February 19, 2009

		FEATURED NEW RELEASES Here We Go Magic Mountains The Musilms Vince Taylor Beirut Dark Was the Night (Various) Death Vetiver Alela Diane These Are Powers M. Ward Pop Ambient 2009 Asobi Seksu Psapp   Iran Hudson Mohawke N.A.S.A. The Soul of Spanish Harlem (Various) ALSO AVAILABLE Loren Connors Morrissey Abe Vigoda Mi Ami Benjy Ferree BACK IN STOCK Chandra

		OTHER MUSIC PRESENTS IRON AND WINE This May, Iron and Wine will issue Around the Well (Sub Pop), a 2-CD/3-LP collection of rare tracks ranging from out-of-print to never-before-released. In support of Around the Well, Iron and Wine will be performing ten intimate shows in five cities. Each individual show will be wholly unique, as Iron and Wine will turn the set list over to the fans to create. Other Music is pleased to present Iron and Wine for two nights on the eve of the album's release, May 17 (with Lia Ices) and May 18 (with partyface), at Abrons Arts Center. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, February 20th, and will be available for purchase here: www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/643535 *Please note, the link will not be active until this Friday. IRON AND WINE SUNDAY, MAY 17 & MONDAY, MAY 18 ABRONS ART CENTER: 466 Grand Street NYC

		FEB Sun 15 Mon 16 Tues 17 Wed 18 Thurs 19 Fri 20 Sat 21   WIN TICKETS TO POLE This Friday's installment of House-n-Home is not to be missed, with none other than Stefan Betke a/k/a Pole gracing the party with an early live dub set at 11PM. Any fan of electronic music is well aware of his trailblazing and now classic 1, 2 and 3 albums, thankfully back in print again on Betke's ~scape label. The rest of the line-up is pretty sweet as well, with Mike Huckaby (S Y N T H, Deep Transportation - Detroit), Derek Plaslaiko (the Bunker) and House-n-Home residents Spinoza and Anthony Parasole keeping the party going strong well into the wee hours of the night. To enter to win a pair of guest spots, email tickets@othermusic.com. We'll notify the two winners on Friday morning. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20 12-TURN-13: 172 Classon Avenue (at Myrtle) Clinton Hill, Brooklyn

		FEB Sun 22 Mon 23 Tues 24 Wed 25 Thurs 26 Fri 27 Sat 28   WIN TICKETS TO THIEVERY CORPORATION Next Wednesday, February 25th, Thievery Corporation will be appearing at NYC's Terminal 5, playing a live, full band set featuring a mix of new songs from their current album, Radio Retaliation and fan favorites. Also appearing on the bill will be ESL mate Nickodemus. Other Music has two pairs of tickets to give away to the show. To enter, email contest@othermusic.com. We'll notify the winners on Monday, February 23. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25 TERMINAL 5: 610 West 56 Street NYC

		$14.99 CD $9.99 MP3   HERE WE GO MAGIC Here We Go Magic (Western Vinyl) "Tunnelvision" "Fangela" Let me just start by saying that Luke Temple has created one of the best records of 2009! Yeah yeah, it's only February, but his eponymous debut under his Here We Go Magic moniker is a truly beautiful piece of art. Word has it, Temple started HWGM as an experiment to get away from his singer/songwriter output, but it has since tuned into a fulltime band and, well, the blogs are buzzing. The album sounds at once like nothing and everything that's out there today. I know that really doesn't make too much sense, but the point is that the songs are so varied and the influences are from so far and wide, it's impossible to pinpoint what Temple was thinking when he recorded these tracks. Most of the tunes are maximal and minimal at the same time, every song built from meticulous layers of instrumentation and sound; whether it is a gorgeous synth line or a stunning guitar groove, it all seems to fit together so perfectly. And that's not to mention Temple's amazing falsetto. Just picture an album that sounds like Bon Iver's Justin Vernon fronting a restrained Animal Collective or even Vampire Weekend. Pretty great, right? Here We Go Magic kicks off with the gorgeous "Only Pieces," which floats on a simple loop of Krautrock-inspired percussion, an African highlife-influenced guitar, and a hypnotic melody that could easily have been borrowed off of Paul Simon's Graceland. The song builds slowly, adding more and more layers of synths until it all comes crashing down straight into the next track, "Fangela," one of my favorites of the record. The song is a perfect pop gem for 2009, as distant '80s-sounding synthesizers and a minimal beat augment a strummed guitar that enshrouds Temple's truly haunting vocal -- its closest comparison would be something from Bowie/Byrne's masterful collaboration, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. But the real standout for me is "Tunnelvision," a song that sounds like one of the best cuts off of Sigur Ros' recent album. The song mysteriously unfolds as layers of voices and an upstroked open-chord guitar build upon each other, and finally dissolve into about 20 whispered backing vocal tracks. It's a little hard to describe here, but trust me, it all works. And that is the thing about this album, from the gorgeous, mysterious pop gems to lulling noise passages, everything fits together almost perfectly. So yeah, I'm going to pronounce Here We Go Magic's record the best debut album of the year, a truly stunning piece of art with no real categories or boundaries to pin it down. If you like music, and I mean all kinds of music, then this is for you. [JS]

