The Boy Least Likely To - The Law Of The Playground [2009]

If The Best Party Ever was the sound of a band chancing their way up the ladders, then The Law Of The Playground finds them merrily sliding back down the snakes. Musically they exemplify the same playful wide eyed indie pop as on their debut album, but lyrically the album is darker and more isolated.

1. Saddle Up
2. Balloon On A Broken String
3. When Life Gives Me Lemons I Make Lemonade
4. I Box Up All The Buterflies
5. The Boy With Two Hearts
6. Stringing Up Conkers

7. The Boy Least Likely to is a Machine

8. Whiskers
9. Every Goliath Has Its David
10. The Nature Of The Boy Least Likely To
11. I Keep Myself To Myself
12. The Worm Forgives The Plough
13. A Fairytale Ending

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Condo Fucks - Fuckbook [2009]

Legendary New London, CT trio the Condo Fucks returned to the stage last March after a long absence from the Tri-State Area's concert circuit. A secretive Hoboken rehearsal was recorded and is being released March 24, 2009 by Matador as the LP/CD, Fuckbook. Eschewing such Condo Fucks originals as ‘Fuckin’ Gary Sandy’ and ‘Let’s Get Rid Of New Haven’, the trio – Georgia Condo (drums), Kid Condo (guitar), and James McNew (bass) – instead tear through covers of The Small Faces, Richard Hell, Beach Boys, Electric Eels, Troggs, Flaming Groovies and Slade classics in the style that previously won them so much acclaim from the Nutmeg State’s music journalists and radio programmers all those years ago. In the go-go 1990s, the Condo Fucks released 4 titles on the Matador label (see right), some of which were prominently advertised on the inner sleeve of Yo La Tengo’s I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One. Sadly, these titles are long out of print and we are unable to provide the media with copies. With Fuckbook, a full tour of major Connecticut nightspots is planned upon release.

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Sholi - Sholi, 2009

Memory is a fickle thing: memories shift and turn on their own as our pasts become something different in mind than they were in reality. Some may seem lost forever, only to appear in fleeting moments of subconscious clarity.

The story of Sholi began when Payam Bavafa and Jonathon Bafus started playing and writing music with friend Danny Milks while attending UC Davis. “Sholi was a nickname my dad gave my brother and me when we wrestled as kids. I wanted a Persian word that sounded nice in English, and Jon liked that one,” Bavafa says.

The trio played locally, releasing a three-song demo shortly before Bavafa relocated to San Francisco to work as an electrical engineer for an experimental neuroscience lab with a brilliant “mad” scientist. Bavafa spent a year and a half processing brain-waves and analyzing data from studies on sleep and memory. Over time, elements of his work trickled through to his songwriting. Theories of memory explored in the lab found their way thematically into early versions of songs such as “Spy in the House of Memories”, “All That We Can See”, and “Out of Orbit”.

Around this time, Bafus and Bavafa began playing with several different bass players, finally coming together with their old friend Eric Ruud. The band began playing new material live, often with the help of one of Ruud. previous bandmates, Greg Hagel on keyboards and percussion.

In 2006, the band sent self-recorded demos of the songs to Greg Saunier to enlist his help in the creation of a proper album. He responded with great interest, and pre-production began shortly thereafter via email. Saunier sent the band production notes on arrangements and sounds as he listened to the songs while on tour in Spain with his band Deerhoof.

Subsequently, the band booked time at New and Improved Studios in Oakland, where Saunier and engineer Eli Crews helped shape the initial sounds of the album. After 4 days of tracking, Sholi took the album home, deconstructing the recordings and spending the next year breathing new life into the songs in apartments, attics, and living rooms that doubled as makeshift studios throughout Northern California.

In late 2007, the band recorded a politically inspired 7″ entitled Hejrat featuring a re-interpretation of the title track, originally by 70. Iranian pop-diva Googoosh. The record was well-received by the Iranian-American community as well as American critics for its unifying and original concept, eventually leading The Believer magazine to pick up the song for their 2008 Music Issue.

Meanwhile, Saunier continued his involvement with the LP helping in the final mixing stages upon his return from tour in the Summer of 2008.

The result is an album that is as self-assured as it is introspective, as warmly familiar as it is unique, and as complex as it is digestible. Concepts of memory permeate the record, both lyrically and musically, as songs grapple with perspective and perception, conscience and consequence, understanding and upheaval. Interconnected ideas appear; songs often become self-referential, folding in upon themselves. Yet underneath the elaborate musical layers and vivid lyrical imagery, there is something straightforwardly timeless in this debut.

download. buy.

myspace.

