April 23, 2008

		THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL RECORD STORE All of us at Other Music would like to thank everyone who visited us on Record Store Day last Saturday and helped make the event such a success. The shop was packed from the moment we opened the door to closing time. Indeed, it was a very fun day with great sets from our guest DJs and seeing lots of old friends and making some new ones. To keep the record store celebration alive, we will be having an additional giveaway for those who use their 10% off coupons in the store. The prizes include boxsets, DVDs and CDs. OTHER MUSIC DIGITAL TURNS ONE! We'd also like to say thank you to all of our download store customers for their support of Other Music Digital, which turned one-year-old today! It's been a great year for us and we couldn't have done it without your support. You can read more about the past year and what lies ahead on our download site's News Section. Happy Birthday Other Music Digital!!!

		FEATURED NEW RELEASES J. Spaceman & Sun City Girls Bob Martin Ya Ho Wa 13 El Perro Del Mar Graham Lambkin & Jason Lescalleet Miriam Backhouse Christopher Bissonnette Jose James Abdel Hadi Halo Jack Rose The Monochrome Set Flight of the Conchords   The Mekons Mighty Striker Shoots (various artists) She Keeps Bees Yeti #5 Spiritual Jazz (various artists) ALSO AVAILABLE Tape (2 reissues) Thalia Zedek Band Cinematic Orchestra

		APR Sun 18 Mon 19 Tues 22 Wed 23 Thurs 24 Fri 25 Sat 26   WIN TICKETS TO RON TRENT! After an ace night with Danny Krivit representing the best in obscure disco and boogie last month, Still Music boss Jerome Derradji returns to present another legend of a different sort: Ron Trent. Trent has been behind many trends in dance music, arguably the forefather of Afro-house, a collaborator with Berlin techno artist Maurizio, and, quite notably, the co-creator of the famous Prescription Records imprint. The latter in those list of accomplishments is what he'll be focusing on, presenting a set of the great tracks from the label. DJ Spun spins upstairs. Enter right away to win a pair of tickets by emailing contest@othermusic.com. The winner will be notified tomorrow morning (Thursday, April 24). THURSDAY, APRIL 24 APT: 419 West 13th Street NYC 10PM / $10

		APR Sun 18 Mon 19 Tues 22 Wed 23 Thurs 24 Fri 25 Sat 26   ENTER TO WIN TICKETS TO MOODYMANN Moodymann is coming to town to play a super-rare New York set and his first-ever Mahogani Music night in our fine city. He'll be playing with support from Karl Injex and Kai Alce, while Kamati spins upstairs. Support has been provided by the fine folks at Puma. There's also an open vodka and Red Bull bar from 9 to 10PM. Other Music has one pair of tickets to give away. To enter, email tickets@othermusic.com. The winner will be notified on Thursday, April 24. FRIDAY, APRIL 25 APT: 419 West 13th Street NYC 9PM / $10 / Advance tickets available at Other Music

		APR Sun 18 Mon 19 Tues 22 Wed 23 Thurs 24 Fri 25 Sat 26   WIN TICKETS TO BLACK DICE This Friday, April 25, Brooklyn-based sound-experimentalists Black Dice will be performing at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, along with Psychic Ills, Kria, and a DJ set by Brian Degraw of Gang Gang Dance. A bill that features some of the area's most visceral and psychedelic artists, Other Music has two pairs of tickets to give away to this show. To enter, email giveaway@othermusic.com. The two winners will be notified on Thursday, April 24. FRIDAY, APRIL 25 MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG: 66 North 6th Street (b/w Wythe & Kent)