		$13.99 CD $15.99 LPx2 $9.99 MP3   MOUNTAINS Choral (Thrill Jockey) "Choral" "Add Infinity" Koen Holtkamp and Brendon Anderegg's Mountains project has been one of electronic music's quiet success stories. After a handful of releases on Holtkamp's own Apestaartje label which sent a small number of us into a quiet reverence, and a recent well-timed return on the Catsup Plate label with the incredible Mountains, Mountains, Mountains, they have now moved to pastures new with their debut for Chicago's Thrill Jockey imprint. An odd move for the label some might say, but it makes perfect sense; in many ways Holtkamp and Anderegg's music is just as much a part of the post-rock landscape as any other Thrill Jockey mainstay, as the duo deconstruct their instruments leaving mere traces behind in a fog of harmonic bliss. The main reference point might be the kosmische experiments of Popol Vuh (think Hosanna Mantra and Aguirre) or Cluster, but Mountains' sound has always been rooted in Anderegg's assured acoustic guitar playing and this hasn't been lost this time around. Although we begin with the thick, almost orchestral drone of the album's title track, we slide gracefully into "Map Table" which places Anderegg's playing at the front of the mix, allowing the field recordings and gentle rattle to underpin the track which subtly explodes with gentle, measured beauty. Mountains make music which has been weathered by time and experience; there is no ego or showiness in what they do, but they have more to offer than countless other young drone bands trying to make their mark. While everyone else has been sleeping, Anderegg and Holtkamp have been carefully crafting the soundtrack to moonlit sojourns and distant romantic memories, and to my mind few do it better. An incredibly deep, dense and layered release, this is likely the best selection of acoustic ambience you'll hear this year. Don't miss out. [JT]

		$11.99 LP w/MP3   THE MUSLIMS The Muslims (1928 Recordings) "Extinction" "Call It a Day" Yes, you are reading this correctly. The most highly sought after debut record of last year is now lovingly repressed and back in stock! I can't tell you how long I have wanted to review this record, but we were never able to keep it in on our shelves. Some of you may have heard all about the controversy surrounding this band, their debut album, and their subsequent name change to the Soft Pack. I will not get into the gory details -- you can Google that for yourselves -- but what I will tell you is that the Muslims' eponymous LP was one of the best albums of last year. Even without a readily available record for purchase, they've been blog favorites who have been championed by everybody and anybody, and for good reason. The Muslims write some of the best songs out there today, built from everything that's great about rock music: distorted, jangly guitars, primal drums, driving bass, and a frontman who delivers some of the most memorable melodies since the Strokes released their debut EP. This album is a perfect blend of the Velvet Underground, Modern Lovers and the Sonics -- 10 brilliant tracks that will be in constant rotation on your stereo. While the songs are all highlights, I have to mention "Beside Myself," a true, stone cold classic, built around a primitive, propulsive bassline, trebly guitar and frontman Matt sneering all the way home. My favorite cut, however, would have to be "Extinction," a full on driving, sing-a-long anthem with a chorus of "I don't owe anything...to you" chanted over and over again. But honestly, every time I listen to this record, a new song sticks in my head, a rare thing in this age of being constantly bombarded by music through commercials, the Internet, video games, 7-Eleven parking lots, etc, etc. By the way, we've been trying to get this limited edition LP in for ages, and while we have a few for now, I can't tell you how long they will last. Pass this up at your own risk! Lovingly repackaged with 10 tracks on the vinyl (instead of the original seven), and the previous included CD version has been replaced with a digital download code for you iPod lovers out there. And yes, last but not least, the record covers have still been shot at with a 9mm! [JS]

