August 17, 2011

		FEATURED NEW RELEASES Maria Minerva The War on Drugs Amen Dunes Traversable Wormhole (Vol. 8 12") Shlohmo Chicas! (Various Artists) Metronomy DJ Jus-Ed Hercules & Love Affair (Domestic CD)     ALSO AVAILABLE Ogi (LP) Mister Heavenly Tame Impala (Out Domestically) Cut Off Your Hands Fool's Gold Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/othermusicnyc Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/othermusic

		AUG Sun 21 Mon 22 Tues 23 Wed 24 Thurs 25 Fri 26 Sat 27 SEP Sun 11 Mon 12 Tues 13 Wed 14 Thurs 15 Fri 16 Sat 17 James Pants   JAMES PANTS: Tuesday, August 23, 8PM James Pants' self-titled album on Stone's Throw from a few months back is a dizzying blend of funk, rock, psychedelia, indie weirdness and so much more, and it's been one of the universal favorites at the shop this year. His live show is even better, and we're thrilled to be hosting a special solo performance from Pants at the store -- it should be loopy, loud and loose, and we hope you'll join us! STEPHEN MALKMUS: Thursday, August 25, 9PM You might think that Pavement's recent globetrotting reunion tour would have put the Jicks on hiatus for awhile, but Stephen Malkmus is back, with what just might be his best album of the current era. Mirror Traffic is out on the 23rd, and on Thursday the 25th, Malkmus will be stopping by the store for a rare acoustic performance followed by a record signing. Line up early, this one is guaranteed to be a madhouse! NEON INDIAN: Tuesday September 13, 6PM-8PM Alan Palomo releases his highly anticipated second Neon Indian album, Era Extraña on September 13, and he decided to celebrate at Other Music.  Palomo will be DJing, signing records, and hanging with the fans all evening -- please stop by to pick up a copy of the great new album, hear some of the music that influenced Palomo, and show the band how much NYC loves Neon Indian! OTHER MUSIC: 15 East 4th Street NYC Free Admission | Limited Capacity

		AUG Sun 14 Mon 15 Tues 16 Wed 17 Thurs 18 Fri 19 Sat 20   Sun 21 Mon 22 Tues 23 Wed 24 Thurs 25 Fri 26 Sat 27   Sun 28 Mon 29 Tues 30 Wed 31   OTHER MUSIC WEDNESDAYS AT ACE HOTEL Just a few more weeks left for Other Music's August Wednesday residency in NYC's Ace Hotel lobby. Tonight, Daniel Givens will be the guest selector, serving up a wide spectrum of electronic and future pop sounds. Next week, Amanda Colbenson will be spinning a great mix of rock, soul, psychedelia and international pop sounds, and then August 31st, Scott Mou will DJ the last night of our August Wednesdays. See you at the Ace! WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17 - DANIEL (8PM-2AM) WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24 - AMANDA (8PM-2AM) ACE HOTEL: 20 West 29th Street NYC

		AUG Sun 14 Mon 15 Tues 16 Wed 17 Thurs 18 Fri 19 Sat 20   WIN TICKETS TO THE BUNKER W/MARCEL DETTMANN For the Bunker's last big summer blowout this Friday, they are again teaming up with the legendary Berlin techno outpost Berghain, and her sister club Panorama Bar, for what is sure to be a special night, with Marcel Dettmann and Spinoza in the back room and Tama Sumo and Eric Cloutier in the front. We have two pairs of tickets for two lucky winners. Just email tickets@othermusic.com to enter your name. FRIDAY, AUGUST 19 PUBLIC ASSEMBLY: 70 N. 6th Street, Williamsburg BKLN

