howdy all…
look at all that beautiful white stuff! can’t wait for all the adverse weather delays on shipments for the next 5 months, which may even start tomorrow if we’re lucky! yay… anyway, even without the stuff due tomorrow there’s some hot new wax on the shelves this week. brave the snow and come grab some new tunes.
…..pick of the week…..
*six organs of admittance – mariakapel – whipping post music – lp
– european reissue of this killer lp originally released last year by ben himself. in stark contrast to his newest album released on drag city, which sounds as much like a comets on fire record as anything else, this album reminds one that it should not be forgotten that ben is one of the best guitar players out there in the scene right now. book ended by two drone pieces recorded in studio, the bulk of this album is a live recording from sept 2010, which features ben solo on his acoustic guitar. this album sits nicely along side his previous solo guitar releases ‘for octavio paz’ and ‘nightly tremblings’. the timing couldn’t be more perfect with this one, great to listen to while you watch the snow fall. if you missed out the first time, don’t again…..
…..new arrivals…..
*= staff picks
*agitation free – 2nd – made in germany – lp
– in tomorrow… “when the band agitation free came together in 1967 as a result of the merging of two berlin rock groups, one of the most interesting groups in a dawning independent german music scene was created. with their improvisations between rock, jazz and new music, agitation free – soon relegated to the not so flattering category of ‘krautrock’ – made musical forays into areas that few of their fellow german musicians had ever penetrated.”
*kevin ayers – whatevershebringswesing – vinilisssmo – lp
– in tomorrow… kevin ayers’ third album is a captivating amalgam of the pastoral, psychedelic pop of his debut, joy of a toy and the avant-garde dalliances present on his second lp, shooting at the moon. whatevershebringswesing is another instance of ayers’ brilliant eclecticism, where there is room for an orchestral suite, music hall atmosphere, a country number, progressive moments and his characteristic psychedelic pop. for many, the result is the most complete album in his discography.
jason collett – reckon – arts & crafts – lp
– jason collett is one of canada’s most beloved songwriters and storytellers, with a powerful and diverse catalogue of rock and folk compositions stretching back more than a decade. includes digital download.
*cults percussion ensemble – s/t – trunk – lp
– in tomorrow… privately pressed in scotland in 1979, this illusive and quite wonderful percussion album is like no other. played by a group of 11 girls with an average age of 14, the group included evelyn glennie, who was destined to become one of the world’s greatest percussionists. this is her first-ever record. the cults percussion ensemble was a group formed in the mid-1970s. the ensemble must have one of the best group names of all time. reminiscent of carl orff and peculiar library music, we now have a formal release of something quite lovely that was only previously available very briefly in 1979 at concerts when the young girls performed. the music here is really quite unique, with a celestial, swirling, hypnotic quality. the blend of glockenspiels, xylophones, vibraphones, marimba and timpani drums is quite intoxicating and can recall the shimmering warmth of the desert sun one minute or freezing glacial icecaps the next.
daphni – jiaolong – merge – lp/cd
– jiaolong (pronounced jow-long), an album of shape-shifting work, marks the first full length by dan snaith (aka caribou) as daphni. throughout his six-month global radiohead support tour, dan snaith has fallen deeper in love with the dance floor. snaith says, “djs have the potential to blindside you. during the time i was making the caribou album swim, i’d fallen back in love with moments in small, dark clubs when a dj puts on a piece of music that not only can you not identify, but that until you heard it you could not have conceived of existing.” jiaolong sits easily with the kinetic likes of theo parrish and floating points and is sure to be seen as one of the best records of 2012, both in the dance community and beyond.
kevin drumm – relief – editions mego – lp
– in tomorrow… once more, chicago’s finest, kevin drumm, delivers a devastating slab of emotionally-charged noise. it’s been 10 years since the epic statement that was sheer hellish miasma. in the meantime, drumm trawled through the depths of the global underground with a back-breaking catalog of releases for labels all over. returning to editions mego, he delivers relief, a 36-minute hypnotic roller-coaster ride through the depths of his unique palette of audio tactics. a haunting melody pinned to a bed of nails while it spins around the room, that’s the kind of stuff editions mego likes. extreme but approachable, a piece of music that demands repeated listens.