		$18.99 CD   VINCE TAYLOR Jet Black Leather Machine (Ace) I've waited for this compilation to be released for years. Vince Taylor is hands down one of my favorite rock 'n' roll singers of the early transition from the music's R&B roots into the Caucasian affliction that has infected whippersnappers young and old for generations. Taylor was a Brit who found fame in France, sporting leather wear from head to toe with a huge chain wrapped around his neck -- a look Alan Vega, who owes much to Taylor stylistically, would adopt years later when he formed Suicide with Martin Rev. Taylor is also somewhat infamous for being David Bowie's inspiration for the Ziggy Stardust character, whose rise and fall was modeled after Taylor's own true life story, which is chronicled in the excellent liner notes in this package. That's all fine and dandy, but what about the music? Hot damn. The set begins with Taylor's most well-known hit, 1959's "Brand New Cadillac," hands down one of early British rock's crowning achievements, and later covered by the Clash on London Calling. The guitars buzz and rumble, the riffs tumble, and Taylor croons, howls, and sneers his way through this and 21 other tunes. He reworks rock standards of the era like "My Baby Left Me," "Memphis Tennessee," and "Long Tall Sally," along with sleazy jams like "Jet Black Machine," "Cold White and Beautiful" and the classic "Sweet Little Sixteen." I say in all honesty that this set is all killer and no filler; there have been French reissues of Taylor's albums with his early band the Playboys (they were signed to Barclay, for whom they'd record nearly all of their repertoire), but none of those reissues were able to place all of the essential songs on one platter the way this one manages to. Ace Records even gets bonus points for including Vince's odd but stunning late-'70s collaboration with French avant-punk Jac Berrocal, the classic (and Nurse-With-Wound-list approved) "Rock'N'Roll Station," which features Taylor's creepily spoken, "Brand New Cadillac"-referencing monologue over cold drones and the sounds of Berrocal playing an upturned bicycle. I guarantee you here and now that this jam's going on my Best of 2009 Reissue List. Cramps fans, Suicide fans, Bowie fans, rockabilly fans, hell, maybe even punk fans... this is the sh*t right here. You need this. Every lo-fi rock 'n' roll wetnap making the scene right now owes their entire cred card to figureheads like Vince Taylor. Totally essential listening. [IQ]

		$11.99 CDx2 $16.99 LPx2 $9.99 MP3   BEIRUT March of the Zapotec / Realpeople: Holland (Pompeii) "La Llorona" "The Concubine" What do you do when you've got two critically acclaimed and fine-selling albums behind you and you're signed to a well-established label? Well, if you're Zach Condon, you decide to go it alone, start your own label and release a double album. I guess he was never entirely happy to take the easy route, whether that was writing indie songs on brass instruments rather than using guitars or taking his plight to the backstreets of France rather than capitalizing on the Ukranian gypsy-folk of his debut. March of the Zapotec/Realpeople: Holland is his most ambitious move yet, however, taking two distinct personas and giving them each a disc -- the first (March of the Zapotec) is more traditional Beirut material and sees Condon recruiting a Mexican funeral band to assist the cause, but the second (Realpeople: Holland) sees him revisit the quirky electronic pop we heard snippets of on his now classic debut. I am reminded conceptually at least of Bright Eyes' ambitious dual album release of Digital Ash in a Digital Urn and I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, and that's no bad thing -- it's clear from listening to the material that Condon needed to split the tracks up. His more electronic material (originally intended to be released under the Realpeople moniker) is a million miles away from the brassy Tijuana-themed funeral folk of March of the Zapotec, and mixing the songs up would have been confusing and unwieldy. Here we have two separate records, probably not even intended to be listened to in one go and almost certainly poised to split fans down the middle. For my money, March of the Zapotec is the more successful venture, with its convincingly skewed take on Latin-folk tradition, but there's also something overwhelmingly charming about Condon's very personal touch on Realpeople: Holland. He doesn't always get it just right, but when he does there is a softness and compositional confidence rarely heard in electronic music. "Venice," for instance, could have come from the early Morr Music catalog and closing track "No Dice" sounds like Condon's been listening to more than a little bit of German club music. This kind of electronic pop is a welcome diversion from the hipper-than-thou noise of bands such as Fuck Buttons, and shows that Condon is a versatile producer unafraid of taking risks, and one who might have more longevity in him than any of us ever expected. [JT]

		$14.99 CDx2   VARIOUS ARTISTS Dark Was the Night (4AD) "Service Bell" Grizzly Bear + Feist "Knotty Pine" Dirty Projectors + David Byrne Curated by the National's Aaron and Bruce Dessner for the Red Hot Organization, Dark Was the Night celebrates the 20th Anniversary of this remarkable AIDS charity who've contributed over 7 million dollars to AIDS research from the proceeds of their compilations and media programs. Titled after a Blind Willie Johnson track (covered here by the Kronos Quartet), this two-CD collection flows with a profound yet measured emotional current. "Big Red Machine" is a hallowed-sounding trip to church, as the chilling falsetto of Justin Vernon (a/k/a Bon Iver) reverberates against Aaron Dressner's thundering piano. There's a calculated genius behind the maniacal, ominous fanfare of Sufjan's cover of the Castanet's "You Are the Blood," and a sense of appropriateness about a collaboration between the Dirty Projectors and David Byrne that is entirely confirmed by the bursting compulsive pop of "Knotty Pine." And the transitions are seamless; My Morning Jacket's cowboy sing-a-long contribution "El Caporal" is somehow a perfect lead into an aggressive, soulful version of Shuggie Otis' "Inspiration Information" by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. The result is much more profound and moving than that celebrity ensemble cover of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," let alone "We Are the World." I could recommend any single track here, but luckily I don't have to, as this compilation is an unerringly perfect playlist from start to finish of indie music's biggest names -- other notables including Yo La Tengo, Antony Hegarty, Andrew Bird, Grizzly Bear with Feist, Cat Power, the Books with Jose Gonzalez, Iron & Wine, Decemberists, and the New Pornographers...and many, many more. The booklet art is stunning as well, featuring pictures from an illustrated version of Paradise Lost, but the noble cause this compilation serves should be the real selling point for this incredible collection of tracks. [MH]