		AUG Sun 14 Mon 15 Tues 16 Wed 17 Thurs 18 Fri 19 Sat 20   WIN PASSES TO ICONOCLAST: BOYD RICE Some people like to spend Saturdays in August at the beach, some people prefer a picnic in the park, while others just like to relax with the family. If you are the type of person who hates those types of people, you might 'enjoy' the amazing new Boyd Rice documentary at Anthology. Iconoclast: Boyd Rice, Larry Wessel's epic 4-hour exploration of the iconic underground artist and musician is a must-see for anyone interested in industrial noise or any of the other confrontational art forms that Rice has been pioneering for the past 30-odd years. Features extensive interviews with Rice and a wide array of friends, fans and foes, from DJ Rodney Bingenheimer to televangelist Bob Larson. We have a pair of passes for this Saturday's special screening. Email giveaway@othermusic.com. SATURDAY, AUGUST 20 - 7PM SCREENING ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES: 32 Second Ave, NYC

		AUG Sun 21 Mon 22 Tues 23 Wed 24 Thurs 25 Fri 26 Sat 27   WIN TICKETS TO PRIVATE BARSUK SHOWCASE Barsuk Records has a slew of great new albums on the way in the coming weeks, and they have assembled three of their expecting artists for a private show at the Mercury Lounge on Wednesday the 24th to get the ball rolling. We have 5 pairs of tickets for this very special event with Mates of State, Cymbals Eat Guitars, and Yellow Ostrich. To win a pair, email enter@othermusic.com WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24 (6PM-9PM) MERCURY LOUNGE: 217 East Houston St., NYC

		$12.99 CD $9.99 MP3   MARIA MINERVA Cabaret Cixous (Not Not Fun) "Love Cool" "Honey Honey" Maria Minerva made a bit of a splash in the past year with a handful of limited cassettes, and a 12" on Not Not Fun's more dance-conscious 100% Silk imprint; she now offers up her debut CD/LP on Not Not Fun proper, and it mostly fulfills the promises hinted at on those prior releases. I'll be honest, I've yet to be wholly impressed by much of NNF's output to date; some of it to me sounds a bit half-hearted in execution, which is doubly frustrating considering that many of the artists tend to be experimenting with promising ideas. It's nice to hear Minerva grabbing hold of those grubby, slo-mo glitter pop vibes and giving it a sporting chance. She's working very much in the same territory that Nite Jewel mined on her early releases up to and including the excellent Good Evening LP; Minerva has the voice, the grubby cough-syrup synth textures, the attic dust, and even the new age mysticism placed firmly in her fringed pocket. But where someone like Nite Jewel goes more directly for the pop jugular, Minerva treats pop craft like a séance; she flirts with it at first, slowly stalking it from the shadows, her voice ululating unintelligible but very melodic syllables. By the album's end, her ethereality takes a more solid shape as her song structures solidify, her rhythms becoming less like intermingling clouds of sound and more like the anchors from which this sort of music benefits. Spectral guitars, clattering percussion hits, and plenty of effectual frippery decorate these songs nicely; this is a grower of an album, the sort whose charms may not seem like much at first, but which benefits and rewards the listener with the time and patience to enjoy it, as the beats pump faster and harder as the record progresses... though they also become tempered by even more dusty tweaking, too. This is a much more kinetic album than many of its peers, and while those rhythms at first may be slow, they're there all the same, and that makes a big difference compared to the countless other drugged-out boys and girls with effects pedals making this kind of stuff in their bedrooms. If you've been bewitched by the likes of Nite Jewel, Peaking Lights, and even Glass Candy in the past, you should give this a shot; it's a little more weird, but no less rewarding. [IQ]

