HERCULES AND LOVE AFFAIR s/t (DFA) 2lp 22.00
We've been so excited for this one for a while! While disco has received a much deserved renaissance in the last couple years there has been a big void of anyone new really making true great disco that captures the best moments of the golden vintage days of the genre. Luckily the guy behind Hercules And Love Affair, Andy Butler, has had quite an education in the history of the last three decades of charged and soulful dance music , due to his experiences dj'ing at a leather bar in Denver, and his last several years immersed in New York's club culture. With a super talented cast around him, Butler has made one of the year's best records, for sure one of the greatest and smartest vocal driven dance records in years!
While Antony (Antony & The Johnsons) has been lending his voice to many records over the last few years, Butler uses him in such exciting ways knowing that under the usually mournful and melancholic side to his voice there was an inner dancefloor diva just ready to let loose. Antony's vocal delivery evokes a sound and spirit that is reminiscent of Sylvester and you can tell that Sylvester, Arthur Russell, Patrick Cowley, Frankie Knuckles and the heyday of the Chicago house scene all served as major inspiration to the making of this record. Along with Antony there are also great vocal contributions from Nomi (who has toured a lot with CocoRosie) and Kim Ann Foxman as well as Butler himself on a few tracks. The album is a full band affair with great horns, strings, keys and Tim Goldsworthy (DFA) production and drum programming all merging together for such a full and rich sound. Above and beyond anything, these are such well crafted songs that aren't just winks to the past but instead carry the torch for impassioned and joyful sounds well into the future, keeping your body moving and your spirit raised high. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Hercules Theme"
MPEG Stream: "Blind"
MPEG Stream: "Iris"

HERCULES AND LOVE AFFAIR s/t (DFA) cd 14.98
We've been so excited for this one for a while! While disco has received a much deserved renaissance in the last couple years there has been a big void of anyone new really making true great disco that captures the best moments of the golden vintage days of the genre. Luckily the guy behind Hercules And Love Affair, Andy Butler, has had quite an education in the history of the last three decades of charged and soulful dance music , due to his experiences dj'ing at a leather bar in Denver, and his last several years immersed in New York's club culture. With a super talented cast around him, Butler has made one of the year's best records, for sure one of the greatest and smartest vocal driven dance records in years!
While Antony (Antony & The Johnsons) has been lending his voice to many records over the last few years, Butler uses him in such exciting ways knowing that under the usually mournful and melancholic side to his voice there was an inner dancefloor diva just ready to let loose. Antony's vocal delivery evokes a sound and spirit that is reminiscent of Sylvester and you can tell that Sylvester, Arthur Russell, Patrick Cowley, Frankie Knuckles and the heyday of the Chicago house scene all served as major inspiration to the making of this record. Along with Antony there are also great vocal contributions from Nomi (who has toured a lot with CocoRosie) and Kim Ann Foxman as well as Butler himself on a few tracks. The album is a full band affair with great horns, strings, keys and Tim Goldsworthy (DFA) production and drum programming all merging together for such a full and rich sound. Above and beyond anything, these are such well crafted songs that aren't just winks to the past but instead carry the torch for impassioned and joyful sounds well into the future, keeping your body moving and your spirit raised high. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Hercules Theme"
MPEG Stream: "Blind"
MPEG Stream: "Iris"

V/A Eccentric Soul: Tragar & Note Labels (Numero) 2cd 31.00
There hasn't been a dud yet in the Numero Group's superb and ever ongoing Eccentric Soul series and this latest two disc offering is no exception, in fact it might find itself a special spot near the Big Mack and Deep City collections as one of our favorites so far!
This time out they dig up gems from two woefully obscure labels out of Atlanta in the late '60s. While there are some uptempo shakers sprinkled amongst the tracks on these two discs, what's swept us off our feet is the totally devastating heart broken soul that just drips with honesty and warmth. We just can't get enough of it. And it's the ladies who really shine the brightest on this collection, we now want to get our hands on everything and anything that Eula Cooper, Franciene Thomas and Sonia Ross have ever released. The kind of richly orchestrated soul that sounds so perfect when you're alone in your living room with the lights dimmed, a cocktail to lessen the pain of a broken heart and these songs to let you wallow with class, yet still enough uptempo tracks to let you cut a rug when your tears take a break. So great!
MPEG Stream: FRANCIENE THOMAS "Too Beautiful To Be Good"
MPEG Stream: NATHAN WILKES "Strange Feeling"
MPEG Stream: EULA COOPER "Let Our Love Grow Higher"

EDEN EXPRESS Que Amour Que (Holy Mountain) cd 14.98
While just about everything Holy Mountain puts out is awesome they also tend to focus on the heavier side of the underground musical landscape. With this debut by Eden Express they're showing their softer side, while managing to keep the awesomeness on full throttle! There would be no other time for this record to get released then smack dab in the midst of summer as this is some sun-soaked-tripped-out-bake-at-the-beach-psych-pop that we can't get enough of. Featuring one member of Cloudland Canyon, this is a group who understand how to evoke colorful and vivid sensations. Mixing Eastern tinged psychedelia with delicious hints of washed out samba with such an effortless and breezy delivery. This is a timeless sounding record that could just as easily be some lost early '70s South American psychedelic gem (which the cover design suggests) as much as a much more drugged out Antena or Brightblack Morning Light jamming on the beach with some Finnish folks like Lau Nau and Islaja at their side. Such delicious delay and reverb, just the right touches of flute and otherworldliness, and it's about time psych gets out of the forest and onto the sand. A record made to soak in sun and melt with.
MPEG Stream: "Skin De Sol"
MPEG Stream: "Swelling Moon"
MPEG Stream: "On The Beach"

FLYING LOTUS Los Angeles (Warp) cd 14.98
There is no doubt that this record is going to find itself near the top of many of our year end favorite lists. This is one of those rare records that on first listen you are grabbed by its immediacy & intensity and with each repeated listen you melt deeper into its richness. While just in his early 20's Steven Ellison (aka Flying Lotus) has crafted a record wise beyond his years. There is a fluidity and transcendence on Los Angeles that defies categorization. Call it instrumental hip-hop if you want, but these are songs that would sound right at home next to spiritual Afro-jazz, psychedelic soul and even dubstep. Taking inspiration from the late great J Dilla, Flying Lotus understands how to extract such punch and soul from all the sounds he takes and creates. Flying Lotus has a wide world vision that's as informed by Eastern grooves and psychedelia as it is hip-hop, electronica, video games and cartoon culture (he used to make music for Adult Swim). This is stirring many of the same emotions and excitement as when Four Tet released the Rounds record and in many ways it brings to the next level what so much of Prefuse 73 tries to do.
It actually didn't surprise us that much to find out that Ellison is the great nephew of Alice Coltrane as you can hear the amazing legacy of her spiritual and universal consciousness in the sounds that Flying Lotus create. In fact there are a few upfront Coltrane moments on the record including "Aunti's Harp" which is an all too short but beautiful majestic minute of Alice on the harp. Flying Lotus has found a spot next to Madlib as a much needed ambassador of someone taking hip-hop as a launching pad orbiting to such pleasing outer dimensions. In fact , some of us couldn't help but daydream about a Flying Lotus/Erykah Badu collaboration as they both are so tapped into a magical and exciting landscape of hip-hop & soul that soars in spiritual and psychedelic horizons. Filled with undeniable passion and of course highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Camel"
MPEG Stream: "Riot"
MPEG Stream: "Golden Diva"

DALTON, KAREN Green Rocky Road (Delmore) cd 19.98
This is the one!! The beautiful, raw, and majestic lost Karen Dalton recordings we've all been waiting for. While we loved the recent release Cotton-Eyed Joe, it was mostly because we thought we'd never get to hear any other recordings, so we were happy with the below lo-fidelity and wavering performances (Dalton never liked performing live, so we don't think those recordings showcased her best side). Then these recordings showed up and have blown the others away. Recorded in 1962 at home on two track tape, played mostly on solo banjo, Green Rocky Road captures Dalton at her most intimate and unearthly. Like some old dusty recordings of lost Appalachian folk, Dalton's circular fingerpicking and warm wooly voice invokes a magical quality as she works through several interpretations of traditional folk songs including versions of "Katie Cruel", "If I Had A Ribbon Bow", and "In The Evening", which were featured on her studio albums.
Other songs not previously featured are the British Folk classic "Nottamun Town", the ghostly "Little Margaret" and the famous cowboy song "Whoopee Ti Yi Yo". There's even a nice moment where you hear Dalton talking to her mother about going to dances. The quality of the recordings while still raw is so much greater in fidelity than Cotton Eyed-Joe, you'd think she was singing to herself in your home not realizing you were secretly standing behind her hanging on to every breath, praying that nothing breaks her transcendent spell. We can't recommend this enough!!!
MPEG Stream: "Green Rocky Road"
MPEG Stream: "Little Margaret"
MPEG Stream: "Whoopie Ti Yi Yo"