		$13.99 CD $15.99 LP   DEATH ...For the Whole World to See (Drag City) "Keep on Knocking" "Politicians in My Eyes" There's an interesting back story here: In the early '70s, three African-American brothers from Michigan geeked on the MC5 and form a band, are then courted by legendary record producer Clive Davis and manage to record half of an album before everything grinds to a halt, supposedly because they refused to change their name to something more commercial! A few years later, they self-released a 7" of two of those songs to little notice, which would then resurface some 30 years later again when a box of the singles was found and copies began to slowly trickle out; consequently, collector scum interest was off the charts. More often than not, the story associated with archival finds usually trumps the actual music but in the case of Death, everything takes a back seat to the music. The b-side of the aforementioned single, "Keep On Knocking," kicks things off in Grande Ballroom style, coming on like Phil Lynott fronting the Sonic Rendezvous Band. Next is the frantic "Rock-N-Roll Victim," a song so perfect in its shut-yer-brain-off proto-punk power, I've just declared it the theme song to my life! "Let the World Turn" comes as a welcome rest at first, but ultimately takes so many weird twists that by the end of the track's almost six minutes you'll be in awe of its Beatles vs. prog vs. Raw Power insanity. Side two starts with "You're a Prisoner," a solid Back in the USA-era MC5 jammer, but "Freaking Out" is the real brain-melter here as it could easily be mistaken for a Black Dots-era Bad Brains tune. The LP finishes up with "Where Do We Go from Here," another tough rocker, as well as the truly epic "Politicians in My Eyes." All said and done, this is one of the best records to hit my ears in ages. Absolutely essential for any lover of high-energy rock & roll. [DMa]

		$13.99 CD $14.99 LP w/MP3   VETIVER Tight Knit (Sub Pop) "Rolling Sea" "On the Other Side" Andy Cabic's passion for folk rock and alt-country is well documented at this point but Tight Knit, his fourth album with band Vetiver, is notable for being his shot at a more mainstream success. On his first record for the esteemed Sub Pop label, Cabic has returned to the classic songwriting that set him up alongside peer, friend and regular collaborator Devendra Banhart as one of the more essential frontrunners of the American folk revival. Fans will no doubt rejoice as, though it is no great departure in sound, Cabic has used Tight Knit as an opportunity to hone his sound and knuckle down to produce ten lean, enjoyable tracks and make the "classic" album he clearly respects from his 60s-era heroes. The influence of Townes Van Zandt, Bob Dylan, Gene Clark, as well as the sunny pop of fellow Californians the Beach Boys is still here, but instead of pastiche Cabic limits himself to the kind of instrumentation and backline he might have been gifted with "back in the day." He really only uses those artists as a starting point for his songs, with radio-friendly jangling folk ("Everyday") sitting comfortably next to thrumming ballads ("Rolling Sea") with an introspective near-ambience that creates an album that feels timeless without being altogether too knowing or ego-draped. This is calm, subtle and humble music, refined to a point where Cabic should be more than happy, and although the world might be awash with nu-folk right now, and the critics might be too used to hanging on to the hype surrounding Fleet Foxes, Vetiver still have plenty to offer. Tight Knit is possibly the finest offering from Cabic to date -- more essential than his well paced cover versions and better worn than his earlier attempts, this is where he gets everything right. It's not an album that is going to shout down at you from the rooftops, but when you dig it out from the shelves it is sure to warm the cockles and brighten the darkest days. [JT]

		$13.99 CD $17.99 LPx2 w/MP3   ALELA DIANE To Be Still (Rough Trade) "To Be Still" "Dry Grass & Shadows" Two years since her acclaimed debut, The Pirate's Gospel, comes Alela Diane's beautiful sophomore effort, To Be Still. Diane's airy timbre firmly commands these enchanted, bluesy folk tunes that are wonderfully reminiscent of Karen Dalton and Joni Mitchell. The production on To Be Still fleshes out the bare-boned structure of her last album, emphasizing the guitar work and isolating the vocals that garnered her reputation in the first place -- percussion often lends a cadence to Diane's natural rhythms, while the mandolin of "The Ocean," banjo in "Tatted Lace," and fiddle on "White as Diamonds" add a particular country flair to the songs. Her lyrics resonate with tactile metaphors and natural imagery that seem visceral, but gradually appear more ontological in orientation -- though the palpable presence of the rolling forests of Northern California are never far away (Diane hails from Nevada City, CA, hometown of fellow sylvan songstresses Joanna Newsom and Mariee Sioux). To Be Still is full of highlights, including "Age Old Blue," a touching duet with Michael Hurley; but it is the aforementioned "White As Diamonds" that will prove to be the career-defining single, a wintry anthem guaranteed to warm plenty of cold mornings. You would truly be hard pressed to find a more delicate, unassuming, original, and comforting voice active in folk music today. [BCa]