		$13.99 CD $16.99 LP $9.99 MP3   J. SPACEMAN / SUN CITY GIRLS Mister Lonely (Drag City) "Musicbox Underwater" J. Spaceman "3d Girls" Sun City Girls Mister Lonely is the name of the new film (and first in eight years) from auteur Harmony Korine, the visionary behind such messed up modern masterpieces as Kids, Gummo, and Julien Donkey-Boy. Premiering May 2, the film promises to be some kind of weird, and likely some kind of awesome; the main character, a Parisian impersonator of the king of pop, stumbles upon a secret society of surrogate stars -- Charlie Chaplin to Buckwheat to Marilyn Monroe, Queen Elizabeth and so on. Michael Jackson, however, this soundtrack is not; yet it seems a perfect musical outfit for Harmony Korine's hyper realistic/surrealistic style, consisting of joint contributions from J. Spaceman (Spacemen 3, Spiritualized) and the Sun City Girls, both of whom have had long careers skating the lines between outré sonic explorations and traditional, international roots music. Although the two artists created their pieces independently of each other, the mostly seamless flow that takes place over the course of 20 tracks could well have been the work of one group, sharing as they do a sparse and slowly developed ambiance, highlighted by a common affinity that both artists have for experimental reinterpretations of traditional genres such as blues and gospel music. In other places, the even more experimental edges fit comfortably together, as in the movement from the disjointed, creaking jungle noise of Spaceman's "Panama 1" to the tense and haunting vocal and synth escapade of SCG's "Spook." Though the pieces were crafted specifically for the film, fans of both artists will find elements in these instrumental soundscapes that befit their regular projects; the gentle, downtrodden melodies and warped noise collages of Spaceman's Spiritualized are given room to breath in their fantasy-laden fragility, floating free from the weight of Spiritualized's baroque wall of sound productions, and perched gracefully beside the reflective and otherworldly sounds that could come from none other than the Sun City Girls. And for the moment, this soundtrack may abate fans of both: Spiritualized has an album out later this month, while the Sun City Girls have since retired their name in honoring the death of drummer Charles Goucher not long after the Mister Lonely sessions, making these some of the last new recordings available. If you know Harmony Korine's past film work, you might be surprised at how calm and subdued -- even classically filmic -- this soundtrack is in comparison (see the killer black metal soundtrack of Gummo, the in-yo-face early-'90s hip-hop of Kids); but then again, Mister Lonely appears to be more plot-based and less overtly antagonistic -- though no less poignant -- than his earlier work. On this soundtrack, Korine's curatorial choices reflect the thoughtful nature that the film promises to deliver, being his first effort made after diving into an eight-year creative silence, awash in drugs and disillusionment. Hear the soundtrack, see the film, be transformed. [JW]

		$14.99 CD   BOB MARTIN Midwest Farm Disaster (Riversong) "Captain Jesus" "Midwest Farm Disaster" A fine, fine country-tinged singer-songwriter album recorded for RCA in Nashville in 1972, with some of the same folks who played on Dylan's Blonde on Blonde. This record's pretty incredible actually, the caliber of the songwriting is extremely high and deserves to be known well beyond its small cult following. Bob Martin hailed from the same New England mill town as Jack Kerouac, and he proved to be an indelible influence on the songwriter's ability to craft wryly evocative portraits of working poor townies and the milieu that produces them. These are the same sorts of folks and themes that would turn up ten years later on Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska, the difference being that in Springsteen's narratives the characters usually end up in a car somehow, headed either towards a new beginning or final dénouement. Martin's characters, however, mostly seem too wore out from being nickel and dimed to get any where; in the title track we hear about how "Lorney Talyor died last week/She couldn't take no more/Of welfare lines and real hard times/Living so long so poor/The bank took back the farm one day/Lorney Taylor died of grief/Just one more farm in many/That's been taken by a thief." As bleak as that may seem, he's also capable of producing the sort of sardonic humor that that could craft lines like "I wish I could go home again/To Frog Dick, South Dakota/For the annual sheep castration celebration/The last week of July/How fondly I remember/Every ram we did dismember/How could I think to leave the town/That was the toilet seat center of the World"? It's no wonder Cormac McCarthy sang back up for him on a track he produced in the nineties! Martin has reissued this disc himself, and I'm excited more folks are going to be able to hear it, if you're a fan of Townes Zan Zandt's Our Mother the Mountain, Mickey Newbury's Looks Like Rain, or Terry Allen's Juarez, this ought to be right up your alley. [MK]