BEACH HOUSE Devotion (Carpark) lp 17.98
Finally! This sonic beauty is available on vinyl!
Beach House's debut from a couple years ago won a special place in our hearts, so ever since we've been very anxious for this follow-up. We can't think of anyone these days who is doing warm and fuzzy melancholic pop better than Beach House.
Devotion flows perfectly from start to finish. It's the kind of record you want to play on repeat all day as you lay in bed with the one you love or lament the one you lost. These songs capture that gray soft line between longing and remembrance with a somber elegance that recalls Francoise Hardy's La Question and taps into the more subdued moments of Quixotic and White Magic. While many folks have taken a stab at Daniel Johnston songs in recent years, Beach House's version of "Some Things Last (A Long Time)" captures its devastating yet bittersweet heart. With hints of reverb, intoxicating vocal melodies and astute subtlety, Beach House has made an album that wraps you in a warm soft glow, as you bask in a golden breeze, totally hitting the spot and making every day feels like Sunday. So nice!
MPEG Stream: "Turtle Island"
MPEG Stream: "Home Again"

JAY, JEREMY Alpharhythm (K) 7" 4.50
No one has mastered the art of the infectious ep or 7" in recent times quite like Jeremy Jay, laying down the kind of tracks that you want to listen to over and over and over, and his latest single continues the smoking hot streak. "Alpharhythm" catches its sultry groove right from the get go and unfolds into a dancey hot number. It's the kind of song that would be perfect if the art kids, outcasts and dreamers actually got to make the soundtrack to their perfect prom. The B side, "Moonbeam Window", though very brief is so great, with a hot/cold vibe and a sound that feels like it's some lost post-punk gem recorded in a garage filled with smoke machines and an old glimmering disco ball hanging from the ceiling. There is something about Jeremy Jay's music that is just so effortless and is undeniably the essence of cool. Highly recommended!

DIABATE, TOUMANI The Mande Variations (Nonesuch) cd 17.98
Simply stunning sparse and majestic sounds from one of the most talented kora players of all time! Known for his collaborations with everyone from Ali Farka Toure, to Taj Mahal and Bjork. This is Toumani by himself and his kora which he employs to make such magical and enchanting music. Toumani has that same kind of elegance and sheer transcendence that folks like John Fahey and Ravi Shankar had/have with the instruments they mastered. The Mande Variations demonstrates how Diabate has been influenced by Indian classical music, flamenco and blues as well as the Griot music of his native home of Mali. This is the kind of record that allows you to just let go of everything as the hypnotic trance of Diabate's playing takes you away to a higher dimension. The Mande Variations is reminding us of some of our favorite beautiful sound of the last few years from the likes of James Blackshaw, Debashish Bhattacharya and Lanaya. Undeniably stunning and filled with trance inducing soul!
MPEG Stream: "Si naani"
MPEG Stream: "El Nabiyouna"
MPEG Stream: "Ismael Drame"

GROUPER Dragging A Dead Dear Up A Hill (Type) cd 15.98
Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill opens with an entirely characteristic yet coy swell of effected elemental smear, crumbling delicately yet forcefully, until giving way to what is, to date, and here is the coy part, Liz Harris' most songwriterly and structured album. As opposed to the rich swaths of drone that up until now defined her sound, Harris has shifted from the abstract towards a more distinct and figurative sound. True to the title, the record unfolds like a sort of mysterious and morbid fairytale, innocent in its clear and elegant melodies, yet creepy and highly abstract in its more droney and sublime interludes. For the most part, her guitar playing is laid bare, removed from the dense fog of effects that typically occlude them. And what we discover is actually a pretty strummy record, with plenty of clean guitar articulation though certainly the aroma of her previous tech heavy approach remains in what is relatively speaking still pretty effected. At times she even reverts back to the gorgeous icey crunchy string attack of some previous efforts. With so much space liberated in the absence of drones, we also get to hear her stunning voice. Furthermore, the occasional audible lyric creeps to the surface, one standout fragment being "Love is enormous," a somewhat shockingly affirmative sentiment from an otherwise darkly mysterious and abstract persona. From start to finish "Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill" lulls you into its graceful murmurings and hypnotic thrumming. An exquisite addition to an already compelling discography. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Disengaged"
MPEG Stream: "Heavy Water/ I'd Rather Be Sleeping"

QUIET VILLAGE Silent Movie (!K7) cd 15.98
So fresh, so lush, and so totally breezy that we've been glowing in summer's warmth with this as our soundtrack, on constant repeat. Quiet Village are a DJ Shadow style sampling duo who take full advantage of their crate digging expertise and a great ear for the softer sounds in life, to create a really rewarding record that effortlessly skips through all sorts of musical landscapes. With nods to everything from the grandiose orchestration of David Axelrod, the smooth and soulful vibrations of Stevie Wonder, the exotica charm of Martin Denny, the new-age lightness of Andreas Vollenweider, the dreaminess of Air, and the more wistful and melancholic side of Ennio Morricone. In lesser hands what Quiet Village do would and has ended up being likable yet pretty innocuous 'chill-out' music, but with Silent Movie QV have created an album that has soul and a core and the perfect musical ingredients for a blissed out afternoon.
MPEG Stream: "Circus Of Horror"
MPEG Stream: "Can't Be Beat"
MPEG Stream: "Singing Sand"

VSS Nervous Circuits (Hydra Head) cd+dvd 14.98
Words can't describe how fuckin' happy we are to see this! Finally, The VSS's long out of print (and pretty hard to track down even when it was in print!) 1997 album Nervous Circuits has been remastered and reissued... and how! The new edition is bursting at the seams in sound and visuals with tons of bonus historical documentation packed on the cd and dvd!
The VSS = a short-lived yet incredibly influential and genre defining band from Southern California / Colorado in the mid-90s.
The VSS = Josh Hughes' deeply textured apocalyptic air-raid guitars, Andy Rothbard's lithe double fisting of snaking bass guitar and Juno 60 synthesizer, Dave Clifford's fevered muscular drumming, and Sonny Kay's clenched spewed vocals delivering cryptic wordplay and caustic socio-politically charged lyrics (mind you, due to his impassioned expulsionary singing style they're pretty unintelligible, you'll need to refer to the lyric sheet!).
The members of The VSS surfaced from the ashes of legendary post-punk band Angel Hair, burned incredibly hot and bright for only a couple years, and then later went on to other mighty bands Slaves, Pleasure Forever, Year Future, Rabbits, Red Sparowes and solo projects (Andrew Douglas Rothbard!) and an independent record label (Gold Standard Laboratories).
These days on paper, the marriage of post-punk, hardcore, synth-wave, electronic rock and metal is nothing short of commonplace. It's become a hip lifestyle genre, but this wasn't the case back then. And even so, this album still sounds fresh and immediate eleven years after its original release! Seeming at once wild and untethered and totally in control, it's a remarkably composed aural assault with plenty of quick shifts in mood, atmosphere and tempo that still stands head and shoulders above the rest of the pack.
The dvd offers what criminally few were able to witness in person back in the day... a young band who absolutely slayed in the live setting! There's nine song clips from various stops on their '97 U.S. tour as well as three sets in Brooklyn (six songs), Boulder (seven songs) and Berkeley (four songs). Be forewarned though, the quality of a lot of the footage is pretty poor -- having been culled from many fans' handheld home camcorder vhs tapes -- but our eyes have become accustomed to this sort of grainy, shaky stew a la murky cellphone-shot YouTube clips. Nevertheless a welcome electrically charged video document.
Yeah, definitely recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Death Scene"
MPEG Stream: "In Miniature"
MPEG Stream: "Nervous Circuits"

INDIAN JEWELRY Free Gold (We Are Free) cd 13.98
While we missed their recent show here in San Francisco we kept hearing rave reviews and many of our most trusted customers felt similarly, so much so that we knew we had to hear the new record. We're very happy we listened because Free Gold grabbed a hold of us on the very first listen and we've been hooked hard ever since.
Falling somewhere between Spacemen 3 and Jesus & Mary Chain, Indian Jewelry totally hit the spot in creating sounds that are both shoegazy and dangerous sounding at the same time. If we do get to see them live in support of this record we would want it to be in a really sparse room with nothing but a shitty PA and a really intense strobe light. Free Gold is one of those records that no matter what your history with the band is, you can tell that this is a record that finds the band really hitting their stride. They tap into so many things we love but with their own slight tweak on things that makes it totally their own. Like Loop or Wooden Shjips with a dash of mascara or a more fucked up and DIY version of the latest Raveonettes record that we've been so into. And much like the two Psychic Ills records we love so much, this hits the spot big time, especially when you are looking for that up to no good, slightly drugged out and sexy late night soundtrack.
MPEG Stream: "Temporary Famine Ship"
MPEG Stream: "Overdrive"
MPEG Stream: "Everyday"