		$14.99 CD $16.99 LP $9.99 MP3   THESE ARE POWERS All Aboard Future (Dead Oceans) "Easy Answers" "Glass Blocks" Given These Are Powers' past predilections for the no wave-y skronk that all but defined a certain bygone New York era (along with a clutch of more leftfield-leaning experiments that dotted their debut and follow-up EP), it's more than a bit surprising that the first sounds to pulse out of All Aboard Future were last heard on a Missy Elliott record from a few years back. Nicking a clipped beat from Missy's "Pass That Dutch," "Easy Answers" sets quite a tone for the band's second full-length, one that sees the trio move beyond the well-worn punk and noise figures of their previous works into a realm that hybridizes overt dance beats with their previously familiar textures in some pretty exciting ways. Always moving forward, the trio spends these nine tracks finding ways to expand the "ghost punk" they built in the past, lacing droning guitars and Anna Barie's piercing vocals with Pat Noecker's low end thuds and Bill Salas' vibrant, hiccupping beats; sounding (surprisingly) club-ready on songs like "Light After Sound" and "Parallel Shores." Shedding almost all references to their past projects as the album plays on, These Are Powers race through all new landscapes on All Aboard Future, capably and confidently showcasing their desire to redefine not only their own music, but bizarre intersections of punk, noise, and dance. [MC]

		$13.99 CD $18.99 LP (180 Gram) w/MP3 $9.99 MP3   M. WARD Hold Time (Merge) "Never Had Nobody Like You" "Stars of Leo" I wonder what era Matt Ward would have chosen to be born in if he had the chance to pick. He's always recreated various epochs with his music, and no less so on his sixth solo studio album, Hold Time, his most soulful collection of songs to date. A loving homage to folk, blues, gospel, and country, it's a dustier and generally more forlorn outing compared to last year's She & Him album, Ward's mostly upbeat collaboration with the actress Zooey Deschanel. Deschanel herself shows up here on two of the record's perkier tracks, the feel-good stomper "Never Had Nobody Like You," as well as a great cover of Buddy Holly's "Rave On." Songs like the timeless "For Beginners" are reminiscent of the sublime folk of earlier records like Transfiguration of Vincent and Transistor Radio, while the slow-burning title track floats in a haunting wash of strings, as Ward soulfully reminisces, "I wrote this song just to remember / the endless, endless summer in your laugh." Deschanel isn't the only celebrity help to be found here, he's got Grandaddy's Jason Lytle pounding on the keys, while the album's biggest all star, Lucinda Williams, joins Ward for a six-minute duet of "Oh, Lonesome Me," a hushed, heartbreaking rendition of the Don Gibson/Chet Atkins classic. Like much of the American music canon with which Ward is inspired by, there's plenty of veiled religious imagery throughout Hold Time. During "Fisher of Men," Ward sings, "He put the thorns on the rose to get you to bleed," and soon after he makes his case for heaven in an ode to William Blake on "Blake's View," with a chorus that goes, "Death is just a door / You'll be reunited on the other side." Optimistically, there aren't many references to hell, but various mythical utopias do appear: the Garden of Eden, Mt. Zion, and Shangri-La. For M. Ward, perfection may still be out of reach, but with Hold Time he is, however, one step closer to transcendence. [TL]

		$15.99 CD $12.99 MP3   VARIOUS ARTISTS Pop Ambient 2009 (Kompakt) "True Enemies & False Friends" Klimek "Nuage III" Sylvain Chaveau Kompakt's Pop Ambient series has been drifting through our fuzzy brains since 2001 now, troubling the techno-loving world with a little bit of light relief. By the sounds of this latest edition though, the years have taken their toll on the focus of Cologne's favorite imprint and the lilting electronics they had become known for have taken a back seat, allowing (gasp) real instruments to make an appearance. Bookending the compilation is a familiar name for dedicated Kompakt aficionados, the ever-reliable Klimek who turns in two gorgeous pieces of post-orchestral wooziness. The opener "True Enemies and False Friends" works as the perfect introduction, blending lush instrumentation with reverberating electronic treatments to come up with a narcotic happy medium. Before long, however, the electronics have all but disappeared totally with Sylvain Chauveau's sparse and beautiful "Nuage III" (the first of two tracks from the French composer), which wholeheartedly steps into the world of modern classical composition. Elsewhere, we are treated to a rare track from Mint, a lesser-seen alias of Kompakt founder and musical legend Wolfgang Voigt (a/k/a Gas); unsurprisingly this is the high point of the disc, with its measured blend of shadowy cinematics and light treatments. Kompakt also widen their reach to drag in a track from American ambient music purveyors Tim Hecker and the Fun Years. Some of you might remember the Fun Years from last year's phenomenal full-length, Baby, It's Cold Inside, and this exclusive new track carries on their explorations into guitar-led distorted shoegazing bliss. Probably Kompakt's finest Pop Ambient collection to date, this is a diverse and hugely enjoyable compilation which should keep the unashamed Eno followers out there nourished for just that little bit longer. A huge recommendation. [JT]