		$11.99 CDx2 $13.99 LPx2 $9.99 MP3   THE WAR ON DRUGS Slave Ambient - Deluxe Edition (Secretly Canadian) "I Was There" "Baby Missiles" Last week I spied one of the Secretly Canadian honchos setting up some sort of "friendly rivalry" on Twitter between Kurt Vile and the War on Drugs. Unwise as it is to pit brother against brother (Kurt was once a guitarist in the War on Drugs; WoD frontman Adam Granduciel had a hand in making Kurt's debut album Constant Hitmaker), said individual was, perhaps, stating the obvious: that these two musicians have been cut from the same cloth, and perhaps unwittingly extend one another's endeavors into casual brinksmanship. On their second album, Slave Ambient, the War on Drugs injects the rootsy, all-powerful demeanor of American rock music of the '70s and '80s most iconic songwriter/performers -- Petty, Springsteen, Twilley, Mellencamp -- with 30 years' worth of psych/Kraut mainlining to create BIG songs with BIG riffs, to reintroduce momentum back into pop music, to remind us what it means to get lost in the spirit of this music. No need to chicken-and-egg this one; Slave Ambient effectively doubles the amount of this dying breed of rock and streamlines it for a modern audience no longer content with polished perfection. Slave Ambient thickens up an already-proven formula for a dazzling, inspiring listen. [DM]

		$13.99 CD $15.99 LP+MP3 $9.99 MP3   AMEN DUNES Through Donkey Jaw (Sacred Bones) "Lower Mind" "Good Bad Dreams" The story goes that Amen Dunes' Damon McMahon all but quit music after he shelved a batch of personal recordings to pick up and move to Beijing a few years back. Now, after some of his dusty, bedroom missives came to light on an LP for Locust in 2009 and on an EP for Sacred Bones 2010, McMahon has returned to the States as well as to making new music. And, honestly, I couldn't be happier. Playing like something from a much weirder and much darker Kurt Vile, Amen Dunes' Through Donkey Jaw has some of the best contemporary, outsider music I've heard all year. The album is not unlike a misty, fever dream, reminiscent of the strange, anxious blues and deep-seeded loneliness that plagued cult artist Tommy Jay and his Tall Tales of Trauma. Though, comparatively, McMahon's production values are greatly improved, the creeping, otherworldly atmosphere prevalent on DIA and Murder Dull Mind hasn't disappeared. Here, it's bleak, dirge-y and completely bewitching, all encapsulated by deliberate, brooding opener "Baba Yaga" and its reverberating, plucked guitar and lamentful erhu -- a Chinese violin -- that matches McMahon's strained, shifting vocals perfectly. In fact, over the entire 50 minutes of Through Donkey Jaw, McMahon subscribes to slow and steady in lieu of upbeat, constantly forgoing buoyancy and optimism for something more emotive and stirring, something you can spend a lot of time with. Taking cues from the Graeme Jefferies/Cakekitchen-era of Flying Nun, McMahon has this ability to create songs that almost break down as you listen: "Swim Up Behind Me," with plucked guitar and faltering synths, is like the equivalent of a fading snapshot and Amen Dunes' fleeting, textural sounds make their home somewhere among folk, psych and noise without exclusively tying itself to any one of them. My only word of caution is that, while I wish I could say the album is all killer no filler, there are one or two tracks where McMahon's off-kilter uneasiness verges on grating. It's just that...it's really easy to ignore it because when McMahon hits the mark, he really nails it. A great release from Brooklyn's forever outré Sacred Bones (Zola Jesus, Gary War). [PG]

		$12.99 12   TRAVERSABLE WORMHOLE Vol. 8 (Traversable) Finally, we are getting the actual Traversable Wormhole vinyl volumes here at the shop; until the recent remix 12"s came out, we were hard-pressed to find any vinyl from this artist, despite the fact that Adam X (a/k/a Traversable Wormhole) has such a long history (and devoted fanbase) in NYC. Here we're featuring a brand new installment in the series, Traversable Wormhole Volume 08. While some of the more recent TW releases have ventured into bigger-sounding production, this new stuff pulls back a few notches, exploring deeper and more secluded territory. Side A is a lean, mean, low-to-the-ground stalker of a track, with that trademarked primal feeling and industrial swing that advances stealthily without ever turning into a straight-ahead banger. Side B pulls back even a tad bit further, with a gently step-y, atmospheric factory field recording that creeps forward with the sounds of echoing metal and steam pumping in the distance. Happy to see the sound remains underground. These are on nice dark red vinyl too! [SM]