ADAMS, PATRICK Master of The Masterpiece 2: More of The Best of Patrick Adams (P&P Records) 2lp 19.98
We couldn't be happier about the disco revival that has swept through the music scene over the last year or two. It's exciting that a whole new generation is discovering the high energy and sexually charged dance floor burners that were such important anthems for so many underrepresented communities in popular culture (queer, African-American, Latino, etc.). While producers like Giorgio Moroder and Patrick Cowley have finally been rediscovered by a whole new generation of kids who dig stuff like Justice, Glass Candy and the Chromatics, we're hoping it will happen for Patrick Adams too.
Born in Harlem in 1950, Adams is an amazingly rare breed of producer, having managed to stay fresh and vital for more then three decades. He has worked with everyone from Astrud Gilberto to Eric B. & Rakim, Sister Sledge to Salt 'n Pepa, Eddie Kendricks to The Salsoul Orchestra. Maybe best known for the irresistible disco jam by Musique "In The Bush", Adams was one of the few producers of the disco-era who continued to make cool and innovative records throughout the '80s and well into the '90s.
Master Of The Masterpiece 2 digs really deep into Adams' vaults, as none of these tracks have been available on cd before, and finding original vinyl versions is damn near impossible. From the playful disco of Bumble Bee Unlimited, the strong and soulful stylings of Debbie Taylor, the electro robotic sounds of The "P" Crew and the breezy funk of the Universal Robot Band, all 12 tracks here show how carefree sounds can be made with backbone and conviction. So when you wanna dance in style or ride around town with the top down, we can't think of a better of a soundtrack than these Patrick Adams gems!
MPEG Stream: BUMBLE BEE UNLIMITED "I Got A Big Bee (Original Demo Version)"
MPEG Stream: SINE "Rotation"
MPEG Stream: DEBBIE TAYLOR "No Deposit No Return"

GRAILS Take Refuge In Clean Living (Important) cd 14.98
Grails just keep on getting better and better! Over the last few years there is no doubt that a musical maturation has taken place, their ability to blend many unique influences into a coherent whole has made Grails a band that we've grown to love.
Take Refuge In Clean Living is such a great example of how Grails have found common themes and sounds within a wide array of influences ranging from Turkish folk, Japanese psych to spaghetti westerns. Grails have this wonderful ability to sound both monumental and subtle without ever relying on cliche formulas. While they were once lumped into the 'post-rock' movement, they have made it clear that they are far more creative and confident sounding then many of their former more predictable peers. With their mystical and engaging sounds these five instrumental tracks take us to a faded landscape filled with ruins and diamonds, a dusty old castle lurking in the distance. Mysterious and magical. There is something very cinematic about this record, almost like Morricone scoring a Jodorowsky film. With an Eastern influence used sparingly but oh so effectively, Grails lets the mood and mystique grow at an organic pace without having to resort to easy explosions or typical tension. The peaks and valleys they create end up being so much more rewarding that way. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Stoned at the Taj Again"
MPEG Stream: "Clean Living"

FOUR TET Ringer (Domino) cd ep 10.98
This is the most minimal and repetitive sound we've heard from Four Tet and we are loving it! Taking inspiration from 20th Century composers as well as minimal techno, Ringer finds Kieren Hebden back in the saddle as one of the premier forces in all of electronic music. The ep seems to be the perfect format for Hebden to really dive in and explore a new direction as he does so perfectly on Ringer. The songs are long enough to really reel you in, yet once the record is over you want to press play again right away and get swept away into the melodic trance that Four Tet so effortlessly creates in these four songs. Imagine if someone gave glow sticks and ketamine to Steve Reich and Terry Riley. Hmmm? We've always been fans of Four Tet in the past and while we haven't been as absorbed by the last couple records, this one is making us jump right back on board as big time fans once again!
MPEG Stream: "Ringer"
MPEG Stream: "Swimmer"

ADAMS, PATRICK Master of The Masterpiece 2: More of The Best of Patrick Adams (P&P Records) cd 16.98
We couldn't be happier about the disco revival that has swept through the music scene over the last year or two. It's exciting that a whole new generation is discovering the high energy and sexually charged dance floor burners that were such important anthems for so many underrepresented communities in popular culture (queer, African-American, Latino, etc.). While producers like Giorgio Moroder and Patrick Cowley have finally been rediscovered by a whole new generation of kids who dig stuff like Justice, Glass Candy and the Chromatics, we're hoping it will happen for Patrick Adams too.
Born in Harlem in 1950, Adams is an amazingly rare breed of producer, having managed to stay fresh and vital for more then three decades. He has worked with everyone from Astrud Gilberto to Eric B. & Rakim, Sister Sledge to Salt 'n Pepa, Eddie Kendricks to The Salsoul Orchestra. Maybe best known for the irresistible disco jam by Musique "In The Bush", Adams was one of the few producers of the disco-era who continued to make cool and innovative records throughout the '80s and well into the '90s.
Master Of The Masterpiece 2 digs really deep into Adams' vaults, as none of these tracks have been available on cd before, and finding original vinyl versions is damn near impossible. From the playful disco of Bumble Bee Unlimited, the strong and soulful stylings of Debbie Taylor, the electro robotic sounds of The "P" Crew and the breezy funk of the Universal Robot Band, all 12 tracks here show how carefree sounds can be made with backbone and conviction. So when you wanna dance in style or ride around town with the top down, we can't think of a better of a soundtrack than these Patrick Adams gems!
MPEG Stream: BUMBLE BEE UNLIMITED "I Got A Big Bee (Original Demo Version)"
MPEG Stream: SINE "Rotation"
MPEG Stream: DEBBIE TAYLOR "No Deposit No Return"

MATMOS Supreme Balloon (Matador) cd 13.98
Matmos have that very rare and special talent of being able to turn endless creativity and playful spirit into something transcendental. While much of the press they get ends up being about their unique methods and approaches to gathering sounds (plastic surgery, semen, polish trains, rats, etc.) or the famous folks they have worked with (Bjork, Kronos Quartet, Terry Riley, etc.) the truth is that ultimately it's the strength of their varied albums and engaging live performances that have made them one of the best and most compelling music makers of the last decade.
Supreme Balloon finds Matmos stripped down in a sense as they put their contact mic's away and decided to make a record made solely with synthesizers and samplers, and the results are pretty damn stunning! Showing that they could give the DFA camp a tutorial if asked ("Polychords"), keeping their playful spirit on high with their Switched on Matmos take on "Les Folies Francaises" as well as reaching outer orbits of pure psychedelic bliss on the 24 minute title track. They use their wide range of synthesizers to create a kraut-like sensation with bursts of fluorescence and a sense of adventure and eye on the multicolor sky that is so damn hard to resist. Matmos manage to find the hidden smile in Klaus Schulze's stern visage, the relics of a Tangerine Dream with a half dose of ecstasy we always wished was out there somewhere. Once again they've proven that you can be smart without being stiff, playful without being dumb. Supreme Balloon will be a definite contender for record of the year!
(P.S., vinyl fans should note that the double-LP version of this record comes with three extra tracks including a great collaboration with Terry Riley titled "The Hashish Master"!)
MPEG Stream: "Polychords"
MPEG Stream: "Supreme Balloon"
MPEG Stream: "Rainbow Flag"

TOUMAST Ishumar (Real World / Ryko) cd 16.98
We are huge fans of Tinarwien, that amazing ensemble out of the Saharan desert who so effortlessly integrate electric guitars into their West African hypnotic blues. So we were super excited to check out Toumast when we learned that its leader, Ag Keyna, was not only once a freedom fighter in North Africa but also spent time as a member of Tinariwen. It's no surprise that musically this shares a lot in common with Tinariwen, which is not a bad thing at all! From impassioned foot stompers to entrancing and spacious songs full of soul, the music of Toumast is rich with a survival spirit that one can hear and latch onto even when you don't understand the language.
Keyna was severely wounded by military fire in the early '90s, and was airlifted out of Africa to France for medical care. He began to channel his fighting spirit into music making with the aid of his niece who is a great percussionist, along with the amazing vocal styling of Aminatou Goumar. And thus Toumast was born.
The songs on Ishumar all catch such tasty grooves and make for a listen that is both immediately satisfying and constantly growing on us with each repeated listen. So good!
MPEG Stream: "Ikalane Walegh"
MPEG Stream: "Maraou Oran"