		$12.99 CD $14.99 LP   ASOBI SEKSU Hush (Polyvinyl) "Gliss" "Me & Mary" When Asobi Seksu's last album, Citrus, came out in 2006, the shoegaze revival was still only at a simmer, not reaching full-boil until just last year with the glorious, hell-hath-frozen-over return of My Bloody Valentine. So rather than come out with the effect pedals a-blazing, Asobi Seksu's latest album marks a change for the band, as hinted at in the title of the record. Surprising is how many sonic bricks the group has chipped off their wall of sound. In album opener "Layers," James Hanna's single track of guitar chimes in the distance, acting as a mere counterpoint to the swells of organ, synths and jingling bells; it's a song that transports you back to the lulling dream pop days of Lush and Pale Saints, before the scene started celebrating itself. Yuki Chikudate's angelic vocals are more upfront than ever and, at times, more exploratory in trajectory; but as before, she never aims for the ethereal operatics of the Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser, instead pulling you in with melodies that are all at once celestial, exotic and poppy. Hush isn't a complete overhaul, however; "Glacially" is the perfect combination of new and old, as the icy restraint of the verse leads into a soaring chorus propelled by ricocheting nose-dive guitars that the band has deployed so well in the past. And while this album may be more of a grower than their earlier releases, there are still plenty of instant grabbers, including the fuzzed-out "Me & Mary," a track that will get longtime followers of Asobi Seksu nodding their heads and may even convert some early Creation Records fans too. [GH]

		$13.99 CD $9.99 MP3   PSAPP The Camel's Back (Domino) "I Want That" "Fix It" What started as a small, experimental, kitchen sink pop band formed by two reclusive eccentrics has turned out to be a pretty successful little musical enterprise. Over the course of five years and three full-lengths, Galia Durant and Carim Classman's music has been used to sell everything from Volkswagens to Amaretto liqueur, they've had a song licensed for one of the most popular TV shows in the world (Grey's Anatomy), and their '06 release The Only Thing I Ever Wanted went on to quietly sell over 800,000 copies worldwide. The duo did it by tweaking the found-sound electronica formula that Herbert, ISAN, Books and their ilk gained popularity with by adding a very distinct cosmopolitan flair to the childlike plingy chimes and plucky strings of folktronica. Durant's earthy vocals, combined with an ear for catchy melodies, are definitely Psapp's B&B, but it's the magnificent musical arrangements that keep you coming back for repeated listens. Bright strands of bossa nova, British folk and jazz reveal themselves with each listen, giving their music the kind of depth that many of their contemporaries only hinted at. This time around, the splintered blasts of sampled acoustic guitar and strings are replaced by a real string quartet and acoustic piano. The bright twinkle of toy pianos and Casio keyboard drums are minimized, and Durant's vocals are pushed way up to the forefront. The whole record sounds much fuller, placing them closer to the idiosyncratic cinematic pop of Pram, Stereolab and Homelife than any of the aforementioned artists. Despite the bright melodies, there's a bittersweet moodiness that pervades lyrically. The lead single, "The Monster Song," is a catchy ode to paranoia, while closer "Parker" deals with romantic obsession, adding a maturity to the light melodic accompaniment. [DH]

		$13.99 CD   IRAN Dissolver (Narnack) It seems odd to me that I'm hearing so many "they ain't what they used to be" laments from a handful of folks who even remember the band's previous records. Six years is a good stretch of time for people to change, grow, devolve or whatever, and to expect the same sounds that Iran were peddling on Moon Boys seems like a lose-lose situation to me. Instead Iran mainman Aaron Aites is back with long time collaborator Kyp Malone (TVotR) and a crew of seasoned indie rock vets that strip away a lot of the surface noise of the past and push the songs to center stage with great effect. Opening the record is the one-two punch of "I Can See the Future" and "Buddy," the pair of songs containing more hooks and pop smarts than most full albums are capable of, but it doesn't stop there as "I Already Know You're Wrong," with its Sebadoh via TV on the Radio vibe, is pretty perfect too. "Airport" describes a coast-to-coast fear of flying scenario spilling out into the rest of your life, and it's an epic that should probably never be listened to on a plane (way too meta). The album's only really misstep is the too long "Digital Clock and Phone," which bleeds out of the San Francisco psychedelia of "Baby Let's Get High One More Time." After a minute or two I'm checking the time remaining. It's just a small bump in the road though as the second half of the record more than holds its weight and ends on a mega high note with the kiss off anthem "Evil Summer" that seems like it can resonate with both the dumped and the dumper alike. [DMa]