VA - Hava Narghile: Turkish Rock Music 1966-1975

Similar to the [now out of print] Turkish Delights compilation is this great collection of vintage psychedelic rock music from Turkey. With 22 tracks, spanning the years 1966-1975, this collection is a great introduction to the fanatastic, long-lost Middle Eastern acid rock scene. These bands raved it up in Istanbul nighclubs, blending the Western garage-psych rock of the era with Turkish folk influences (electic fuzz saz!), bellydancing beats, and all manner of "exotic" flourishes. Of the 17 artists on here, only a few names were already known to us, mainly from that aforementioned Turkish Delights lp or as the Turkish entries on the fab Love Peace & Poetry: Asian Psychedelic Music compilation. Those would be the amazing Mogollar (two tracks), guitar hero Erkin Koray, Mavi Isiklar, and Baris Manco. And none of their tracks are duplicated between this comp and those other two [and there's no overlap with anything on the more recent Turkish Love, Peace & Poetry volume either]. Of the many cuts on here, everyone will have their own favorites, certainly there's many killer ones. Dionysus' Bacchus Archives imprint has done a colorful job with the packaging, illustrated with promo photos and 7" sleeves. And every track gets a good paragraph of information, so by listening and reading you'll become hip to the history of the whole Turkish psych happenin'. Highly recommended!

1 Silüetler - Lorke-Lorke
2 Kaygısızlar - Sasirdim
3 Mavi Işıklar - Iyi Dusun Tasin
4 Haramiler - Camlica Yolunda
5 Yabancılar - Agit
6 Apaşlar - Gilgamis
7 Moğollar - Hard Work
8 Erkin Koray - Anma Arkadas
9 Barış Manço & Kaygısızlar - Flower Of Love
10 Erkut Taçkın With Okan Dincer & Kontrastlar - Muhur Gozlum
11 Çağrışım - Divane Gonlum
12 Barış Manço & Kaygısızlar - Trip (Fairground)
13 Moğollar - Berkay Oyun Havasi
14 Bunalim - Basak Saclim
15 3 Hür-El - ...Ve Olum
16 Erkin Koray & Ter - Hor Gorme Garibi
17 Barış Manço - Ben Bilirim
18 Koray Oktay - Vefasiz Dost
19 Ersen - Sor Kendine
20 Melih Faruk Serdar Saygun - Gurbet Acisi
21 Erkin Koray - Saskin
22 Gökçen Kaynatan - Pencerenin Perdesini

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Current 93 - Of Ruine or Some Blazing Starre (Reissue), 2007

‘Of Ruine Or Some Blazing Starre’ is the latest re-issue from Current 93’s highly impressive and startlingly diverse back catalogue. Originally released in 1994, ‘Of Ruine..’ saw Tibet and his stripped back assemblage of musicians delivering an album that was awash with simplistic charm and character, yet was as deeply and emotionally charged as anything that had come before it.

Aided by the ever-present Steve Stapleton, the multitalented Michael Cashmore, and Phoebe Cheshire who provided occasional vocal accompaniments, Tibet managed to skilfully construct an album brimming with subtle sounds and ideas which come together to produce an immensely dense and complex framework of lyrics, music and atmosphere. On initial listens ‘Of Ruine..’ seems to be simply an expansion of the folk-esque sound that Current 93 had started to be renowned for, and in simplistic terms this could be correct. And yet this album is so much more than that. It sees a true coming-of-age for Current 93. Tibet seems immensely comfortable with himself and his music, life and beliefs and this is projected through the immensely compelling essence of ‘Of Ruine..’.

(read more)

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Akron/Family - Set 'em Wild, Set 'em Free, 2009

1 . Everyone Is Guilty

2. River

3. Creatures

4. The Alps & Their Orange Evergreen

5 . Set 'Em Free

6. Gravelly Mountains of the Moon

7 . Many Ghosts

8 . MBF

9 . They Will Appear

10. Sun Will Shine (Warmth of the Sunship Version)

11 . Last Year

buy.

myspace.

Bon Iver - The Myspace Transmissions EP [2009]

Bon Iver visited with MySpace Transmissions for an exclusive performance.

1. For Emma
2. Flume
3. Lump Sum
4. Blindsided

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The Chatham Singers - Juju Claudius [2009]

The Chatham Singers second album following their critically acclaimed debut ‘Heavens Journey’ which came out in late 2005, the critically acclaimed ‘Heavens Journey’ was a mixture of Blues and Poetry, this time is a straight blues and little bit of country album. It has has a earthy, homespun charm, something to be taken down from the shelf for comfort on those long lonely nights of the soul.It features the two tracks released as a limited 7” just before Christmas 2008 plus 12 others including some classic covers of songs by Slim Harpo, Jimmy Reed & Hank WilliamsThe core band of Billy Childish on Vox / Guitar Nurse Julie on Vox / Bass Wolf Howard on Drums & ‘Bludy’ Jim on Harp are joined on this album by Graham Coxon (Blur) on Guitar and James Taylor (Prisoners / James Taylor Quartet) on Keyboard.