PORTISHEAD Third (Mercury) cd 15.98
It seems a bit strange to spend very much time writing about the new Portishead. Since by now, odds are you're probably sick to death of hearing about it. Sure we all loved Portishead back in the day, they were one of those rare 'electronic' bands whose appeal knew no boundaries, metalheads, moms, indie kids, the sound of Portishead was dark and sexy and mysterious, sinister and ominous, dark and rife with crackle and buzz. Perfect drugged out late night bliss out music, their strange way of creating sound and composing music, recording their own samples on to vinyl and then spinning and scratching those samples to create new textures, made for a totally unique sound.
So what does a band do after taking almost a decade off? Do they return with a record that sounds just like the last one, which is probably what most folks want, or do they return radically altered? With a sound bold and brash, reinventing the sound they themselves invented in the first place.
On first listen, Third definitely sounds like the latter, but with repeated listening, the record slowly and subtly begins to slip toward the former. Which most definitely speaks to the magic of Portishead, and the new record, which at once embraces the old sound, while turning it into something new. More than past outings, Third is dirty, out of tune, atonal, noisy, chaotic, urgent, sure past records had all that crackle and buzz and fuzz, but those elements were carefully placed, and kept well within line. Third sounds much more, well, loose for lack of a better word, like actual musicians, feeling each other out, maybe even improvising. Less like a studio concoction and more like a real live band. And the sound suits them. And makes for a record at once warm and familiar, but also alien, sort of 'rocking' and rife with WTF? moments.
Take the opener, "Silence", which begins with some sort of radio broadcast, which gives way to a killer loping breakbeat, immediately the fastest tempo Portishead have ever explored, strings swoop in, the sound raw and urgent, almost like the chase scene from some spy movie, gorgeous distorted chiming guitar harmonics ring out, until finally the track slows down, and slithers sexily, the vocals a sexy sultry croon, but it's not long before the track kicks back into the haunting and tense, string laden cinematic jam that opened the track.
Then there's "Hunter", which begins like classic Portishead, all smokey and late night sounding, soft muted reverbed guitars, a lush gauzy production, the vocals ethereal and ghostly, but even here, a few seconds in, the song is interrupted by a super distorted crumbling guitar chord that halts things in their tracks, before fading out, and allowing the song to resume. The a few minutes later, a strange noodly synth freakoutsurfaces, again derailing the song's slow motion groove, but It just sounds perfect. It doesn't at all sound like random weirdness for random weirdness' sake. The first time is jarring, the second time, you find yourself waiting for those parts, even humming along as if they were as crucial to the song as the main melody or the vocals, and the thing is, they are.
Near the end lurks the single, "Machine Gun", with its very machine gun like rhythm, herky jerky, stuttery and not at all fluid, reminiscent of Art Of Noise, the vocals sweetly soaring over this jagged rhythmscape below, which only really varies part way through when the original machine gun drums are replaced by BIGGER, more distorted drums, and wrapped in strange moaning horns (or maybe synths), only to shift once again moments later becoming more electronic, the beats awash in strange FX and metallic buzz. It's so unlikely, that it makes perfect sense as the first single. If you can embrace that strange rhythm, that relentless and very un-Portishead like sound, then the rest of the record will make perfect sense, unfolding in front of you, revealing both the warm familiar sounds missed, and the new, bizarre sonic elements never even imagined
All over the record, the band confounds and confuses, gloriously, the brooding whispery "Small" shifts gears partway through and transforms into a fuzzy organ drenched krautjam, "Deep Water" is a straight up old timey folk song, the vocals and strings soaked in fuzzy ambience (and reminding us a bit of vocalist Gibbons' post Portishead project Rustin Man), "We Carry On" is a sort of atonal Stereolab style jam, relentless percussion, thick swaths of synth, very repetitive and hypnotic, "The Rip" is part whispery folky flutter, part synthy electro buzz, every track here offers some sort of surprise, whether it's the song itself, or some little sonic strangeness lurking within, but never is the song or the sound sacrificed, each track is perfect in its own beautifully twisted way, catchy but never obviously so, groovy, but often convoluted and fractured, it's a difficult record to explain for sure, which is perhaps why so much ink has been spilled, and while we may be sick of reading about it, we sure are finding it nearly impossible to imagine ever getting sick of listening to it, which is precisely why it's one of our Records Of The Week.
MPEG Stream: "Silence"
MPEG Stream: "Hunter"
MPEG Stream: "Machine Gun"

COSBY, BILL Badfoot Brown & the Bunions Bradford Funeral Marching Band (Dusty Groove) cd 13.98
When we think of Bill Cosby we usually think of amazing bold pattern sweaters, undeniably funny PG-rated humor and the dad we kind of all wish was ours. Maybe Fat Albert too. What doesn't usually come to our mind is deep hitting, groove heavy, spiritual jazz akin to early '70s Miles Davis. But damn we sure will be thinking about those things now after hearing this previously super impossible to find recording of Cosby on the keys along with a very strong yet mysteriously uncredited band by his side. Some of us had heard Cosby's vocal jazz albums which were likable in their own right, but this is an entirely different and much more potent beast. Believe us when we say this record goes way beyond the novelty of who created it. No matter who was behind this recording, these two long tracks sizzle with fiery passion and flawless execution. Inspired heavily by Bitches Brew era-Miles as well as the likes of Sonny Rollins, Charles Mingus and Herbie Hancock, Cosby was tapping into some serious mind expanding and soulful funk infused jazz.
The cd comes with Cosby's thoughtful original liner notes where he talks about the origins of these tracks, originally released in 1971. The first track "Martin's Funeral" came from his and so many other's experience with coping with the sadness and depression that followed in the wake of Martin Luther King's assassination and his personal experience attending King's funeral. The record is all instrumental, and who knew that listening to Bill Cosby and being stoned could be a perfect combination?? While he might still be known best for his TV persona and funny skits about going to the dentist office, there is no doubt after listening to this album that Cosby also has some major depth and musical talent under those amazing large sweaters. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Martin's Funeral"
MPEG Stream: "Hybish Shybish"

DROIDS Star Peace (Repressed) cd 17.98
Droids is the '70s French space disco project of Fabrice Cuitade, former Barclay Records employee and founder of their Egg imprint - which released the likes of Vangelis, Conrad Schnitzler, and Heldon, among others. The back of this disc claims Droids to be "the Daft Punk of the 70's," but even a quick listen will prove that claim reductive. Neither will the typical Giorgio Moroder comparison suffice. So the story goes that Cuitade saw Star Wars for the first time, and then decided to make his own musical interpretation. As we first listened to the album, we heard something much more nuanced than some sort of filtered French House prototype. Maybe if you picture Battiato partying in the studio with Patrick Cowley then you're getting close. That's right. This is nothing short of some seriously progged-out space disco. But whereas many artists in that arena seem to be cold, calculated, and sterile, Star Peace is an album that manages to hold on to the funk that disco originated with. Cuitade even foreshadows the piano stab-driven funky house of Chicago's Traxx label, while hinting at the celestial impulses of Italian cosmic-groover Daniele Baldelli. Fans of disco, prog, new wave, house, or anything electronic, arpeggiated, or dancey will positively need this. Essential. (Note: includes a track you might have heard already on the now sadly out of print compilation So Young But So Cold that we love love loved...)
MPEG Stream: "Do You Have the Force (Part 1)"
MPEG Stream: "Renaissance De L'Amour"

SMITH, ELLIOTT XO (Dreamworks) cd 15.98
We're listing the lp version of this classic Elliott Smith album, available on vinyl again for the first time since forever, but we realized the cds never got a proper listing back in the day, so in case you're not a vinyl person, but still want to experience this amazing record, here ya go:
It's easy to forget that when Elliott Smith first hit the scene things were a lot different than they are now. There weren't that many sensitive singer songwriters roaming the underground and there was still a pretty huge divide between the 'indie' and the mainstream. Of course that has all changed so much, but when Elliott first started to get wider attention thanks to Gus Van Sant's use of his songs in Good Will Hunting and the Oscar nomination that followed, it was really an exceptionally strange occurrence in the indie music scene. It kind of marked the moment where much of what had been a big well kept secret would soon become a part of popular culture. We can still remember watching Smith on live TV performing at the Oscar's in his white tuxedo looking so sweet, nervous and humble. It truly felt like one of US was finally getting their deserved moment in the spotlight. Of course he lost to Celine Dion, but there was really no one you would rather get to represent so many of the underdogs than Elliott Smith. It was like finally getting to see someone honest and uncorrupted in a mainstream Hollywood setting. His music was so pure and beautiful, with this uncanny ability to make the bitter sound so sweet.
XO was Smith's major label debut and he took full advantage of a bigger budget, and more time in he studio to explore and reach further, honing his amazing ability to construct and orchestrate grand yet never bloated pop songs. There was still lots of the more minimal moments, stark songsmithery and delicate fingerpicking, all hallmarks of his earlier work, but there was a new lush and and much fuller sound on XO. Without trying to sound too hyperbolic, XO is as close to a perfect pop record as you can get. We can't count the times that one of these songs was put on a mixtape we made, or was played over and over and over as it so closely corresponded to a relationship we were having or a moment in time we were going through.
He never hid the fact that he was hugely influenced by The Kinks and The Beatles and while countless others made careers out of trying to rip off both of those bands, Smith managed to tap into the internal world of those bands, their amazing melodies and moods, like no one else has, carrying the torch for smart, sincere, heartfelt and truly timeless pop music.
This is an album so full of warmth, like it was made just for you, the music flowing out of your speakers, filling your room or your headphones with glorious beautiful sound. Songs about lovers, friends, relationships and the human condition, that will ring with warm truth for decades to come.
MPEG Stream: "Waltz #2 (XO)"
MPEG Stream: "I Didn't Understand"
MPEG Stream: "Baby Britian"

