime rock n roll to devastating effect. Recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals, and with Spooner Oldham on the Wurlitzer, The Scene of the Crime is a swampy, smokin' set of tunes.


	$12.99 CD		SYLVAIN CHAUVEAU S. (Type) "A_" Whoa! Quite the departure for Sylvain Chauveau, who, when we last heard from him, was making orchestrated cover versions of Depeche Mode songs. Instead of his trademark lush string arrangements, the first track ("Composition 8") is a rumbling, heavy guitar drone that will have Sunn O))) and Earth fans lining up with pocket books in hand. Elsewhere, there are minimal piano pieces and ambient electronics, proving Chauveau is capable of a host of different styles. Highly recommended for fans electronic composers, including Max Richter and Type's own Ryan Teague.


	$13.99 CD		LONEY, DEAR Sologne (Dear John) "Le Fever" Multi-instrumentalist Emil Svanangen crafts some of the finest bedroom pop around right now. Proving that the Sub Pop album from the earlier this year wasn't a fluke, the re-release of his first album, Sologne, contains the same infectious songwriting and careful layering of instruments. There are moments that remind us of Belle & Sebastian's perfect pop, and on other tracks, Svanangen again proves that he's quite the accomplished indie-folk troubadour.


	$18.99 LPx2		ANIMAL COLLECTIVE Strawberry Jam (Domino) "Chores" "Fireworks" For all you who've been waiting for the vinyl, we've finally got the LP pressing of Strawbery Jam in stock. We're not sure how Animal Collective outdo themselves with each release, but their new album is the band's shining moment. Sure, that's what we thought about Feels, Sung Tongs, et al., but this is probably AC's most concise set of songs to date, without sacrificing any of that indescribable free-spirited approach that has always delighted and spellbound their listeners. This double-LP version comes in a gatefold sleeve.


	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 [AB] Adrian Burkholder [BC] Baxter Cardona [CC] Che Chen [MC] Michael Crumsho [DG] Daniel Givens [GH] Gerald Hammill [DH] Duane Harriot [AK] Andreas Knutsen [JM] Josh Madell [DM] Doug Mosurock [SM] Scott Mou [KS] Karen Soskin THANKS FOR READING - all of us at Other Music

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