01 All Who Cheated And Lied

02 Juju Claudius

03 An Image Of You

04 Upside Mine

05 The Son Of Art

06 The True Story Of Elizabeth Sargent

07 Queen Bee

08 Evil Thing

09 Angel Of Death

10 Demolition Man

11 The Right Mistake

12 The Good Times

13 Bring Me Water

14 Baby What's Wrong

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Callisto - Providence, 2009

Formed in 2001, Callisto is a metal / progressive / experimental band from Turku, Finland. With their third album "Providence", a follow-up for the widely recognized debut "True Nature Unfolds" and highly acclaimed sophomore album "Noir", the Finnish five-piece has turned a new page in broadening musical expressions. The new album is also the debut for the band’s new vocalist Jani Ala-Hukkala, whose screaming and clean vocals mark a new element in the band’s sonic palette.

Their cathartically dim and characteristic works are the means for the band to draw from a more diverse and timeless sound. Callisto expand on the whole modern sludge genre innovators of Isis and likes with its subtle jazz leanings and experimentation with unconventional rock instruments. Callisto’s lyrics contain strong Christian themes with references to artists such as Trouble and Woven Hand.

"Providence" was produced, engineered and mixed by Jonas Olsson and mastered by Svante Forsbäck. The artwork is contributed by Martin Kvamme of Unit Delta Plus (Fantomas, Satyricon, Turbonegro).

1. In Session
2. Rule the Blood
3. Covenant Colours
4. Eastern Era
5. New Canaan
6. Stasis
7. Where the Spirits Tread
8. Dead Weight
9. Drying Mouths (in a Gasping Land)
10. Providence

download. buy.

myspace.

Crëvecoeur - #1, 2007

Crëvecoeur's songs are mostly instrumental pieces, a tribute to the glorious days of soundtrack music, yet with a pop sensibility. Definitely something for fans of Morricone soundtrack music, Calexico or Black Heart Procession.

(someone give me a link to #2, please!)

download. buy.
myspace.

Swan Lake - Enemy Mine [2009]

Swan Lake’s follow-up to 2006’s Beast Moans is now officially on the docket from Jagjaguwar. Messrs Bejar, Krug, and Mercer will lay out Enemy Mine for the world on 3/24.

1. Spanish Gold, 2044
2. Paper Lace
3. Heartswarm
4. Settle on Your Skin
5. Ballad of a Swan Lake, Or, Daniel’s Song
6. Peace
7. Spider
8. A Hand at Dusk
9. Warlock Psychologist

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...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - The Century Of Self [2009]

Austin, Texas band ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead will release their first album on their own Richter Scale label, The Century Of Self, on Feb. 17.The 13-track follow-up to 2006's So Divided was produced by Chris Coady (TV On The Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and will feature two tracks from the recently released Festival Thyme EP. The Century Of Self also features guest appearances from members of Yeasayer and Dragons Of Zynth. You can hear "The Bells Of Creation" on the band's MySpace page.Trail Of Dead split acrimoniously from their previous label, Interscope Records, last year after three albums.

1. "Giants Causeway"

2. "Far Pavilions"

3. "Isis Unveiled"

4. "Halcyon Days"

5. "Bells Of Creation"

6. "Fields Of Coal"

7. "Inland Sea"

8. "Luna Park"

9. "Pictures Of An Only Child"

10. "Insatiable One"

11. "Ascending"

12. "An August Theme"

13. "Insatiable Two"

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Bat For Lashes - Two Suns [2009]

Two Suns sees Natasha exploring her creative personas and the world around her in a very different way. Envisioning herself as two separate yet ultimately attached beings, we discover her inner character Pearl, the destructive blonde femme fatale that represents one extreme of her personality. The album includes appearances by Yeasayer on a number of tracks and Natasha duets with the legendary Scott Walker on closing song “The Big Sleep”.

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The Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand [2009]

Garage rock veterans, The Black Lips will following up the widely successful Good Bad Not Evil with the release of 200 Million Thousand. Simple, straightforward songwriting mesh perfectly with the Black Lips distinctive howl to create atime capsule rife with nods to simple pleasures and a world of worry.Critics darlings, The Black Lips have received previous acclaim from Rolling Stone, Spin, Filter, Magnet, Stop Smiling, The Fader, Anthem, Paste, and The NY Times to name a few.Heralded by Rolling Stone as "one of the best livebands in America," there will be ample opportunity to see Black Lips do what they do best - whip a crowd into a pure ball of drunk, unpredictable energy. After a release week showin their hometown of Atlanta, GA, the band will embark on a month long tour in March presented by Myspace Music, which will bring them to the Northeast, Midwest, SXSW and theSoutheast. They hit the West Coast for the last two weeks of April.