		$14.99 CD   SHLOHMO Bad Vibes (FOF Music) "Places" "Seriously" From the golden state of California, in the land of crews like Brainfeeder, Low End Theory, Alpha Pup, and Dublab, on the relatively recent Friends of Friends label, comes another soft-limbed new-school beatmaker with the (somehow fitting) name of Shlohmo. Following a varied selection of remixes and EPs, Henry Laufer's debut full-length, Bad Vibes, is anything but. Maybe there's something in the Cali water that gives these modern day trip-hoppers an ear for smoothed melodies, a taste for barely-there micro beats and spacious field recordings, and rose-colored visions of psychedelic hip-hop. Much like his kindhearted contemporaries Teebs, Bullion, Dimlite, Balam Acab, and dozens more, Shlohmo's beats and aesthetics are informed as much by Free Design and even post-rock as they are by J-Dilla. Light guitar and strings float atop a pillowed backdrop of puffy bass, liquid sonic drips, translucent synth washes and melodic pastel clouds, floating and fading in the tranquil atmosphere. This is a great debut that at times feels like it belongs on the Tri Angle label, or a Mount Kimbie B-side. There are great moments throughout and the sequence lulls you in and envelops you with a warm and light touch. It's a batch of heart-wrenching beats that tug at emotions as your head gently nods, with few rough edges. File this one under new school soft-core -- recommended for those who still can't stop listening to Boards of Canada. The next school has definitely arrived, don't sleep. [DG]

		$17.99 CD   VARIOUS ARTISTS Chicas! Spanish Female Singers 1962-74 (Vampisoul) "No Te Acuerdas De Mi" Marisa Medina "Sola Estoy" Lorella con Los Shakers Vampisoul has a pretty solid track record when it comes to offering up obscure vintage mod-pop sounds, but they've really outdone themselves with this one. Chicas! is a compilation of Spanish ye-ye style beat-pop and mod groovers from 1962-74, with tracks from the archives of Warner, Capitol, Hispavox, and most importantly, the excellent Belter Progressivo label, who were the subject of a great retrospective on Finders Keepers last year. While the French ye-ye sound relied on teenage girls with high-pitched voices who tended to betray the sometimes more serious subject matter of their songs with their naivety, the ladies compiled here are full-throated, sensual, and totally in charge of the material. There's a deep soul undercurrent to much of this collection, with elements of surf, psychedelia, and good old-fashioned rock and roll; as to be expected there are a number of great covers here among the equally great originals. Sonia's "Aqui En Mi Nube" is a wickedly fun (but not funny) version of the Rolling Stones' "Get Off of My Cloud," while Los Stop's "Extiende Tus Brazos" is a nice refit of the Four Tops' "Reach Out (I'll Be There)." Encarnita Polo brings forth a flamenco-soul version of "Hava Naguila," of all things, Laura Casale gives a beautiful, grooving cover of Chris Montez's "The More I See You" (one of my favorite cuts on the comp), and Fresia Soto delivers a wild version of Ray Charles' "Unchain My Heart" (here translated as "Desencadena Mi Corazon," though the cover is actually in English!). Other noteworthy tracks include Marisel's swinging "Mi Baby," Vainica Doble's mellow psych-folk "La Maquina Infernal," the Hawaii Five-0-inspired mod-pop of "Llovio" by Ellas, and Lorella's "Sola Estoy," on which she's backed by infamous Spanish garage band Los Shakers. This is one of Vampisoul's best releases yet, with nary a duff track to be found, and is most highly recommended to fans of international pop and anyone who practices their northern soul dancing in the kitchen with talcum powder on the floor. It's groovy and just plain great! [IQ]