		$21.99 LP   YA HO WA 13 Feather of Wisdom - Live at Cafe Du Nord 2007 (Phoenix) Man, at this point we can ALL come up with an example of a band who got their degree in psych-rock from watching a bunch of Monkees re-runs. What's difficult is naming a band that approaches their transcendental, free-spirited psych-rock with the same amount of ego-less, Earth-loving, open-hearted patience and abandon. Is it possible that a reunited group from a '70s commune (read all about the Source online or get Isis' book The Source) can still maintain the spirit that made their best albums great? Trad, Gras och Stenar is doing it! Add Ya Ho Wa 13 to that list. I'm not saying that they're gonna split you open like Amon Duul II's Yeti or anything, but it has to be said: What makes Ya Ho Wa 13 great is not ultra-magnificent chops and Hawkwind-like blasts. The beauty of albums like I'm Gonna Take You Home and Penetration is their absolutely patient openness, the occasional bit of unconcerned awkwardness and the fact that their hearts are always in the right place. Thankfully, they are incapable of sounding like a buncha bearded drunks in the woods fighting to get their solo in edgewise. This is all about opening up (together) and getting somewhere (together). These guys are not interested in pseudo-shaman posturing. Guitarist Djin just gets up and GOES and the bass and drums just fly alongside him -- no one seems to get left behind. Limited LP only release with silk-screened silver ink on powder blue sleeves. [SM]

		$14.99 CD $15.99 LP   EL PERRO DEL MAR From the Valley to the Stars (TCG) "How Did We Forget" "Someday I'll Understand" Gothenburg, Sweden's Sarah Assbring returns for another round of cinematic soul searching as the wistful one-woman girl group, El Perro Del Mar. From the Valley to the Stars quietly expands upon her burgeoning talent for gorgeous melancholic pop songs, only this time around, the self-conscious reflection that typifies El Perro Del Mar is sober and matured -- gone are jangling odes to candy, and the "baby, baby's" that tinged her ever-present depression with a slight paradoxical smile. At certain times, one almost craves the "Candy" of before, as it's possible to feel crushed under the solemn weight of this stripped down version of El Perro Del Mar. But when the release does come, albeit in small doses -- as in the incredibly uplifting and aptly named "Into the Sunshine" -- one understands the importance of bearing the load of loneliness. From the Valley to the Stars mines a vast array of pop, classical, jazz, and electronic influences, and filters these sources into an accord of lush vocal harmonies piano melodies, and synth swells, all simple enough to allow the stunning power of Assbring's voice to resonate above the repetitive compositions. The lyrical content is almost religious, in the sense of being devout to one's interior design. El Perro Del Mar urges one to surmount the fear of ones self -- i.e. the lulling phrase, repeated over and over in subtly changing inflections "Don't cast away/your inner-island." This is a perfect album to listen to alone on a summer night, pleased in the quiet comfort of ones own thoughts. [JW]

		$13.99 CD   GRAHAM LAMBKIN AND JASON LESCALLEET The Breadwinner (Erstwhile) "There and Back" "Soap Opera Suite" With the whole Siltbreeze renaissance going on it's great to see one of their veterans doing a new record that also helps to fly in the face of all that is hype-able in modern indie rock. The Breadwinner is one of the truest recordings to the lo-fi aesthetic to date but still manages to push an envelope that has all but disintegrated. While dudes like Bill Callahan and Will Oldham are becoming more "professional" and "comfortable" sounding, Lambkin and Lescalleet turn the obscuro knob to 11 and take us along for an absolutely pleasant and inspired ride. The Breadwinner is an album of purely home-recorded, arranged and layered domestic sounds (using Lescalleet's reel-to-reel techniques in Lambkin's home while Lambkin's wife and Harry Pussy drummer/vocalist Adris were out for the day). Everything from heating ducts, body sounds and water draining down sinks to intimate, instrumental and vocal moments finds a useful spot to occupy in this recording. The beauty of the album lies in the fact that this is not just a cheap attempt at musique concrete aimed at shocking the listener. Instead we get an extremely intimate, textural, almost-folk experience that is more about creating a mood of peaceful provocation. The listener is brought to an ideal state where the ear is open to whatever happens next but is still left to wonder what the source of the sounds may be. The noise of a snoring man is enjoyed for its texture and mystery well before the source of the sound is realized. Music enters the room through a window like a recurring dream. The Breadwinner will sound eerily familiar, almost as if it were made by your own hand, but in the end it remains elusive; that's the beauty of this record. Duchamp and Maciunas would be into this. Top 10 album material that needs to be heard to experience the above. [SM]