ERSEN s/t (Finders Keepers) cd 23.00
In the last few years we all seem to have come down with serious cases of "Anatolian fever"! With amazing reissues of '70s Turkish psych by the likes of Selda, Mogollar, 3 Hur El, Erkin Koray, Edip Akbayram, Bunalim, Mustafa Ozkent and a bunch of great comps. We've been totally and completely blown away time after time by how charged and colorful the sounds coming from the Turkish underground in the '70s were.
Now Ersen gets the proper reissue treatment from Finders Keepers and it's about time, as his amazing and seductive voice has been evoking the most resplendently colorful memories and images of people and places. With instrumentation that's as immediate, funk filled and catchy as his comrades Selda and Edip Akbayram, and a voice that can really do no wrong, Ersen has become our newest Turkish Psych obsession.
It's amazing how well these songs have stood the test of time, sounding so alive, and relevant nearly 35 years after they were first recorded. Ersen has a very special place in Turkish music history, being a vocalist for a period of time for the pioneers of Turkish psych/pop, Mogollar. The truth is Ersen's voice could probably sing over any kind of music and make it all sound so damn good, as it's soulful and filled with such flair, that sort of voice doesn't come around that often. It's no surprise that hip-hop folks like Oh No, Madlib and the whole Stones Throw family have been quite obsessed with Ersen's sounds as well, every song jam packed with so many breakbeats and innovative sounds, just begging to be sampled and blasted on the dance floor. A true gem from a magical era in Turkish psychedelia!
MPEG Stream: "Temek"
MPEG Stream: "Gunese Don Cicegem"
MPEG Stream: "Garip Gonlum"

SIMONE, NINA High Priestess Of Soul (Verve) cd 12.98
It can sometimes be daunting with some legendary artists, especially with ones who have left us so much great music, to figure out where to start in terms of really exploring their music. Truth be told, any time or any way you get to hear a Nina Simone song it's pretty damn special. Whether it's on a mix someone made you, or one of the many best-of collections, or even any of the great live recordings. But lately we've really wanted to spend some quality time with her albums, as they were created so meticulously and flow so amazingly, with perfect emotional peaks and valleys that take you on a spiritual sonic journey from start to finish.
We easily could list a handful of essential albums from Nina Simone (we reviewed the great Silk & Soul a couple years back and it's become a staple of the AQ soundsytem), but this time around, we'll focus on one of her true masterpieces, High Priestess Of Soul, recorded in 1966. With lush and tasteful arrangements by Hal Mooney, this is a record that definitely demonstrates Simones's dynamic range and magical touch. From sad and sultry to empowered and resilient, her songs have this magical way of cutting right to the truth. From the rich gospel of "Take Me To The Water/I'm Going Back Home" to one of the most amazing and minimal deep groove songs of all time!!! "Come Ye" and the strong and proud anthem "Don't You Pay Them No Mind", High Priestess of Soul is filled with songs that that are like mirrors that reflect all that is true and real.
One of our all time favorite records, and an album that if you don't already own, we know you will want to start spending some serious time with, as it will become one of those special records you turn to when you need the real deal to hit your soul just right!
MPEG Stream: "Come Ye"
MPEG Stream: "I'm Gonna Leave You"
MPEG Stream: "Keeper Of The Flame"

BEN, JORGE Forca Bruta (Dusty Groove) cd 14.98
One of the more understated figures in Tropicalia gets one of his best but equally understated albums reissued. Forca Bruta, from 1970, didn't yield any of the hits he was known for such as "Chove Chuva", "Mas Que Nada" or "Umbabarauma", but it's still one of his best collections of songs. Backed by Trio Mocoto, who accompanied Ben through many of his biggest hits, Forca Bruta is a more mellow groover of samba soul that despite its simpler acoustic arrangements packs a powerful punch with some seriously amazing musicianship. Ben wasn't as radical a political figure as his compatriots Gilberto Gil or Caetano Veloso, but was instrumental in importing West African rhythm influences into his music which was influential in both Veloso's and Gil's musical development. Awesome reissue, highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Oba, La Vem Ela"
MPEG Stream: "Aparece Aparecida"
MPEG Stream: "O Telefone Tocou Novamente"

SMITH, ELLIOTT XO (Plain Recordings) lp 16.98
Wow, now back in print on vinyl, all deluxe 180-gram style, for first time since it was originally released!!
It's easy to forget that when Elliott Smith first hit the scene things were a lot different than they are now. There weren't that many sensitive singer songwriters roaming the underground and there was still a pretty huge divide between the 'indie' and the mainstream. Of course that has all changed so much, but when Elliott first started to get wider attention thanks to Gus Van Sant's use of his songs in Good Will Hunting and the Oscar nomination that followed, it was really an exceptionally strange occurrence in the indie music scene. It kind of marked the moment where much of what had been a big well kept secret would soon become a part of popular culture. We can still remember watching Smith on live TV performing at the Oscar's in his white tuxedo looking so sweet, nervous and humble. It truly felt like one of US was finally getting their deserved moment in the spotlight. Of course he lost to Celine Dion, but there was really no one you would rather get to represent so many of the underdogs than Elliott Smith. It was like finally getting to see someone honest and uncorrupted in a mainstream Hollywood setting. His music was so pure and beautiful, with this uncanny ability to make the bitter sound so sweet.
XO was Smith's major label debut and he took full advantage of a bigger budget, and more time in he studio to explore and reach further, honing his amazing ability to construct and orchestrate grand yet never bloated pop songs. There was still lots of the more minimal moments, stark songsmithery and delicate fingerpicking, all hallmarks of his earlier work, but there was a new lush and and much fuller sound on XO. Without trying to sound too hyperbolic, XO is as close to a perfect pop record as you can get. We can't count the times that one of these songs was put on a mixtape we made, or was played over and over and over as it so closely corresponded to a relationship we were having or a moment in time we were going through.
He never hid the fact that he was hugely influenced by The Kinks and The Beatles and while countless others made careers out of trying to rip off both of those bands, Smith managed to tap into the internal world of those bands, their amazing melodies and moods, like no one else has, carrying the torch for smart, sincere, heartfelt and truly timeless pop music.
This is an album so full of warmth, like it was made just for you, the music flowing out of your speakers, filling your room or your headphones with glorious beautiful sound. Songs about lovers, friends, relationships and the human condition, that will ring with warm truth for decades to come.
MPEG Stream: "Waltz #2 (XO)"
MPEG Stream: "I Didn't Understand"
MPEG Stream: "Baby Britian"

V/A Funky Nassau: The Compass Point Story 1980-1986 (Strut) cd 16.98
We're so thrilled that the Strut label seems to have come out of hiding recently with not only another great Disco Not Disco comp but now this highly essential collection of jammers from The Compass Point studios in the Bahamas as well. Compass Point was where Chris Blackwell of Island Records fame held court with a house band and production team spearheaded by Sly & Robbie. This collection brings some of the tightest and catchiest jams recorded at Compass Point from 1980-86. Whether it's Grace Jones, Talking Heads, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Gwen Guthrie (mixed by Larry Levan!), Ian Durry or Chaz Jankel, they were all reaching a creative and grooving peak during this magical era inside Compass Point. While Sly & Robbie have lent their skills to thousands of songs this batch really demonstrates that when they were at their best, those guys helped cultivate a whole new sound and feeling that brought elements of dub and Jamaician roots into disco, soul, funk and new wave.
We can't get enough Funky Nassau, just about every single day since this has arrived whoever's been working up front has been blasting this like crazy (if you've been in lately and now have the lines "I'm Spasticus! Autisticus!" stuck in your head, that's why!) and we're pretty sure this will start getting some heavy rotation on your stereo as well. So damn good!
MPEG Stream: CHAZ JANKEL FEAT. LAURA WEYMOUTH "Whisper"
MPEG Stream: GRACE JONES "My Jamaican Guy (12" Version)"
MPEG Stream: IAN DURY & THE SEVEN SEAS PLAYERS "Spasticus Autisticus"