*emeralds – just to feel anything – editions mego – cd
– in tomorrow… lp soon! the new album by emeralds, surpasses all expectations, just as its predecessor did in 2010. this expertly recorded new album sees the band deliver plenty of their distinctive aesthetic for old fans to enjoy while offering a new range of fresh, exciting ideas for newcomers. the long-awaited next chapter in the emeralds discography is finally here, emerging as a sophisticated progression in both sound and structure. emeralds are john elliott, steve hauschildt, and mark mcguire.
grails/pharoah overlord – black tar prophecies 5 – kemedo – lp
– “black tar prophecies has served as a repository for grails’ more idiosyncratic forms of composition where any experimentation that could yield deep-listening rewards was attempted and the results documented in volumes to be compiled later. volume 5 returns to one of the most aggressive sounds grails has employed in the past by creating a sequel to ‘belgian wake drill,’ one of their most devastating and loved tracks. this volume is prepared as a split with one of grails’ favorite bands, pharaoh overlord from finland.”
*shin joong hyn & yup juns – s/t – lion – cd
– in the spring of 1974 shin joong hyun rented a room at seoul’s tower hotel to serve as a creative base for the group the yup juns. after six months of preparation, the group cut ten powerful songs filled with monster grooves, fuzz guitar, emotive singing, and top-notch songwriting. the album was pressed up as a broadcast-only promotional vinyl to test radio response; the response wasn’t what anyone expected, and the record label refused to release the album….
iron maiden – s/t – emi – lp
iron maiden – killers – emi – lp
– finally available again on vinyl! the first two of eight reissues due out in the next few months! no description required….
*fj mcmahon – spirit of the golden juice – circadian – lp
– “this is the first faithful and fully licensed reproduction of spirit of the golden juice, originally released in 1969 on the accent label. pressed in a tiny quantity and scattered around the california coastline, spirit of the golden juice has become a top item among collectors and folk/psych lovers alike. its a spell-binding blend of heartfelt singer-songwriter emotion and spiraling acoustic guitar accompaniment, standing up proudly alongside heroes like hoyt axton, kris kristofferson, and fred neil, but with a raw and adventurous spirit all its own. as his sole musical release, f.j. mcmahon created one of the most emotionally compelling and cohesive albums ever. reissue limited to 500 copies in deluxe tip-on jacket with risographed insert.”
*menahan street band – the crossing – daptone – cd
– in tomorrow… “in addition to their role as the house band for brooklyn-based dunham records, menahan street band has received critical praise for their oft-sampled 2008 debut album make the road by walking and for backing breakout soul singer charles bradley on his 2011 debut album no time for dreaming. the crossing takes you on a cinematic instrumental journey through a nocturnal landscape of moods and emotions, propelled by funky, hip-hop influenced grooves and dream-like horn and keyboard melodies.”
mushroom – early one morning – pilot – cd
– in tomorrow… original copies of this incredible album by mushroom, the dublin duo consisting of pat collins (violin) and joe o’donnell (everything else), fetch hundreds of pounds on the rare occasions that they actually come up for sale. musically, early one morning…, originally released in 1973 on the hawk label, is a real one-off, combining brilliant, heavy progressive rock and psychedelic irish folk with blazing guitar leads battling with fiddle attacks. this new cd release features rare pictures and background notes and comes with five rare bonus tracks.
of montreal – daughter of cloud – polyvinyl – lp
– daughter of cloud compiles 17 of montreal recordings ranging from the era of hissing fauna, are you the destroyer? to the present. ten of the album’s songs are previously unreleased, while the other seven were originally issued on limited edition, rare or out-print cds and 7”s. rather than arranging the songs chronologically, barnes carefully sequenced the tracks on daugther of cloud to give the listener the same feeling they would receive upon hearing a brand new album.