*link removed by request*

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Kawabata Makoto - Rainbow of Love [2009]

Brand new solo record from one of the most prolific Japanese recording artists around right now. Most people will know Kawabata Makoto as the guitar wielding shredder from Acid Mother Temple. This brand new solo recording is a two piece epic of some of the most beautiful tones I've heard in a while. Side A's 'You Are From The Rainbow Over The Sea' is an piece of bowed beauty, taking you to a higher plain of consciousness. The B Side's 'Waiting For You Till The End Of The Rainbow' is just as cosmic as its predecessor with cascading waterfalls of tones washing over you again and again... kinda reminds me of some of the Inui series, which is probably some of my favourite material from Makoto. Edition of only 265 copies in screen printed white sleeves with artwork by Darryl Norsen.

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The Juan MacLean - The Future Will Come [2009]

Although the Juan MacLean’s debut album, Less Than Human, featured plenty of guest contributions, it was ostensibly a solo project from former Six Finger Satellite guitarist John MacLean. The Future Will Come was constructed in a similar manner, and features a number of vocal and musical guests, including singer Nancy Whang and MacLean’s DFA label boss James Murphy. The first single from the record, the ebullient techno-house hybrid “Happy House,” was the first signifier of The Future Will Come’s buoyant tone, and MacLean describes it as “a disco inflected Human League sounding record.” Plenty of duets between MacLean and Whang feature, with the latter firmly establishing her role in the band during her time-off from touring with LCD Soundsystem.

1. The Simple Life
2. The Future Will Come
3. One Day
4. A New Bot
5. Tonight
6. No Time
7. Accusations
8. The Station
9. Human Disaster
10. Happy House

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Papercuts - You Can Have What You Want, 2009

download. myspace.

Mono - Hymn to the Immortal Wind, 2009

1. Ashes In The Snow
2. Burial At Sea
3. Silent Flight, Sleeping Dawn
4. Pure As Snow
5. Follow The Map
6. The Battle Of Heaven
7. Everlasting Light

Just in time for their 10-year anniversary, MONO return with their fifth studio album, the absolutely massive Hymn To The Immortal Wind. The music is naturally majestic, with MONO's trademark wall of noise crashing beautifully against the largest chamber orchestra the band has ever enlisted. The instrumentation is vast, incorporating strings, flutes, organ, piano, glockenspiel and tympani into their standard face-melting set-up. While Hymn continues to mine the cinematic drama inherent in all of MONO's music, the dynamic shifts now come more from dark-to-light instead of quiet-to-loud. The maturity to balance these elements so masterfully has become MONO's strongest virtue - save for perhaps their uncanny ability to sound every bit like a plane crashing into a Beethoven concert.

buy. download.

Æthenor - Faking Gold & Murder, 2009

Third earth shattering outing for Vincent De Roguin (Shora), Stephen O'Malley (Sunn0))), KTL) and Daniel O'Sullivan (Guapo). For Faking Gold and Murder, the core trio is joined by percussionists Nicolas Field and Alex Babel, as well as renown guitarist Alexander Tucker and the inimitable David Tibet. Faking Gold is Æ’s heaviest outing, driven by a weighty low end and the full fury of Babel and Field’s free-wheeling drums. The trio’s electronics, guitar, Rhodes, and organ ride the waves of sound in a tightly-controlled blare, leaving plenty of space for Tibet’s declarations of the mystical and supernatural. Tibet is on top form here, rising out of the tempest at just the right moment, almost plain-spoken in places – grounding the squall at times, voicing the apocalypse at others.

“Brooding, primeval, dark alchemical epics are full of a ferocious intensity, sounding more like a starlit night being ripped open by lightning than a musical group. Intelligent and primal, like a dæmonic workshop, battering up Pandemoniums and dreaming of gold and murder, Æthenor are spectacular.”- David Tibet

buy.

*link removed*

1900's - Kicks [2009]