BADU, ERYKAH New Amerykah, Pt.1: 4th World War (Universal / Motown) cd 16.98
Let's get this right out of the way, Erykah Badu is a genius! While we love and can't get enough of folks like Sharon Jones and Nicole Willis, there really is no one else like Erykah Badu, someone who is taking soul and funk into new and outer dimensions. She represents the best of hip-hop culture as well as carrying on a legacy of spiritual and cosmic soul. Badu has that something special that you can't really put your finger on but you sure can feel.
Her last record Worldwide Underground ranks as one of our favorite psychedelic soul/hip-hop records ever made! Five years later, she returns with another ambitious and crazy rewarding record that boasts Madlib as a producer, as well as the Sa-Ra crew, collaborations and guest spots by Georgia Ann Muldrew, Bilal, Omar Rodriguez (Mars Volta), and more. There's super tight and punchy live instrumentation, and samples that demonstrate a wide reaching and enlightened taste (The Yamasuki Singers, Eddie Kendricks, Curtis Mayfield, Nancy Wilson, etc). Badu is mindful and super knowledgeable about the past but she isn't a retro act, she is so about the here and now and could care less about trends and fads. She is one of the few high profile modern artists who truly has her own vision and such a special touch. Her live show a few years ago at the Paramount Theater in Oakland we reminisce about all the time, her band was so out there in the best of ways, and she owned the stage, even playing the Theremin and taking everyone in attendance to the outer limits of a super soul planet we wish we could always orbit.
Her new record starts off with an adaptation of the Roy Ayers produced Ramp classic "American Promise" and from there on out is filled with some of the best songs Badu has recorded to date, including a couple chilling tributes to her close friend J Dilla who passed away since her last album. New Amerykah has a couple moments where it trips up, but like all brave artists it takes the courage to slip up from time to time in order to create so much musical magic. Highly recommended, and for sure check out Worldwide Underground as well if you haven't!
MPEG Stream: "The Healer"
MPEG Stream: "Soldier"

V/A Don't Stop: Recording Tap (Numero Group) cd 16.98
The Numero Group goes digging deep once again and come up for air with some mighty fine disco and proto-hip-hop jams from the super obscure vaults of an early '80s NY label called Tap. From start to finish this lavishly packaged collection offers up helping after helping of killer grooves and funky jams, from that magical era where funk and disco were the seeds that would blossom into the hip-hop scene that would soon blow up bigtime.
While names like Jackie Stoudemire, Magnetism, Arnie Love & The Lovettes and Fabulous 3 MC's might not have become household names, after listening to their tracks on this comp you will be wishing you could get your hands on more of their goods. Every time we put this on we start to have fantasies about being in NY during this era and blasting these songs on a playground while we do some double dutch and then catch ESG playing a show in the Bronx, and afterwards heading to the Paradise Garage where we dance the night away with Larry Levan.
This is going to go right up there with The Third Unheard, Big Apple Rappin and the new Funky Nassau collection as one of our favorite party perfect comps of all time. And of course there's a massive booklet with liner notes detailing the full of the story of the Tap label and all the trouble and adventures it took to actually get these amazing sounds into the world. We are so glad they did!
MPEG Stream: JACKIE STOUDEMIRE "Don't Stop Dancin'"
MPEG Stream: FABULOUS 3 MC'S "Rub A Dub Dub"
MPEG Stream: MAGNETISM "Breakout"

FLACK, ROBERTA First Take (Atlantic) cd 10.98
This is Roberta Flack's debut from 1969 and it's not only one of the best soul debuts of all time but one of our all-time favorite records. Many of us didn't even know there had been a cd version of this, but were excited to discover there was considering we've worn out our cherished lp versions, which we've cherished and always kept close to our turntable, even amongst the piles of our ever growing record collections.
But since there is indeed a cd version (not new or nothin') we had to take a moment to rave about it. First Take is an album brewing with such strong emotional weight, when Roberta sings it she means it, and while the word 'soul' has been reduced to a meaningless tag-name of a genre this reminds us what true soul is really all about. Elegant and moody string and horn arrangements by William Fischer, impeccable playing from a band that included the amazing Ron Carter on bass, and the stunning and often covered album opener "Compared To What" penned for Roberta by the enigmatic Gene (Eugene) McDaniels. First Take shares a special place next to records like Sam Cooke's Night Beat, Nina Simone's High Priestess Of Soul and Roy Orbison's In Dreams, another record that you can turn to time after time when you really need to check in with sounds that are filled with honesty and core conviction. There is no doubt that it's this record that has influenced everyone from Cat Power to Erykah Badu. First Take is as sexy as it is spiritual. Raw and unpolished yet so sensual and the closest thing you can get to trying to find any real peace of mind in this world. Absolutely recommended, a record that will always be close to our hearts!
MPEG Stream: "Compared To What"
MPEG Stream: "Tryin' Time"
MPEG Stream: "Angelitos Negros"

COLTRANE, JOHN Africa / Brass (Impulse) cd 12.98
This was Coltrane's debut for the new Impulse label in 1961 and what a first impression! His quartet at the time: McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman and Elvin Jones, were backed by a large brass orchestra conducted by Eric Dolphy (though there has been conflicting reports over the years that actually give more credit for the orchestration to Tyner). The 16 minute opener "Africa" is one of Coltrane's most masterful compositions (and that's saying a lot!). It features two basses with Art Davis joining Reggie Workman as Coltrane wanted to create a piece using African rhythms instead of 4/4 or 3/4, so he spent lots of time listening to African music for rhythmic inspiration and came up with something that forty years later still sounds so damn soulful and pleasing.
While we sometimes dig all the bonus tracks that come on reissues, it often can get a bit tiresome so we're actually glad this was reissued just as the original album was released with just three songs, a short sharp 30 minutes of true musical genius.
MPEG Stream: "Africa"
MPEG Stream: "Greensleeves"

BEACH HOUSE Devotion (Carpark) cd 14.98
Beach House's debut from a couple years ago won a special place in our hearts, so ever since we've been very anxious for this follow-up. We can't think of anyone these days who is doing warm and fuzzy melancholic pop better than Beach House.
Devotion flows perfectly from start to finish. It's the kind of record you want to play on repeat all day as you lay in bed with the one you love or lament the one you lost. These songs capture that gray soft line between longing and remembrance with a somber elegance that recalls Francoise Hardy's La Question and taps into the more subdued moments of Quixotic and White Magic. While many folks have taken a stab at Daniel Johnston songs in recent years, Beach House's version of "Some Things Last (A Long Time)" captures its devastating yet bittersweet heart. With hints of reverb, intoxicating vocal melodies and astute subtlety, Beach House has made an album that wraps you in a warm soft glow, as you bask in a golden breeze, totally hitting the spot and making every day feels like Sunday. So nice!
MPEG Stream: "Turtle Island"
MPEG Stream: "Home Again"

JOLY, RENE Chimene (Magic) cd 19.98
One of our favorite reissues and new/old discoveries of last year was the passionate and powerful work of Gerard Manset. We immediately fell hard for his rich and textured songs which showed the more intense side of '60s and early '70s French Pop. So we were immediately intrigued by this collection of songs by Rene Joly when we saw that the orchestration was credited in part to Gerard Manset. But once we listened, it turned out to be Joly's voice that grabbed our attention right away. Full of drama, fire and beauty we couldn't believe that this was the first time his amazing voice had made it into our ears. It made us think of what Antony & The Johnsons might have sounded like if they were from France in 1970, or maybe Bryan Ferry doing Edith Piaf covers.
Even some of our friends who grew up in France had not heard of Joly so we don't feel quite as bad for not hearing him until now. How glad we are that this gem of French orchestral psychedelic pop has finally risen to the surface, brought to us by the same label that brought us the great Pop Made In France compilation highlighted last time. Prog fans will even want to check this out for the great King Crimson cover "La Cour Du Roi Musicien" (The Court Of The Crimson King). Majestic sounds filled with cinematic flair, and bubbling with grandeur and rich color. Joly's commanding voice sweeps us off our feet every time we listen. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Chimene"
MPEG Stream: "La Cour Du Roi Musicien"
MPEG Stream: "L'Amour Fut Doux"