		$10.99 CD   METRONOMY The English Riviera (Big Beat) "We Broke Free" "The Bay" Metronomy's third album pulls off somewhat of a coup in the modern music marketplace: they're a study in pleasant contradiction; an electronic-based outfit that uses an IDM/experimental background in the service of radio-friendly pop; a return to the urbane, arm's length demeanor of groups like Pulp and the Auteurs, with an economy in sound that would barely constitute one backing track for groups of that kind. Frontman Joseph Mount heads up a band that favors a minimal, crisp, slightly distant approach, crafting new halls with digital walls in an architecture popularized in the '80s, but restored with a detached confidence that places bouncy melodies (a la Phoenix or Spoon) with frilly, dressed-up drama (like Midge Ure-era Ultravox), connected by a filament-thin line made from melted down copies of the first three Peter Gabriel solo records. Mount and co. -- including former Lightspeed Champion drummer Anna Prior -- know the value of quiet, furtive moves in tight spaces, and plink out synth-led wonders with eyes on both the macabre ("The Look" is such a great, stiff little single) and the glamorous ("The Bay," the discofied closer "Love Underlined"), with a lot of bases covered in between. The English Riviera finds Metronomy at its most developed, a real something-for-everyone/everything-for-everyone kinda record that's classy as all get out. They'd like you to dance, and you should. Between this one and the Horrors album reviewed last week, it seems like the beginning of a new watershed moment for British pop music. Stay tuned. [DM]

		$17.99 CD   DJ JUS-ED Vision Dance (Mule Electronic) "Stuck in the Train to Berlin" "This Shit Is Hot (Re-Scrub)" Connecticut-based DJ Jus-Ed appears on a diverse roster of labels, from Omar S' FXHE imprint to Japan's Mule Electronics label with the new Vision Dance LP, but the veteran East Coast producer's uniquely melodic, raw, synthetic yet soulful sound sits perfectly in either context. There's always a distinctly "unfashionable" plinkiness to his sound palette, but it's what gives his tracks a certain rawness, effectively framing what is often a sweet melodic base to the songs. Sounds are far from overwrought and come across nearly "straight from the tube," but the time he saves sound designing obviously goes into his meticulous arrangements. His painstaking manipulation of sounds, through detailed combinations of textures and surprising shifts in the tracks, are what brand his productions as work of a truly skilled, veteran techno and house head. See "Stuck in Train to Berlin" for its warm drum sound and ride cymbals accented with a looped swirling drone, and intermittent walls of icy keyboards. In contrast, "This Shit Is Hot (re-scrub)" offers jacking minimal house with warm chord swells, sizzling hi-hats and constantly shifting patterns. A nice new record from a deep and diverse artist. [SM]

		$16.99 CD $21.99 LP w/MP3 Bonus   HERCULES & LOVE AFFAIR Blue Songs (Moshi Moshi) "Leonora" "Falling" It was hard to escape the sounds of Hercules and Love Affair back in 2008, with tracks like "Blind" and "You Belong" being nothing less than bona fide anthems for cafes, runways and dancefloors across the globe. Though to many listeners Antony Hegarty was synonymous with the band -- never mind that his unmistakable voice graced only a handful of the record's tracks as a guest vocalist -- the disco-beating heart of the project was and still is producer Andy Butler. Perhaps, then, it'll be a surprise for some that the namesake of Antony and the Johnsons isn't onboard for Blue Songs, (and neither are DFA producer Tim Goldsworthy, Nomi Ruiz or bassist Tyler Pope), and aside from the returning DJ/Vocalist Kim Ann Foxman, Butler's pretty much enlisted a new Hercules crew of collaborators, including dancer-turned-singer Shaun J. Wright, Aerea Negrot, Bloc Party's Kele Okereke, and co-producers Mark Pistel and Patrick Pulsinger. You can't blame Butler for wanting to broaden the musical scope of his project and in that sense he has succeeded; here the catchy disco and electroclash elements of the debut have been all but replaced by the soulful house sounds of the late '80s and early '90s. And while the group seems perfectly comfortable in these mid-tempo grooves, the passion of the era (and that of Hercules and Love Affair's debut for that matter) isn't quite there. Imagine a middle-aged man that remembers his favorite parties and longs to relive them. He is probably the oldest person in the club and he'll be home in his bed long before the young revelers around him have called it a night -- the memories are still alive but reality has set in. Overall, Blue Songs feels pointedly nostalgic with a contemporary sheen, yet it also walks the middle ground: a little too queer for the straight crowd and not banging enough for the Chelsea boy shuffle. And frankly, none of the singers are able to replace the unique energy and presence of Antony. That said, this record is far from a disappointment, with songs like the title track and "My House" being great moments that prove that Butler and his new crew are capable of tapping into the magic of the first album. I certainly won't brand Blue Songs as a sophomore slump, as it's still a very enjoyable record that most dance bands could only wish to create. It's just that Hercules and Love Affair set the bar unreachably high with their debut and along with it, the expectations for Blue Songs. One is left with the impression that Butler and Co. are simply at a crossroads, with greater things to come. [DG]