		$19.99 CD   MIRIAM BACKHOUSE Gypsy Without a Road (Mother Earth) "The Widow" "Veera Vata" A friend of the store with incredible taste, and the foresight to get into folk albums before everybody else on eBay did, sold us an unbelievable pile of records last year. The cream of the crop kind of stuff, like Shirley Collins, Nic Jones, Shelagh McDonald, Marc Brierly, Karen Dalton, Moira Kerr, and Dando Shaft amongst dozens of others. He was very partial towards UK female folk singers, and one of the best albums he brought in that I was totally unfamiliar with was Miriam Backhouse's Gypsy Without a Road. Unfortunately the LP was out of my price range (damn you eBay!) so I was delighted to discover a couple weeks back that it had been recently reissued by the folks that had originally put it out, the artist-run label Mother Earth Music. Released in 1977, just before Backhouse left the UK to live in South Africa where she continues to play today, Gypsy is one of those albums, like Nic Jones' Noah's Ark Trap, also from '77, that just seems to stand outside of time. I guess some folks weren't ready to quit the Cecil Sharp House for the Sex Pistols at the 100 Club just yet. This is a gorgeous album, her voice is lovely and the arrangements of these mostly traditional tunes are genius, stripped down but not afraid to add an unusual touch, like a mellotron synthesizer, from time to time. It's been a little while since we had such a solid UK folk discovery to get behind, so mega thanks to S.P. for dropping this one off! [MK]

		$13.99 CD $9.99 MP3   CHRISTOPHER BISSONNETTE In Between Worlds (Kranky) "Jour Et Nuit" "Provenance" Periphery, the 2005 debut from Canadian composer Christopher Bissonnette, was nothing if not a surprisingly auspicious debut. Built out of brief micro-snippets of piano and orchestral works that were then repurposed into sweeping, effervescent tableaus, that album heralded the arrival of a carefully stated talent capable of evoking rich worlds with the simplest of source materials. Though hardly a deviation from the modes and methods explored on that debut, In Between Worlds manages to expand on Bissonnette's approach while holding fast to the same masterful attention to sonic detail that made his debut such a pleasant surprise. Based once again on orchestral source material, the six pieces that make up In Between Worlds build gradually, basking in slyly melodic figures that poke through steadily encroaching fuzz and static, as evidenced on "A Touch of Heartbreak." Elsewhere, he works vaguely urban field recordings into the ominous tones of "Orffyreus Wheel," creating a delicate balance between sounds both processed and unadorned. Building in emotional resonance as the record moves forward, Bissonnette offers the minor key drones of both "The Colonnade" and "Jour et Nuit" to close, creating grimly radiant storm clouds out of brief snatches of sound that are stretched to their breaking point. Easily avoiding anything resembling a sophomore slump, Christopher Bissonnette's In Between Worlds delivers on the massive potential hinted at with his debut. [MC]

		$21.99 CD   JOSE JAMES Dreamer (Brownswood) "Spirits Up Above" "Velvet" A talented, honest and unassuming vocalist is hard to come by these days, but thanks to Gilles Peterson and his new Brownswood label, we are introduced to a singer who is all that and more. This wonderful debut album from Jose James follows in the tradition of smooth vocalists like Terry Callier, Jon Lucien, Andy Bey, Kurt Elling and Gil Scott-Heron. James' sound is a warm brew of acoustic soul and jazz, with touches of blues and urban rhythms all meshed together with great results. His baritone vocals are accompanied by sparse arrangements of piano, bass, and drums. Mostly self-penned (with the exception of his subtle yet effective versions of Bill Lee's "Nola," Freestyle Fellowship's "Park Bench People" and Rashaan Roland Kirk's "Spirits Up Above"), and produced and arranged by James himself, this is a welcome addition to those looking for something modern yet classic, soothing, sexy, and above all soulful in the best possible way. You'll no doubt be charmed upon first listen. I know I was. Surprise of the week! [DG]