MAYFIELD, CURTIS Curtis (Rhino) cd 12.98
If you don't own this, hopefully this review will convince you to pick it up RIGHT NOW! This is one of the most amazing, soulful, emotionally rich, politically charged, well crafted and musically dynamic albums of all time! His first solo record after leaving The Impressions, simply titled Curtis, was released in 1970 and it still blows us away and gives us chills all these years later.
Mayfield is a true musical genius, not only blessed with one of the greatest voices of all time but also such an incredible songwriter and arranger. The songs on Curtis are filled with lush instrumentation, swirling strings, soulful horns, and deep hitting percussion. And the songs are bold and brave, inspired by the Civil Rights movement and not afraid to speak out against the injustices (still) plaguing this country. But what makes this album so fucking special is that it managed to be both strong and breezy, charged and mellow, poignant and chilling.
We've been playing this in the store so much lately and everytime, customers always know that it's Curtis Mayfield but they usually assume it's a greatest hits collection and are stunned to find out it's an actual album. It's one of those rare albums packed with songs that could have been the best single ever ("Move On Up", "Give It Up", "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue" are all on this album!) and what's amazing is that the other songs on the record are just as good and maybe even better! It's not surprising that this record has been sampled by loads of folks including EPMD, NWA, Tupac, and Pete Rock, just to name a few. This Rhino reissue adds nine bonus tracks which are all worth having. This is one of those truly special albums that we could, and have listened to hundreds of times, and yet never get sick of, always feeling something and taking something away from the album with each repeated listen. Music for the spirit and soul. A true masterpiece!
MPEG Stream: "Other Side Of Town"
MPEG Stream: "Wild And Free"
MPEG Stream: "Power To The People (Demo)"

RAVEONETTES, THE Lust Lust Lust (Vice) cd 14.98
Past outings by The Raveonettes have left some of us here only with brief moments and a handful of songs that we really liked, but never quite managed an entire album to fall in love with (although we loved the first ep!). That changes on Lust Lust Lust, as The Raveonettes have found a way to bring their love of garage pop, girl groups, intoxicating reverb, and just the right mix of bubble-gum yumminess vs. those equally delicious moments of wall of sound distortion. In fact this is making quite a great companion to the latest Magnetic Fields album Distortion that we are still so in love with.
Of course The Raveonettes love of Jesus & Mary Chain and the Velvet Underground is still worn on their sleeves with pride but now they have delivered a great album of their own to show that they don't just look and sound cool, but they actually have the great songs to back it up. So good!
MPEG Stream: "Dead Sound"
MPEG Stream: "Hallucinations"
MPEG Stream: "You Want The Candy"

MONADE Monstre Cosmic (Too Pure) cd 13.98
Oh, Latetitia Sadier you can sing in our ear anytime! Of course best known for her main groop, Stereolab, Sadier has also kept busy over the years with her project Monade, an outfit that leans much more toward the laid back elements of Stereolab. Monstre Cosmic finds Monade in top form, with rich and lush instrumentation, a range of tempos and of course Sadier's trademark suave vocals, in French and sounding so damn irresistible! The color palette that Monade's songs invoke are just as wide and dazzling as those of Stereolab with enough highs and lows to keep you on your toes but with just the right feeling of comfort to makes you want to just dive into these sounds and stay forever, and bask in their swirling melodies and groove filled charm. Like so much of her best work, we love how the songs unfold and reveal more of themselves with repeated listens. Monstre Cosmic sounds great on first listen but it's when you begin to get hooked and are listening over and over again that you really begin to fall in love with this batch of musical goodness. Laid back without being lazy, driving and catchy without being too perky. It's just the right ingredients mixed and made with total pop perfection. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Regarde"
MPEG Stream: "Tout En Tour Est Un"
MPEG Stream: "Lost Language"

V/A Golden State Funk (BGP Records) cd 19.98
With the Bay Area Funk comps that Luv N Haight put out in the last few years we were reminded of what a lot of spirited funk and soul was busting out of the Bay Area during those golden years. Golden State Funk digs even deeper as it mines the dancefloor burners and gritty shakers that were recorded inside Leo Kulka's Golden State Recorders studio here in San Francisco in the late '60s and early '70s.
Many of the twenty tracks on this all hits and no-misses collection were never released before. It's making us want to try to get our hands on anything and everything by the likes of Jeanette Jones, 87th Off Broadway, The San Francisco TKOS, Ramona King, and loads more. These are songs that could hold their weight right next to more well known hits by big names like Ike & Tina, Sly & The Family Stone and Curtis Mayfield. So cool that a recording studio operated by a Czech native which started in LA recording folks like Frank Sinatra and Little Richard really came into its own when it moved to San Francisco in 1965 on Harrison Street and found magic in the soul and funk scene that was about to explode here in the Bay Area. Packed with really interesting and informative liner notes. This is not just an amazing historical document but a record filled with super tasty grooves and deep hitting funk!
MPEG Stream: 87TH OFF BROADWAY "Can't Get Enough"
MPEG Stream: JIMMY BEE "Vida Blue Pt 1"
MPEG Stream: JEANETTE JONES "I'm Glad I Got Over You"

SWIRNOFF, PRESTON Maariv (Last Visible Dog) cd 11.98
Wow, Preston Swirnoff has been one busy (and versatile) bee over the last several years. From his collaborative vinyl only releases on Eclipse with Ilya Monosov, to their blown out psych-rock band The Shining Path, his avant jazz outfit, The Seesaw Ensemble and his amazing dub project Habitat Sound System, a record we were blasting all last summer. Maariv is a collection of solo works composed and performed by Swirnoff from 2004-05 only now finally seeing its much deserved moment in the sun. Using 20th century minimalism, ritual drones and early tape and electronic sound experiments as his launching pad, he's tapped into a mystical realm that can be both gorgeous and disturbing.
Each of the four pieces use a different set of instrumentation and various tape loops. The opener filled with rolling piano thunder and a delicious fog of electronics had some of our favorite AQ customers drooling as they heard it blasting from our speakers, as it recalls some of the most breathtaking work by Charlemagne Palestine. The next piece is probably the most intense and disturbing of the lot, as a room full of organs create a cacophony of sound which radiate with a scary and relentless passion. Then comes the most delicate and pretty track in the collection where Swirnoff uses a sequence that Ilya Monosov played on electric-guitar and uses a tape machine and speed control to create an otherworldly gamelan-like sound that would be right at home on a Colleen record. The album ends with a really nice nod to the kind of works that came out of the SF tape music center of the '60s as four tape machines go back and forth between speeds and pitches to create a mesmerizing mood that we could listen to forever!
Whether tapping into the power of Gyorgy Ligeti or showing an amazing range that rivals Barton Smith, Preston has created a vivid work of electroacoustic music that will most surely stand the test of time! Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Maariv 1 (For Piano & Electronics)"
MPEG Stream: "Maariv 4 (For Four Tape Machines)"
MPEG Stream: "Maariv 3 (For Electric Guitar)"
MPEG Stream: "Maariv 2 (For A Room Full Of Organs)"

HARVEY, PJ White Chalk (Island) lp 17.98
NOW ON VINYL!!! The mighty chameleon PJ Harvey returns! In a characteristically bold and predictably unpredictable move, her eighth studio album reveals a new, very different persona. When we heard that White Chalk was going to be composed of primarily just her voice accompanied mostly by (her new instrument!) piano, we were anticipating (some admittedly with trepidation) a sort of Tori Amos transformation. Our fears were allayed as soon as we hit 'play', but y'know what? We might even predict that there'll be a few converts in the Amos fan club. These stark, delicate arrangements are achingly beautiful, immensely moving and unlike anything she's done before. Harvey's newfound voice flitters in a startling higher register, and the effect is precariously brittle and on the brink. Yet, longtime Harvey fans will still recognize the persisting raw nerves and distressed undercurrents of her music. As always, she's a bundle of seeming contradictions -- fragile and strong, pure and tarnished, simple and complex, vulnerable and bold. Awesome.
MPEG Stream: "Grow Grow Grow"
MPEG Stream: "When Under Ether"
MPEG Stream: "The Piano"