Kicks features more sassy, infectiously catchy songs about Glasgow and girls in the main, but also references Mongolian warlords, bears, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Baader-Meinhof and Scientology. Most of the songs on Kicks are anecdotes about ex, current, future and fictional girlfriends.The album was recorded at Edwyn Collins’ West Heath Yard studio in London and it was produced by Bernard Butler. Kicks is the sound of a group careering head first, inspired by where they come from and what they can potentially do, into further adventures in sound and visions. Inspiration was taken from everything from Scary Monsters/Golden Years-era Bowie and his work with Brian Eno & Tony Visconti to Jay-Z through to Hall & Oates, the chops of Hot Chocolate and even the folk licks of Richard Thompson. Sonically Kicks is a rock record, but 1990s' intention was to make it sound slightly alien, too. The album’s a non-stop assault of pop gems. “59” eulogises the 59 bus in Pollokshields, which comes approximately once per lifetime and goes from Narnia to Brigadoon via Pollokshields. As Michael, who sings it, explains "It’s the only bus you want to get on in Pollokshields, even if it’s going in the wrong direction. The song’s about me taking this bus and checking out the girls… with gammy eyes."1990s' vocal harmonies on this album have come into their own and lead vocal duties are shared amongst the group much more so than on Cookies. Michael sings four songs, Dino sings two and Jackie sings the rest. “Kickstrasse” features Jackie addressing German 1970s terrorist group Baader-Meinhof, with help from Kate Jackson (of The Long Blondes) on backing vocals. On “Everybody Please Relax” Jackie threatens to move to Hollywood and become a Scientologist. Michael and Dino hope that he doesn't.

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Madlib - Speto Da Rua (Dirty Brasilian Crates Vol. 1) [2009]

Crate-digging has become somewhat of an art in the hip-hop world. Producers and beatsmiths constantly have to challenge themselves in digging deeper into vinyl archives, looking for breaks and potential samples that haven't yet been used and over-exploited by other producers. And while that may not seem so hard (your parents probably have a bundle of old LPs in the attic that could be sample gold), it's a lot tougher than you would think. But Madlib, a DJ, producer and emcee hailing from Oxnard, California, has consistently made the competition look like a bunch of chumps, releasing handfuls of beat tapes to the public each year. His most recent mix? Speto Da Rua, the first in a six-part series of Brazilian goodies.

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Vibes - You God It [2009]

It’s not every day friends get together and decide to swim upstream, but sometimes a great notion deserves great emotion – and legitimate forward motion. Then: shit happens. And then later: Vibes. LA’s most recent sub-underground non-rock quartet are a confusing composite electric dream of DIY funk, stream-of-consciousness garage soul, and groping group groove. Their live shows to date have functioned like moveable parties; the audience is either just crashin’ the thing or looking for someone they know. Regardless, You God It is the band’s first recorded statement, a six song EP featuring the bulk of their live staples, from the dizzy jangle-anthem “Honeycomb” to the slinky pow-wow dance “Spirit Soul” through to the swaggering woodblocks ballad “Shake It Off.” Love is all around, take a look. Tracked live at Bored Fortress then mixed by Ged Gengras with boss organ overdubs by Cameron Stallones, Pro-dubbed tapes in hand-numbered J-cards with full-color collage art by Amanda. Edition of 100.

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Sonic Youth - Sensational Fix [2009]

The iconic postpunk band Sonic Youth is best known for blurring musical genres and transcending the boundaries of rock guitar. Its members--Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley--have also, over the course of 27 years since they first started playing together, more quietly engaged in multidisciplinary solo efforts and collaborations with visual artists, filmmakers, designers and other musicians. What we're doing is always inventing itself. I have no terminology for it," according to Moore. This comprehensive 784-page volume--which includes two 7-inch records with unpublished songs by each member, album covers, band portraits and documentary photos, many of which have never been published before--is a must for fans and anyone seeking to connect the dots between New York's various cultural scenes. It features writings by band members and contributions by a host of other luminaries, including Richard Hell, Mike Kelley, Jutta Koether, Alan Licht, Lydia Lunch and John Miller."

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Fucked Up - Year of the Rat 12" [2009]

Tracklist:

A. Year of the Rat

B. First Born

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Elvis Perkins In Dearland - Elvis Perkins In Dearland [2009]

XL Recordings is pleased to announce the forthcoming release from Elvis Perkins in Dearland. The album, self-titled, will be released on March 10, 2009. This album is the debut album for the band and at the same time is the follow up to Perkins' first release, the critically acclaimed Ash Wednesday.Elvis Perkins in Dearland's new eponymous album feels very much like the second line to his exquisitely melancholic and much-hailed solo debut Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday gained Elvis a dedicated and reverent following for its nuanced meditations on death and grief — many moments on that first record felt as if the listener had tip-toed into the intimate confines of a private elegy, enveloped in that wondrous, old-soul quality of Elvis' voice.There are still plenty of private moments on Elvis Perkins in Dearland, but Elvis is now joined by a talented trio of friends that toured with him in support of Ash Wednesday. Along with Elvis on guitar and lead vocals, Elvis Perkins in Dearland is Brigham Brough (upright bass, saxophone, vocals), Wyndham Boylan-Garnett (pump organ, guitar, harmonium, trombone, vocals), and Nick Kinsey (drums, percussion, banjo, clarinet, vocals). Many of the new songs on Elvis Perkins in Dearland were honed on the road by the four bandmates, whose natural ease with one another allowed them to constantly experiment with arrangements on the fly.Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Chris Shaw (Public Enemy, Bob Dylan, Ween) and Elvis Perkins In Dearland, the album was recorded in Upstate New York in the latter part of 2008. Shaw recorded and mixed the album as well."On this new record we wanted to capture the spirit of our performances," drummer Nick Kinsey said. "The challenge was to get down that spontaneity." Perkins says, "This album is faster and younger than Ash Wednesday. Being in a studio with three other creatives instead of just one was a new thing for me. It takes four times as long to decide everything... but in the end, this kind of interplay made for much good."