		$19.99 LP 180 Gram   OGI Ogi (Medical) Originally released in 1980 on EMI France, this obscure synth-pop gem is a welcome addition to the great Medical Records catalog of reissues. The work of Hungarian-born Peter Ogi, who made this album in collaboration with Malcolm McLaren (who penned lyrics on more than half the tracks), neither Ogi nor McLaren's punk backgrounds are fully evident here, with a set of poppy, punchy, yet exceedingly weird songs that are a must-hear for anyone who is a fan of synth bands of the era.

		$13.99 CD $17.99 LP+MP3   MISTER HEAVENLY Out of Love (Sub Pop) "Charlyne" "Hold My Hand" It's a supergroup: Nick Thorburn, of Islands and Unicorns, Man Man's Ryan Kattner, and Joe Plummer of Modest Mouse. They say the alliance was born out of a shared love of sad-sack 1950s vocal groups and doo-wop, but honestly there is as much art-punk in here as there is sweet harmony. It's a rhythmic, herky-jerky, yet very soulful and melodic collection of songs from a trio of great players, and while they're no Cream, this record is in fact more than the sum of its parts, and Mister Heavenly deserves a listen on the strength of their music.

		$11.99 CD $18.99 LPx2 $9.99 MP3   TAME IMPALA Innerspeaker (Modular) Preview Songs on Other Music's Download Store Released as an import more than a year ago to tremendous acclaim, Innerspeaker's perfectly executed modern psych-pop is finally out at a nice domestic price. This Australian band delivers a modern rock take on late-'60s Pink Floyd and Beatles, with a sharp pop sensibility tempered with some fierce fuzz, healthy haze, and a meticulous vintage recording sound that makes for a surprisingly enjoyable album.

		$12.99 CD $15.99 LP+MP3 $9.99 MP3   CUT OFF YOUR HANDS Hollow (Frenchkiss) "All It Takes" "Hollowed Out" Following a 2008 debut that rocketed this Australian pop band onto the international scene as the second coming of Blur (partying with the Kaiser Chiefs), Cut Off Your Hands took a couple of years off to try to refocus their passion and reinvigorate themselves after a serious case of hype burnout. They have returned with a much more melancholy, dare we say "mature" sound that starts with two parts Smiths, adds a shake of Cure, and then bakes slowly in the Aussie sun. Just as hooky and enjoyable as their earlier stuff, but without the manic energy they formerly employed.

		$12.99 CD $14.99 LP+MP3   FOOL'S GOLD Leave No Trace (Iamsound) This L.A.-based world-pop combo has largely jettisoned one of the signature sounds of their 2009 debut: namely, Luke Top's penchant for singing the group's Afro-pop-inspired songs in Hebrew. Maybe they are looking for a broader appeal, and in many ways they have achieved that, with an album that pushes their African, Middle Eastern and American funk-indebted sound into a more modern arena. It can be slick, and without the surprising pro-Israel vibe of the debut, perhaps not as personal in tone, but it's a well-produced and enjoyable set from this talented band.

		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 [PG] Pamela Garavano-Coolbaugh [DG] Daniel Givens [IQ] Mikey IQ Jones [DM] Doug Mosurock [SM] Scott Mou THANKS FOR READING - all of us at Other Music

Copyright 2011 Other Music

Newsletter Design Big Code