propagandhi – failed states – epitaph – lp
– winnipeg’s ‘progressive thrash’ legends propagandhi join the epitaph roster with their new album failed states, just in time for their politically engaged anthems to form a soundtrack to that magical theatrical production known as the us elections. failed states is the band’s sixth album, and their second as a four piece with the addition of dave ‘the beaver’ guillas on guitar. this has led to a distinctive thickening and fortifying of the band’s sound, to the point where they now achieve maximum heaviness, in a good way.
*rodriguez – searching for sugar man ost – light in the attic – 2lp
– limited edition first pressing features: deluxe “tip-on” jacket with spot u.v. gloss, 2xlp 180-gram on white vinyl, 18×24′’ fold-out original u.k. film poster, and download. “the story remains one of the music world’s most unusual tales of the 1970s: an obscure debut lp by a detroit singer-songwriter becomes a source of hope and inspiration to the anti-apartheid movement in south africa. now, the story of rodriguez and his cult album cold fact is the basis for searching for sugar man, a riveting new documentary by filmmaker malik bendjelloul. comprising tracks from cold fact and its 1971 follow-up coming from reality – both reissued in 2008 and 2009 by light in the attic.”
*sensations fix – music is painting in the air – rvring – 2lp/2cd
– in tomorrow… “essential collection of new mixes and unreleased material from sensations’ fix, the cosmically conscious, defiantly diy enterprise of franco falsini and his band of psychedelic renegades.”
shindig #29 – mag
– in tomorrow… “the free design: the family that plays together: an appreciation of the greatest harmony pop band of all time. bill fay: british pop’s first outsider troubadour breaks a 40-year silence. the strawberry alarm clock: part two of our in-depth story: from psych-out and pop stardom to breakdown and rebirth. gary farr: the forgotten golden boy of the ’60s and ’70s rock underground. plus: ken stringfellow, lee hazelwood, swedish retro rock, the grateful dead, the velvet underground and much more!”
*ray stinnett – a fire somewhere – light in the attic – lp/cd
– “a hippie-fied, soul-rock, folk-rock, psych-rock gem lost in the vaults for four decades, a fire somewhere by ray stinnett (best known as a member of ’60s outfit sam the sham & the pharaohs) sounds as fresh as the day it was cut, and comes with extensive liner-notes detailing the fascinating life of a little-documented ’60s rock voyager. ‘it’s a torch that’s been carried forty years through the desert, waiting for this moment to arrive,’ says ray.”
andy stott – luxury problems – modern love – cd
– in tomorrow… following on from a pair of eps released in 2011 (passed me by/we stay together) andy stott returns to modern love with luxury problems. five of the tracks on the album feature the voice of alison skidmore, andy’s one-time piano teacher whom he hadn’t seen since he was a teenager back in 1996. “numb” opens the album with alison’s voice; layered and looped, but essentially left bare and exposed, tumbling into a dense shuffle, sort of somewhere between theo parrish and sade, but more fucked.
*various – drop on down in florida: field recordings of african american traditional music 1977-1980 – dust to digital – 2cd+book
– in tomorrow… based on four years of fieldwork throughout the state, the florida folklife program released the two-album, 27-track lp drop on down in florida: recent field recordings of afro-american traditional music in 1981. the album was intended to highlight african american music traditions for a statewide public audience, particularly blues and sacred traditions. when the folklife program sought the opportunity to produce an expanded reissue of the album that would include previously unissued fieldwork recordings and photos, dust-to-digital, an award-winning record label known for specially packaged re-releases of american vernacular music, agreed to release it. drawing upon extensive fieldwork materials now housed in the state archives of florida, the expanded edition includes all of the recordings from the original double lp, plus nearly 80 minutes of audio available for the first time on 28 new tracks. complimenting the two cds is a 224-page hardback book containing the original liner notes, plus new essays, annotations and 60 images (most of which are published for the first time). notable among the previously unreleased tracks are additional musical selections and personal narratives from one-string musician moses williams, four-shape-note sacred harp singing from an african american community in the florida panhandle, and recordings from the richard williams family in the blues and gospel-blues traditions. the reissue also includes new track notes from respected music scholars david evans and doris j. dyen; reflective essays from past and present folklorists with the florida folklife program, including peggy a. bulger, dwight devane, doris j. dyen, and blaine waide; and an extensive essay on african american one-string instrument traditions by david evans. this edition highlights the significance of the previously unreleased material. In addition, it calls attention to the importance of the original lp and makes it available once again, this time to a larger audience.