		$17.99 CD   ABDEL HADI HALO and El Gusto Orchestra of Algiers (Honest Jon's) "Fatouma" "Mal Djifni" Algerian ivory-tickler and bandleader extraordinaire Abdel Hadi Halo has deployed quite the musical onslaught with his backroom-meeting-of-the-masters project known as the El Gusto Orchestra of Algiers. On the menu is chaabi music, a street-born colonial style (similar in some respects to its more popular cousin rai) that marries traditional casbah genres to the imported clatter of the European piano. Halo and his band's self-titled album will hook you in from its very first bars, not because it has an especially accessible sound, but because it works its own brand of musical drama so effectively that all you can hope to do is to sit back and enjoy the story. Recorded in 2006 in the Algerian capital using only the most rough-and-ready of recording techniques, Halo and company serve up Mediterranean melancholic splendor that would have Skip James nodding empathetically. Lyrically (helpful English translations are provided), the record bleeds somber Islamic poetics that read equally Eric Clapton as they do Rumi. Luckily for us mono-linguists, the accompanying music does a fine job mirroring the sentiment of the rich vocabulary, ranging from baroque clouds of flutes to masterful oud picking, all backed by the ubiquitous and ever-grooving rhythm section. At six tracks with only one dropping below the eight-minute mark, the El Gusto Orchestra paints with lengthy strokes, but the band's discipline and the brilliant work of the record's several vocalists make each track seem hypnotically, deceptively short. With rumblings of more from Abdel Hadi Halo on the horizon, including a Buena Vista Social Club-style documentary, there's no better time -- or better record -- to get started with. [DS]

		$15.99 CD $14.99 MP3   JACK ROSE Dr. Ragtime and Pals / Self-Titled (Beautiful Happiness) "Fishtown Flower" "Dark Was the Night" As the title might suggest, Dr. Ragtime and Pals finds Jack Rose in a lighthearted mood, exploring his old-timey self with a selection of traditional and new-traditionalist tunes. The prolific guitar prodigy is augmented by fellow travelers Glenn Jones (of Cul-de-Sac) on guitar, Mike Gangloff (who played in Pelt with Rose) on banjo, Sean Bowles bringing a little washboard here and there, and a man named Harmonica Dan blowing some pretty magical harp, as on their sublime version of Robert Johnson's "Walkin' Blues." It is nothing new for Rose to explore traditional Americana. Even when he pushes boundaries of style, his lap-steel and acoustic fingerpicking are firmly rooted in classic folk and blues forms; but it is a treat to hear him attack these straightforward tunes as if for a back-porch jam session. On the other hand, the pairing here with Rose's out of print self-titled lap-steel opus is inspired, presenting the other side of this amazing player, as he pushed the boundaries of genre and style, alone with his crying, whining and singing lap-steel guitar. Originally released on the Archive label, this album probably remains in Rose's growing catalog his most innovative and original release, showcasing his thrilling playing and firm base in folk and blues forms, but upending the rule-book with impossible to define tunes like the 13-minute epic "Spirits in the House." Overall, you get something old, something new, something sunny and something blue on this great double-disc set. [JM]

		$16.99 CD $9.99 MP3   THE MONOCHROME SET The Independent Singles Collection (Cherry Red) "Alphaville" "The Mating Game" In late-'70s/early-'80s Britain, there were few bands as unique as the Monochrome Set. Flying in the face of everything post-punk and distorted and gloomy, frontman Bid and his Set played a trebly, aristocratic, black-humored brand of pop music, that was truly out of fashion but also gained them a small but dedicated cult following. The Independent Singles Collection collects the band's indie label singles (they eventually signed to Virgin), including b-sides, and while it doesn't tell the entire story of the Monochrome Set, it gets pretty damn close. Influenced by everything from the Velvet Underground (Bid's deadpan delivery sometimes resembles Lou Reed), '50s crooning, and classic '60s pop to mambo and jazz, these 25 tracks showcases their incredible range, from their odes to Fad Gadget's Frank Tovey, "He's Frank," and a departed drummer, "J.D.H.A.N.E.Y." (my own personal favorites here), via twangy, literary pop to surf instrumentals and Eastern-influenced excursions, and later flirtations with country and western. Looking for a new favorite pop band? They have arrived. For fans of C86, the Smiths, new wave, Britpop, and everything in-between. [AK]