		$9.99 12" $5.99 MP3   HUDSON MOHAWKE Polyfolk Dance (Warp) Yet another exponent of the fledgling 'wonky' scene, 22-year-old Hudson Mohawke (or Hudmo to his fans) is the latest Warp Records signing to follow in the footsteps of fellow Warp alum Flying Lotus (or Flylo -- see a trend here?). Hudmo bounced into underground fame with a quirky, cheeky remix of Tweet's classic masturbation anthem "Oops (Oh My)" and Polyfolk Dance is the next stop on his commute, transforming just about any shard of influence he can Hoover up into some kind of basic hip-hop template. This is dance music, sure, but it's been processed through a veritable blender of effects, resulting in an irreverent jump-cut mish-mash that makes even Steven Ellison sound gray and humorless. The shadow of early innovators Prefuse 73 and Push Button Objects is still around somewhere, but while they concentrated on the untouchable grail of hip-hop, Hudmo feels free-er and less respectful of any specific genre. Slices of folk, classical, techno and a lot more are pushed into two or three minute R&B/hip-hop instrumental workouts, but where similar urban music seems to feel like it's waiting for a rapper or singer to bring it out of a state of boredom, Hudmo's skippy beats sound like adding much else would be detrimental. Polyfolk Dance is party music heard through young, fresh ears and I look forward to hearing where he takes it next. [JT] Preview all of the songs on Other Music Digital.

		$16.99 CD   N.A.S.A. Spirit of Apollo (Anti) "Money" "The Mayor" N.A.S.A. (North America/South America) is the result of an ambitious anthropological musical project brought about by the enduring friendship of two DJ/producers, the Brazilian born DJ Zegon, and the LA-based Squeak E. Clean. The concept was to dig deep into their Rolodex of heavy hittin' musicians and team up noted artists from different genres with the idea of creating a universal party record. Some of the collaborations range from the expected (Spank Rock and MIA), to the weird (Tom Waits and Kool Keith). It's not an especially original concept to anyone who bought the Judgement Night and Blade soundtracks in the '90s, but unlike the aforementioned albums, there are more highs than lows on this project. In the wake of the crossover success of Gorillaz, Handsome Boy Modeling School and Gnarls Barkley, these "post-everything" times were made for such collaborations simply because you get the feeling that everyone involved is familiar with their partner's work on some level. Karen O's probably got a Wu-Tang album, Kanye West probably has a Lykke Li song on his iPod, RZA probably knows John Frusciante, etc. The beats are chunky and cinematic, incorporating the infectious booty bass bomp of favela funk, with a moody, melodic tension. The tight, uniform sound is a plus, considering the wide array of guests here, but there's still a nice ebb and flow to the proceedings. The whole thing actually works sonically, and tracks like "Whachadoin" featuring Spank Rock and MIA, and "Gifted" featuring Kanye West, Santogold and Likke Li are great, party starting bangers. Does it live up to the hype its been creating? No, but I don't think it possibly could, considering all of the stellar artists involved. But that wasn't the point really. It's just meant to be a fun, loose listen and it works best when you chuck all musical prejudices to the side and let the beats do their job on your feet...which they will! [DH]

		$18.99 CD   VARIOUS ARTISTS The Soul of Spanish Harlem (BGP) "Don't Be Afraid" The Lebron Brothers Orchestra "Nitty Boo Boo" The Nitty Sextette UK label BGP delivers this outstanding collection of Nuyorican soul from the late 60s and early 70s that touches upon obscurities, rarities, and excellent previously unreleased gems from the Fania, Cotique, and Dorado labels. As a longtime collector and enthusiast of this sound, I'm truly blown away by this set -- BGP always comes through but this is a goldmine of tunes that delivers on all fronts. The grooves are slow burning and less frenetic than recent collections like Fania's own El Barrio series, and the set includes a massive booklet stuffed with liner notes and photos. Highlights include "True Love" by Terrible Frankie Nieves, "Same Old Sad Song" by Ray Jay & the Eastsiders, Ronnie Marks' "Some Lonely Heart," "Nitty Boo Boo" by the Nitty Sextette, and many, many more. Top marks for this set -- it hits where it counts with its subtlety rather than trying to win you over with the wailing freneticism of many salsa and boogaloo collections. One of the best reissues of the week, no contest. [IQ]

		$14.99 CD   LOREN CONNORS The Curse of Midnight Mary (Family Vineyard) "Chant 5" "Chant 8" Longtime Other Music fave Loren Connors gives new meaning to the term 'bare-bones', as this never before heard session from the early eighties finds him gigging it alone at midnight in some forlorn East Coast graveyard. Seriously, we've used the word skeletal to describe his music before, but this takes it to a whole 'nother level. These acoustic improvs are a bit of a far cry from his early work with folk singer Kath Bloom, but they don't quite have the detuned desolation heard on career spanner Night Through either. They're actually suitably possessed for the surroundings, the notes all wormy and moss covered. Frankly, this could have been totally ridiculous, but Connors' singular artistry pulls it off in the end.