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Tosca - No Hassle [2009]

No Hassle is the fifth full-length released by the duo, who are comprised of Richard Dorfmeister (of legendary trip-hoppers Kruder & Dorfmeister) and Austrian musician Rupert Huber. Whereas much of their previous material had Dorfmeister's dubby basslines up front, this album was developed as a more ambient project, combining submerged samples and live instrumentation to create a lush and immersive hour of music."It's our personal reaction to everything," explains Richard. "To all things that are pressuring you from outside, or internally, from every angle. It's sort of the ideal position to achieve, and it's the same idea behind the music: to achieve an hour where you feel hassle free."

Tracklist

01. My First

02. Elitsa

03. Springer

04. Birthday

05. Oysters In May

06. Joe Si Ha

07. Elektra Bregenz

08. Fondue

09. Rosa

10. Raymundo

11. Mrs. Bongo

12. No Hassle

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Ducktails - Acres Of Shade [2009]

""Acres Of Shade" is a departure from past Ducktails zones. Mondanile turns away from his lofi bedroom pop vibes, moving towards synthesizer cycles. He does not sacrifice his youthful style and tropical nostalgia; just rethinks the way it is expressed. Drifting drones lift in the air. Features all new material: "White House With Green Shutters / Surfs Up". In an edition of 100 tapes with full color covers and printed labels."

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Beirut - March of the Zapotec/Realpeople Holland, 2009

After the widely acclaimed 2007 album The Flying Club Cup, which hit many album of the year lists including the NME, Uncut, Q, The Sun and The Telegraph, the extremely talented young songwriter and musician Zach Condon returns with his third record under the guise of Beirut. The full-length album entitled March Of The Zapotec is comprised of two EPs. The first, and album namesake, is a foray into Mexican folk music with the help of an obscure small-town Mexican funeral band. The second is Holland, a bedroom electro-synth pop wonder, originally an idea for Zach s previous incarnation before Beirut, when he went by the name of Realpeople. - amazon.co.uk

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Stuart & Caan - The Mayfly Dance [2009]

Stuart and Caan's The Mayfly Dance came to Knw-Yr-Own from England thanks to friends Little Wings and Devendra Banhart. After opening for the two bands on the Hair Fairies Tour, Banhart invited the gents to come over and play the United States. Needless to say, Stuart and Caan fell smartly into the middle of the new weird America musical movement, taking it all in (until they were deported). With pastoral guitars, heartbreaking melodies, and a rare sense of wide-eyed wonder, The Mayfly Dance spins a timeless Anglo-folk sound.

1. Lalita

2. I Waited So Long

3. Big White Boat

4. Rosemary

5. Isn't It Wonderful

6. Lord Of The Cosmos

7. Look To The Sky

8. God Song

9. Holy Moment

10. Do You Want To

11. Set Sail

12. Land Of Stone

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Faust - C'Est Com... Com... Complique [2009]

Bureau B proudly presents: a brand new album of the krautrock institution, revered worldwide as pioneers of avant-garde rock music. Hypnotic, dadaistic, powerful, gentle, melodic, earthy, etheral. This is the sound of Faust.

1. kundalini tremolos
2. accroché à tes lèvres
3. ce chemin est le bon
4. stimmen
5. petits sons appétissants
6. bonjour gioacchino
7. en veux-tu des effets, en voilà
8. lass mich, version originale
9. c'est com...com...compliqué

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Grouper/City Center Split 7'', 2008

So super stoked to announce officially that there's some new jams on the way. In particular, a split 7" with new, exclusive songs from me and Grouper. I've talked about Grouper, my friend Liz's amazing music on maybe like 60% of my blog postings, so it's shouldn't be a big surprise that this I'm beyond overjoyed we've gotten to play some shows and now work on this record together. Liz's song is exclusive to this release, and recorded around the same time as her last amazing full-length "Dragging A Dead Deer Uphill". It's fucking mindblowing. My song is "This Is How We See In The Dark", which I wrote just for this release after checking out Liz's song and trying to write a counterpoint piece. I've been playing it live in every show since the end of the summer, so if you've seen me play at all, it might sound familiar. This demo recording was the first version of the song, and it's gotten a lot more refined/better since then, but it should give you an idea. Lots of tape manipulation on the vocals, muddy mishap vibe.

download. buy.