		$14.99 CD $14.99 LP   FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS Flight of the Conchords (Sub Pop) "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros" "Business Time" "You're so beautiful, you could be a waitress. You're so beautiful, you could be an air hostess in the '60s. You're so beautiful, you could be a part-time model... but you'd probably still have to keep your normal job. You're so beautiful, like a high-class prostitute." To start, a sample of lyrics from "The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)," probably the most well-known song from Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, the talented Kiwis who make up Flight of the Conchords, New Zealand's "fourth most popular digi-folk paradists." No musical genre goes un-mocked, from Barry White sexytime music ("Business Time"), to '60s French pop ("Foux du Fafa" where they simply list French objects and stereotypes), to hip-hop ("Mutha'uckas"), Donovan ("Prince of Parties") and Space Oddity-era Bowie ("Bowie"). (Side note: they give a shout out to Mr. White in their liner notes). They are the most entertaining when they try to be badass, especially since the album is PG-13 and they elect to use the swear stand-in "flippin'" quite often. Or when they try to pick up girls, and fail miserably due to back-handed compliments -- see above lyrics or and the Shaggy-inflected "Boom" in which Bret sings "she's so hot, she's making me sexist." They also come across as prudes, or, if you prefer, gentlemen, on "Kiss Is Not a Contract." It's always refreshing when musicians don't take themselves so seriously and can make fun of themselves, along with others. For example, the CD case is practically a pop-up book. I mean, come ON, how can you not love these guys? Most, if not all of the songs that appear on the debut album were first introduced on the eponymous HBO series (where Jemaine plays a pitch-perfect David Bowie). While this may be an album review, the songs are exponentially more hilarious when you see them performed live, which is possible on May 5 and 6 at Town Hall. And if you get a chance, watch their SXSW documentary on YouTube. It's mutha'ucking bananas. [TL]

		$13.99 CD $9.99 MP3   THE MEKONS The Mekons Story (Buried Treasure) "Eden" "Dance and Drink the Mekons" After over a decade out of print, the Mekons' one-of-a-kind collection of B-sides, outtakes and otherwise unused tracks, is back in business. Forget the country you know from their past 20+ years of operations, as The Mekons Story paints a picture of a group playing every side of punk and post-punk they could get their hands on, from their inception as classmates of the Gang of Four and Delta 5 in Leeds, to their reincarnation of the band we know them as in 1982; an example of a truly egalitarian musical project. You get drunken pub punk, dub experiments, somewhat industrial forays into propaganda and rhythm a la Cabaret Voltaire, and out of the blue a perfect pop song like "He Beat Up His Boyfriend," all tied together with liner notes from the late Lester Bangs. The Mekons remain one of the world's premiere live musical attractions, but like the Fall, the overall enormity of their catalog can intimidate newcomers. While Story represents somewhat of an endpoint in that capacity, it is nevertheless a fine example of a band navigating stylistically treacherous terrain almost completely drunk and coming out looking like geniuses. [DM]

		$17.99 CD   VARIOUS ARTISTS Mighty Striker Shoots (Moll-Selekta) "Jamaica" Honey Boy "Give Me Love" Cornell Campbell This new compilation from Moll-Selekta concentrates on the overflowing output from producer Bunny "Striker" Lee and the topnotch vocalists he collaborated with. Much like Clement Dodd, Lee worked continuously, crafting chart-topping hits in his homeland of Jamaica. The great selections here mostly date between 1973 and 1979, with Lee touching on the many sides of reggae music: from ballads and lovers rock to rockers and roots. Lee's production style is overall thicker than Dodd or any of his contemporaries, and he keeps the focus on talented front men like golden-voiced Horace Andy, Johnny Clarke, Delroy Wilson, Jackie Edwards, and Barry Brown. Each track has a personality and vibe all its own. All of these songs topped the JA charts when originally released, and the quality still stands tall. With warm weather approaching, this is a great primer. [DG]

		$11.99 CD   SHE KEEPS BEES Minisink Hotel (Self-Released) "Lucille" "Mercury" A fine new talent from NYC, comprising a duo of Jessica Larrabee on guitar and vocals, and drummer/producer Andy LaPlante. SKB keeps it sedately soulful and lonesome across these ten tracks, outlining a brief yet captivating photo of a capable songwriter and strong vocal presence in Larrabee, maybe like a huskier-sounding Chan Marshall or a non-possessed Katrina Ford (Celebration, Love Life) channeling PJ Harvey's 4-Track Demos. [DM]