*various – pictures of sound: one thousand years of educed audio 980-1980 – dust to digital – cd+book
– in tomorrow… using modern technology, patrick feaster is on a mission to resurrect long-vanished voices and sounds–many of which were never intended to be revived. over the past thousand years, countless images have been created to depict sound in forms that theoretically could be “played” just as though they were modern sound recordings. now, for the first time in history, this compilation uses innovative digital techniques to convert historic “pictures of sound” dating back as far as the middle ages directly into meaningful audio. it contains the world’s oldest known “sound recordings” in the sense of sound vibrations automatically recorded out of the air — the groundbreaking phonautograms recorded in paris by edouard-léon scott de martinville in the 1850s and 1860s — as well as the oldest gramophone records available anywhere for listening today, including inventor emile berliner’s recitation of “der handschuh,” played back from an illustration in a magazine, which international news media proclaimed to be the oldest audible “record” in the tradition of 78s and vintage vinyl. other highlights include the oldest known recording of identifiable words spoken in the english language (1878) and the world’s oldest surviving “trick recording” (1889). but pictures of sound pursues the thread even further into the past than that by “playing” everything from medieval music manuscripts to historic telegrams, and from seventeenth-century barrel organ programs to eighteenth-century “notations” of shakespearean recitation. In short, this isn’t just another collection of historical audio–it redefines what “historical audio” is. the cd is packaged in a deluxe 144-page hardback book (10 x 8 inches) with 164 full-color images with gold-foil stamping on the cover and spine.
*various – psych funk a la turkish volume 2 – turk-a-disk – lp
– in tomorrow… “psych funk á la turkish drives you again through the turkish 70’s psychedelic funk heritage, with another incredible collection of rare and unknown tracks for your groovy eastern dance sessions. you got your wig jumping with volume 1 so you know what to expect! comes with detailed liner notes and an insert with pictures. expertly remastered sound.”
…..restocks…..
bon iver – for emma, forever ago – jagjaguwar – lp
bon iver – s/t – jagjaguwar – lp
*bunalim – s/t – pharaway sound – lp
*john carpenter & alan howarth – halloween II ost – death waltz – lp
*john carpenter & alan howarth – halloween III ost – death waltz – lp
nick cave – live in germany – vinyl passion – lp
cold specks – i predict a graceful expulsion – arts & crafts – lp
j dilla – donuts – stones throw – lp
dum dum girls – end of daze – sub pop – 12″
*bill fay – tomorrow tomorrow and tomorrow – drag city – lp
gaslight anthem – handwritten – side one dummy – lp
*harmonia – musik von harmonia – lilith – lp
*lee hazlewood – a house safe for tigers – light in the attic – cd
*les rallizes denudes – heavier than a death in the family – phoenix – lp/cd
liars – drums not dead – mute – lp
louvin brothers – satan is real – light in the attic – lp
nirvana – mtv unplugged in new york – geffen – lp
radiohead – the bends – capitol – lp
*rangda – false flag – drag city – lp
*rodriguez – cold fact – light in the attic – lp
rza – man with the iron fists – soul temple – lp
*pierre schaeffer – le triedre… – re-grm – lp
*various – khana khana – pharaway sounds – lp
thanks for listening…
listen records
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