Crime In Choir - Gift Givers [2009]

Comprised of founding members of the original At The Drive-In (pianist Kenny Hopper and guitarist Jarrett Wrenn), as well as members of The Fucking Champs (drummer Tim Soete), Jonas Reinhardt (synth player Jesse Reiner + Kenny Hopper), and The Mass (saxophonist Matt Waters), Crime In Choir have an impressive pedigree and an even more impressive sound. Intent on reinvigorating and updating the genre for today’s discriminating, post-everything indie-rock listener, Crime In Choir’s 4th album, “Gift Givers”, expands on the complex interweaving of melody, composition and sound-scape heard on 2006’s “Trumpery Metier”. “Gift Givers” brings a complex suite of six songs that harkens back to the golden age of prog while leaping infinitely forward in textures, composition and grace.

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The Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (20th Anniversary Edition) [2009]

Beastie Boys Paul's Boutique digitally re-mastered for the 1st time, overseen personally by the band to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the release. The original vinyl artwork has been faithfully restored in this 8 panel eco-friendly limited edition CD with fold-out poster. Paul's Boutique is consistently named as one of the greatest albums of all time by numerous publications such as Time, Rolling Stone, Spin, Q, and The Source.

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Fol Chen - Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune's Made [2009]

A transmission from Fol Chen: "We sound like Prince with Amon Duul II and a children's religious revival, not to mention Hot Chip, Pink Floyd, Gwen Stefani, Pere Ubu, Danielson Famile, Scritti Politti, Boards of Canada, The Blow, and Pulp. (Mostly). We are cryptic and joyful and we would like you to dance." Features appearances by Karin Tatoyan and Rafter, along with members of The Liars, Castanets, and Let's Go Sailing.

1 The Believers

2 No Wedding Cake

3 You and Your Sister in Jericho

4 The Idiot

5 Red Skies Over Garden City (The Ballad of Donna Donna)

6 Winter, That's All

7 Cable TV

8 Please, John, You're Killing Me

9 The Longer U Wait (Version)

10 If Tuesday Comes

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Mountains - Choral [2009]

Mountains is Brendon Anderegg and Koen Holtkamp, friends since their middle school days. The duo were brought together by mutual artistic and musical interests, and both ended up at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It was during this time that they began exchanging musical ideas and compositions which led to them founding the Apestaartje label in 1999. As their collaborations and individual projects blossomed, they decided to create Mountains as a vehicle for live performance. A love of sculpting sound in front of an audience is at the heart of Mountains. The group’s third album, Choral, (their first self-titled release and second album Sewn were both on Apestaartje), is the culmination of their work to date and a balanced mix of the first two efforts. Mountains is often compared to artists such as Brian Eno and Fennesz citing their extended melodies and their unique broad guitar work. Mountains seamlessly blend pastoral electronic sounds with both field recordings and a plethora of acoustic instruments. The resulting soundscapes are broad in scope and rich in detail. The effect is incredibly sublime and hypnotic as the sounds slowly wrap themselves around each other and alter themselves in the mind of the listener. Choral is a uniquely soothing and addicting listening experience and an aural crazy quilt: warm and inviting with many details to discover and explore. Recorded by the duo entirely in the winter and spring of 2008 at home in Brooklyn, Choral is largely live and performed in real time, with only a few overdubs to create a more “choral” effect. The opening title-track carries the weight of a full orchestra gradually drawing their bows across a field of strings. The subtle undulations produce a warm blank canvas and create an impending sense of what’s to come. As the percolating electronic melodies creep into the track, they’re soon joined by field recordings, organ, electric piano, synthesizer, accordion and then later by the gentle strum of a guitar. This densely layered and textured song contains over 30 tracks of material. On the quiet and more guitar oriented “Map Table”, the band ‘play’ ice water and books by recording the sounds of them flipping through the pages. The calming “Telescope” actually features the sound of an intense thunderstorm recorded in the desert in Arizona. Guiding us through sonic peaks and valleys, the band takes us on a journey through their realm of experimentation, occasionally crossing over into psychedelic and kosmiche (Harmonia, Cluster, Popol Vuh) territory. Choral is the sound of an adventuresome duo, who is equally invested in melody and discovery.