		$11.95 BK w/CD   YETI 5 (Yeti Book) One of our most beloved zines makes it back around, with a gorgeous metallic inked cover this time out. Inside this issue are pieces about some of our favorite people in the world: Will Oldham, Blind Willie Johnson, Unica Zurn, P.G. Six, and Sublime Frequencies' Hisham Mayet. If that weren't enough, the CD mix that comes with it is fine indeed, with live Deerhoof, Dean & Britta, and outtakes from Sublime Frequencies' travels. Neutral Milk Hotel fans will especially want to take note, as Jeff Mangum not only contributes visual art but also a few of his favorite 78s. [AB]

		$19.99 CD   VARIOUS ARTISTS Spiritual Jazz (Jazzman) "Ayo Ayo Nene" Mor Thiam "The Afrikan in Winter" The Positive Force Gerald Short (a/k/a Jazzman Gerald) has been a record digger for years, and through his Jazzman label has released some excellent soul and funk compilations. His imprint's motto states "we dig deeper," and here's the result of just that. Spiritual Jazz collects mostly misses from the post-Coltrane era, where many musicians took root in their heritage and grounded themselves firmly in the up-lift-ment of all people, worldwide. That said, the track listing reads like a missing link in jazz history. A few slightly familiar names like James Tatum, Ronnie Boykins, and Salah Ragab sit between ethnocentric bands like the Positive Fore, Hastings Street Jazz Experience, and the Ohio Penitentiary 511 Jazz Ensemble(!?). From soulfully constructed free jazz to spoken word, to European and Africa jazz, the compilation flows and is centered with an attention to quality, not just a funky break. Refreshing in its dedication and selection. [DG]

		Opera Plus $17.99 CD Milieu Plus $17.99 CD   TAPE Opera Plus (Hapna) "Fire Made of Bones" TAPE Milieu Plus (Hapna) "Golden Twig" Swedish electro-acoustic masters Tape reissue two of their groundbreaking albums, with bonus tracks from the original sessions and brand new cover art. Tape combine conventional song-making tools such as melody and harmony with extremely tactile textures, warm modulating drones and processed field recordings; Opera and Milieu are beautifully restrained albums that get better with each listen. Characteristically opposed sounds are blended in such a natural way that at times one can barely tell if the recording is of someone playing a guitar or a piece of paper (both of which are featured instruments on the albums), nor does it matter. Reminiscent of Minamo or even Gastr Del Sol but with a warmer more song-oriented focus, vibraphone and pedal steel perfectly complement harmonium, guitar and electronics creating a series of environmental folk songs oozing with a pastoral ambiance that is both a pleasure to listen to as well as a truly engaging template for reinvestigation.

		$14.99 CD $9.99 MP3   THALIA ZEDEK BAND Liars and Prayers (Thrill Jockey) "Circa the End" Liars and Prayers is yet another chapter in the ever-growing book of the endlessly creative Thalia Zedek. As a founding member of Live Skull and Come (with Chris Brokaw), she has earned indie rock royalty status, and rightfully so. This new album features all of Zedek's trademark moves: brutal honesty, raw, pure emotion (especially in the vocals), a good helping of political content, and great songwriting.

		$13.99 CD $9.99 MP3   CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA Live at the Royal Albert Hall (Domino) "All That You Give" A breathtaking live album from Cinematic Orchestra, recorded at London's Royal Albert Hall last November, 2007. Accompanied by the 24-piece Heritage Orchestra, this career-spanning set includes songs from their recent Ma Fleur album, as well as other favorites including "To Build a Home," All That You Give," "Breathe," and "Flite," with guest vocalists including Lou Rhodes, Grey Reverend and Heidi Vogel.

		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 for any reason, please visit: digital.othermusic.com/subscribe.php   THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS [AB] Adrian Burkholder [MC] Michael Crumsho [DG] Daniel Givens [MK] Michael Klausman [AK] Andreas Knutsen [TL] Tanya Leet [JM] Josh Madell [DM] Doug Mosurock [SM] Scott Mou [DS] Daniel Salas [JW] Josiah Wolfson THANKS FOR READING - all of us at Other Music

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