GAINSBOURG, SERGE Les Annees Psychedeliques 1966-1971 (Le Smoke Disques) 2lp 17.98
If you have any way to listen to vinyl, you should definitely buy this, like right now! Very few items in our store require such minimal convincing that they are absolutely essential, as we've seen this flying off of our shelves as soon as we got them. What more could you want to know: Serge Gainsbourg! Psychedelic Years! Double vinyl! Totally Affordable!
Ok, Ok, some of you need some further convincing. Probably some of you have some Serge in your collections and want to know what exactly is on here, and it's good to know because it's not really that obvious. The title says "Psychedelic Years", but this isn't a greatest hits collection, and probably only a couple of songs will be familiar to casual Gainsbourg fans ("Bonnie and Clyde" and "En Melody" from Melody Nelson). The bulk of the tracks are from French films and TV soundtracks between 1966-1971 and are arranged by either Jean-Claude Vannier (Histoire de Melody Nelson) or Michel Columbier (Initials B.B.), two of Gainsbourg's greatest collaborators. Each providing smoky and stony grooves, some with sexy femme backing vocals, for such films as Cannabis, Anna, Le Pacha, Vidocq, Manon 70, Ce Sacre Grand-Pere, La Horse, Mister Feedom and Si J'etasi Un Espion. Three tracks even contain bonus beats for you record heads. There is not one bad cut on here. So don't miss out as we're not sure how long this will be available. Did we say that THIS IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MANSET, GERARD La Mort D'Orion (World Psychedelia Ltd.) cd 17.98
Last year one of our favorite reissues came in the form of the strong and passionate voice of Gerard Manset. A French mastermind musician who has been crafting iconoclastic and lush sounds since the late '60s. The release we first heard last year titled 1968 quickly became an AQ favorite and made us think of Manset as a French incarnation of Caetano Veloso. We went from barely knowing anything about Manset to wanting to try to find out as much as we could about him, as that release reeled us in so strongly with its elegant and charged melodies.
La Mort D'Orion was recorded a couple years after that release in 1970 and finds Manset in a much more avant setting, but with equally stunning results. Created as one multi-part suite, the record is filled with strings, the music moving from small scale moments to sweeping epics, beautiful melodies everywhere, all colored with rich instrumentation and of course there's Manset's elegant voice.
This is the perfect antidote to fluffy ye-ye pop. With La Mort D'Orion, Manset created a piece of challenging and brooding symphonic pop akin to the best work created by the likes of Robert Wyatt, Scott Walker and Franco Battiato. Accented with shots of prog, psychedelia and modern classical, Manset displays his amazing ability to pull together a wide range of elements in creating such a monumental and rewarding piece of music. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "La mort d'Orion: 2. La mort d'Orion"
MPEG Stream: "Ils"
MPEG Stream: "La mort d'Orion: 3. Oł l'horizon prend fin"

MAGNETIC FIELDS Distortion (Nonesuch) cd 16.98
It's only January but we're pretty sure we have a contender for record of the year on our hands! We're always so impressed with the rare examples of bands who have reached such heights of popularity yet still keep challenging themselves and their fans. Sadly there aren't many in that club, but folks like Yo La Tengo, PJ Harvey and Sonic Youth have helped demonstrate that even many many records deep into a career you can still make thrilling and rewarding music. With their latest, Stephen Merrit's Magnetic Fields have proven to be a full fledged member of that elite club as well.
While Magnetic Fields last album, I, found Merrit pouring it on pretty thick, this long awaited follow up (with plenty of extracurricular activity by Merrit in the meantime) finds Merrit stripping it down and finding the fun in layers, noise and yes...distortion. Many tracks feature the charming and beautiful voice of Shirley Simms, and the songs that Merrit sings find his vocals way more buried in the mix than usual. Distortion reminds us a lot of the early bedroom charm of Magnetic Fields records like Charm Of The Highway Strip and one of Merrit's many alter egos The Future Bible Heroes. We love how it sounds like they are tapping into the spirit of the New Zealand lo-fi pop underground of the '80s and even hints of the fuzzy and dreamy qualities of the heyday of Creation records. Not many people could get away with having a major label release such a non-slick and unpolished record. In fact there are moments on Distortion that sound like they could have been on some awesome cassette release from Shrimper back in the day.
Distortion is a timeless gem. While it does tip its hat to some of the most yummy and fuzzy pop of the last couple decades and boasts a wall of sound that's kind of like Phil Spector producing a twee-like Jesus & Mary Chain record, what makes the album so special is that you know it's going to sound as meaningful and alive twenty years from now as it does today. Merrit is still writing music for wry and broken hearts but he's injected new life into old pain and in doing so he's created another classic!
MPEG Stream: "Three-Way"
MPEG Stream: "Please Stop Dancing"
MPEG Stream: "Too Drunk To Dream"

GILLESPIE, DANA Foolish Season (Rev-Ola) cd 16.98
Ooh La La! Foolish Season is one of those rare pop-psych treasures that actually exceeds the expectations stirred by its delicious and mystical cover art. So often we have been burned after seeing some lost record from the '60s or '70s that looks like it's going to be the best record ever, complete with cryptic and captivating artwork, filled with unicorns, sunshine, and band members dressed in nothing but white robes. But then when we listen to the record it turns out to be nothing more than ho-hum middle of road faux-psychedelic rock often with less than desirable vocals.
But every once in a while we actually find a record that lives up to the expectation of its amazing artwork, and Foolish Seasons is one of them! Gillespie adorns the cover in a beautifully embroidered robe, standing beside a white horse, on a bleached out sun-soaked afternoon. Inside we find more great photos of Dana in all her voluptuous and curvy beauty. But most importantly from the first time we pressed play on Foolish Season we were hooked big time! This is truly one of the best lite-psych records we've ever come across. Infectious orchestrated pop with Dana's warm and inviting vocals. We started thinking of Nancy Sinatra collaborating with The Free Design or if somehow Scott Walker as arranger for Dusty Springfield in the late '60s. With songs written by Donovan, Billy Nichols, Michel Polnareff as well as herself, Gillespie perfectly tapped into the magic of bright, bold and breezy orchestral pop done so right. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Tears In My Eyes"
MPEG Stream: "Life Is Short"
MPEG Stream: "Foolish Seasons"

JACKSON, MILLIE It Hurts So Good (Spring Classics) cd 15.98
Besides having some of the most memorable album covers ever, Millie Jackson also made some damn fine music! While it's her saucy mouth and sassy attitude that she is usually most known for, It Hurts So Good is all about an undeniably deep hitting and fiercely delivered Southern soul that sizzles so damn good! This was her second album, recorded in 1973 and while many later albums would provide some great moments, It Hurts So Good really stands as her strongest album from start to finish. Her voice is so strong and bold and the rich instrumentation kicks oh so right. Millie shows her range from in your face and funky to smooth and sultry without losing a bit of rawness or conviction in the process. With bonus tracks worth hearing and extensive liner notes this is a must have for soul & funk lovers, and a record that really deserves more attention and praise. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Hipocrisy"
MPEG Stream: "Help Yourself"
MPEG Stream: "It Hurts So Good"

MAUS, JOHN Love Is Real (Upset! The Rhythm) cd 15.98
The year is only just beginning but there have already been some amazing new records released that we're pretty sure will end up on our favorites of '08 list. This new outing by the enigmatic John Maus is one of them and it might just be the most engrossing and addicting albums we've been hooked on in a long time!
Best and barley known in the past as being loosely associated with the Paw Tracks family (Animal Collective, Panda Bear, Ariel Pink) Maus has made a record that will make his name definitely stand on its own. As he's created one of the most fantastical, bizarre and engaging pop records in recent memory. Warped bedroom pop with a flair for fantasy, wrapped in old fucked up synths, deep slowed down vocals, cosmic beats and a singular unique vision. Like OMD on codeine or early home demo recordings of The Cure captured on an answering machine tape that's been dubbed over way too many times. Or imagine a soundtrack to a lost early '80s movie made by both John Hughes and John Carpenter, as romantic teenage life intersects with magical apocalyptic doom! Love Is Real is as creepy and mystifying as it is heartfelt and endearing. As catchy as it is unpredictable. Out of nowhere the synths will rise to crazy loud levels or Maus will let out a haunting scream, and even after listening to this album hundreds of time as we have obsessively already, those parts still jump out, scare, startle and thrill us every time we listen.
Start to finish the album is impeccable. Songs lead into each other perfectly, the pacing is dead on, and every single track on the record belongs where it is and has a weight of its own. Whether it's sounding like the muddiest version of a Psychedelic Furs track or tapping into a bizarre drugged out cosmic disco excursion or having a freaked out panic attack, the record pulls from so many directions while always sounding like a completely other universe. This is what fantasy sounds like when the world around you is falling apart. Totally amazing!
MPEG Stream: "Heaven Is Real"
MPEG Stream: "My Whole Worlds Coming Apart"
MPEG Stream: "Tenebrae"

TORSKE, BJORN Feil Knapp (Smalltown Supersound) cd 16.98
Over the years Smalltown Supersound has released some of our favorite creative dance minded records from folks like Tussle, Kim Hirothoy and Lindstrom. And in the last year they have shown a really cool widening of their scope putting out the beautiful kosmiche sounds of Arp and the charged driving and druggy excursion that was Sunburned Hand Of The Man as envisioned by Four Tet. While they do release records from artists across the globe they are best down for flying the flag of the electronic music scene of their home turf of Norway so it makes perfect sense that their latest release is from one of the pioneers of the minimal house/creative dance scene in Norway. We are kind of late to Torske, only recently discovering him as we loved his remix on the latest Lindstrom ep. But we've come to find that he is actually a huge influence on folks like Lindstrom and Prins Thomas, and Feil Knapp demonstrates exactly why.
This is seamless and wonderfully playful and smart electronic music. Managing to mix elements of down tempo, disco, dub and video game sounds into songs that bubble over with rich melody and infectious rhythms. We love how Torske makes it all sound so calm, cool and collected. In lesser hands the worlds he mixes together could sound haphazard or annoying but his unique touch gets it all so right. An early contender for electronic record of the year!