		$14.99 CD   MORRISSEY Years of Refusal (Decca Music) "Black Cloud" "You Were Good in Your Time" Morrissey returns with his ninth proper album since the Smiths called it a day, and we're going to agree with about every other review that you'll read out there: this is his best solo album since Vauxhall and I some 15 years ago. Seriously. You either like him or you don't, but all the Moz fans at OM have been digging on this record since we first got the promo. Viva Morrissey!

		$10.99 CD $4.99 MP3   ABE VIGODA Reviver EP (PPM) Scrappy indie-no-wave-art-punks, No Age buds, and key holders to Los Angeles DIY performance space the Smell, Abe Vigoda returns with a five-song EP that finds the group slowing down the tempos, shedding their spazzy tropical freak-outs, and delving into territory that is, dare we say, darker. Hell, they even cover Stevie Nicks' "Wild Heart," turning the song into a haunting funeral dirge that makes Joy Division sound like a wedding band. Preview all of the songs on Other Music Digital.

		$13.99 CD $14.99 LP $9.99 MP3   MI AMI Watersports (Quarterstick) "Echononecho" "Freed from Sin" From the ashes of DC's Black Eyes, frontman Daniel Martin-McCormick and bassist Jacob Long headed west and teamed up with Bay Area drummer Damon Palermo to form Mi Ami. The first full-length from the trio features seven tracks of loose, tribal art-punk, the rhythm section pulling from the dubby poly-rhythms of Liquid Liquid and the death disco of P.i.L.'s Metal Box, while Martin-McCormick deconstructs the whole proceedings with stream-of-consciousness screeches and yelps, and blasts of feedback and scrapes from his guitar.

		$13.99 CD $9.99 MP3   BENJY FERREE Come Back to the Five and Dime Bobby Dee, Bobby Dee (Domino) The concept album in rock 'n' roll is far from a new, ummm, concept, but leave it to singer/songwriter Benjy Ferree to tackle the tragic, true story of fallen Hollywood actor Bobby Driscoll, who went from portraying Peter Pan in Disney's 1953 feature film to dying a homeless man at the age of 31. Heady stuff, right? Thankfully, the album isn't as downer as the subject material; Ferree often goes for the glam rock jugular, channeling the spirits of Marc Bolan, Freddie Mercury, and Ziggy Stardust, and even his darker excursions into bluesy Americana and murder ballads are still pretty rockin', landing somewhere between the White Stripes and Nick Cave. Preview all of the songs on Other Music Digital.

		$19.99 LP $7.99 MP3   CHANDRA Transportation (Cantor) Music made by kids tends to fall into two distinct categories -- the patently unlistenable and the unusually appealing. In their wisdom, the fantastic Numero label managed to drum up a compilation of some of the highlights of the latter category, but there's plenty more out there just waiting to be discovered. Chandra Oppenheim was only twelve years old when she made these tracks, with a hip artist dad the precocious pre-teen was exposed to some pretty strange music -- post-punk and disco being the styles which clearly stuck. Aided by underground post-punkers the Dance (a/k/a Model Citizens), Chandra proceeded to knock together some of the most singularly "outsider" pieces of disco music committed to tape. The Farfisa organ bleats distinctively in the background as Chandra asserts her uppity twelve-year-old presence with an affirmed confidence rarely heard in the disillusioned drawl of most punkers. The original EP, Transportation was released on the Dance's own label in 1980 and granted its child star an instant ticket to fame -- with club appearances coming thick and fast and international press beckoning. Eventually the idea was chanced upon that Chandra could front a band made up of similarly aged musicians -- a genuine teen post-punk act. The Chandra Dimension were the six-piece to emerge and together this rag-tag band of kids recorded another EP entitled Dimension which is included on this release for the first time. At the time, Chandra Oppenheim decided probably wisely that the rock-star life was not for her, and Dimension was shelved to allow her to get on with her life. In the time since, her name has become somewhat legendary in the scene and it's a revelation to hear all the tracks here in one place, finally. There's something mischievous about the music, but it's not the sugared pop you might expect to come from a band of kids -- this is the precursor to Be Your Own Pet, all attitude and teenage smarts. Tracks like "Stranger" don't even sound dated -- I wouldn't be surprised if it dribbled into the Pitchfork-hyped spotlight on some Brookyln tape label or other, it's got that authenticity to it, that spunk. Either way, the music stands as a testament to Chandra and her producers' musical vision, and as a perfect time capsule of the early-'80s post-punk sound, albeit heard through younger, more innocent ears. A huge recommendation. [JT]

		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 [BCa] Brian Cassidy [MC] Michael Crumsho [GH] Gerald Hammil [MH] Molly Hamilton [DH] Duane Harriott [IQ] Mikey IQ Jones [TL] Tanya Leet [DMa] Dave Martin [JS] Jeremy Sponder [JT] John Twells THANKS FOR READING - all of us at Other Music

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