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El Goodo - Coyote [2009]

El Goodo combines the mellow and melodious psychedelic sounds of the Beach Boys, The Byrds and Love with beautiful and lush arrangements that call upon the mystical countryside from whence they came. The result is the creation of a mysterious, sweepingly grand, and at times whimsical approach to their already eclectic soundscape. Their intoxicating sophomore release, Coyote, due January 2009 (Grease Records), is both sprawling and hauntingly deserted, evoking a sonic landscape both richly cultivated and desolate, with intensely poetic harmonies and darkly articulated instrumentation. “Aren’t You Grand”, “I Saw Her Today”, “Talking to the Birds”, and “Oh, to Sleep” feel cinematic, like a dark western cowboy soundtrack, juxtaposing surfy and at times summery melodies to create an ominous score. “Feel So Fine”, “Be My Girl”, and “I Can’t Make It” continue in El Goodo’s knack for beautiful beach harmonies, but opt for psych-breakouts and breakdowns reminiscent of efforts by Olivia Tremor Control and Lansic Dreiden. Coyote was produced by the band in a deserted theater and has brought together Cian Ciaran of the Super Furry Animals’ fame to mix the album, as well as renowned artist Pete Fowler to capture the eloquence of the music for the album’s artwork. Coyote is a beautiful piece of darkly rich psych-pop perfection, brought to you by the new breed of Welsh pop wizards.

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Cableline's Attic, Vol. 1

January 2009
"...it takes eight minutes for sunlight to reach us..."

01. The Millenium - Prelude/To Claudia On Thursday
02. Sagittarius - My World Fell Down
03. The Association - Never My Love
04. Harpers Bizarre - Cotton Candy Sandman
05. The Free Design - Kites Are Fun
06. The Buckinghams - Kind Of A Drag
07. The Left Banke - Desiree
08. Brooklyn Bridge - Worst That Could Happen
09. Box Tops - The Letter
10. The Turtles - Elenore
11. Spanky & Our Gang - Sunday Will Never Be The Same
12. Chad & Jeremy - A Summer Song

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...thought i'd post the first volume from last month...this is a collection of 60's and 70's sunshine pop...some of the songs are fairly well known...some not so much...that Box Tops song is one of top 20 songs ever...great tune...all of them are...enjoy...

Doug Paisley - Doug Paisley [2009]

An album of folk songs that represent the American malaise. Sure, Doug is Canadian, but so is Neil Young and four-fifths of The Band, and that didn't stop them from tapping into the collective psyche of the continent. This debut recalls an era of songwriting that was simpler, more honest, more modest. A time before iPods and My Space, when making a good album was simply enough. Doug Paisley has been seen on tour with Bonnie “Prince” Billy under the pseudo name Dark Hand and Lamplight.

1. What About Us?

2. Broken In Two

3. Digging In The Ground

4. A Day Is Very Long

5. Last Duet

6. We Weather

7. Take My Hand

8. Wide Open Plain

9. Take Me With You

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Cableline's Attic, Vol. 2

February 2009
"...we were just teenagers with guitars..."

01. The Sonics - Strychnine (1965)
02. Shadows Of Knight - Oh Yeah (1966)
03. The Seeds - Can't Seem To Make You Mine (1967)
04. The Chocolate Watchband - I'm Not Like Everybody Else (1968)
05. The Luv'd Ones - Come On In (1967)
06. The Music Machine - Double Yellow Line (1966)
07. The Electric Prunes - I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night) (1966)
08. The Monks - I Hate You (1966)
09. Mouse & The Traps - Maid Of Sugar, Maid Of Spice (1965)
10. The Count Five - Psychotic Reaction (1966)
11. The Standells - Dirty Water (1966)
12. The E-Types - I Remember When I Loved Her (1965)

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...hope everyone enjoys this mix...you may see some psych tendencies in these recordings...i think that is understandable, seeing as psych was the obvious evolution of this kind of garage rock...

Boredoms - Super Roots 10 [2009]

01 Super Rooy
02 Ant 10
03 Ant 10 / Estereo 10 (Remix by Altz)
04 Ant 10 (Remix by DJ Finger Hat)
05 Ant 10 (Remix by DJ Lindstrøm)
06 Ant 10 / Mineral Dub Break (Remix by Altz)

The EP went on sale last Wednesday, though CDJapan says that the first pressing is already completely sold out, unsurprisingly enough. The EP comes with typically headache-inducing cover art from frontman EYE, who also produced the thing. Thrill Jockey, the band's U.S. label, has no word on an American release.

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Zombi - Spirit Animal, 2009

 Thought that the synthesizer-happy instrumental duo Zombi couldn't possibly get more celestial than their Goblin-esque last album, Surface to Air (2006)? Wrong again boyo -- it's a good thing I never take your advice anyway. On the five-track Spirit Animal, the Pittsburgh twosome continues to rescue the sounds of 70s keyboard prog from the viscous grip of cheese, concentrating this time around on warmer textures and ever more cosmic soundscapes. Is there an element of the tongue in cheek? Put it this way: The cover of Spirit Animal features an elephant bounding through the cosmos. 

~ Etan Rosenbloom

1 . Spirit Animal 

2.  Spirt Warrior

3.  Earthly Powers 

4.  Cosmic Powers

5.  Through Time

download. buy.