New Releases for January 2008

Index of New Releases for January 2008

THRONE HEAP

Artist:	DILLOWAY, AARON
Title:	Chain Shot/Execution Dock
Label:	THRONE HEAP
Format:	LP
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	THOS 001LP

"'Pirates In Care of the BEING' Dilloway, Tapes, and Delay: Pirates, Rotten Teeth, and Treasure. All go hand in hook hand. AAARRGGHHHHHHH! This new platter by Rad Dad Dilloway is full of buried gold, or rather tape heads covered in used ancient kitty litter, whose decoded message leads you to the audio gold pit hidden deep within the tape loops. Chain Shot is my inzano pick of the thick Dillo discography. It's way relaxed and weirdo. I mean, if you cut a circle-ish shape out of wood from a haunted pirate boat, tied a human bonechain around it and dragged it on the surface of the ocean around the world four times, buried into hot sand for 1000 years and then stuck it on your turntable... it wouldn't sound any different. 'Chain Shot' is an oddity cause the tapes provide the pacing, you tell by the woodpecker attack (or a pirate tapping against glass before they raid your peaceful vessel) near the middle section of side one and the ENDLESS churning loop at the end of 'Execution Dock.' Add a dash of Thighbone Horn wail here and there, find the rarest homemade mixers and loop machines from 1943 and the recipe could be this LP which is also known as 'THREE MEDIATIONS FOR THREE TAPE LOOPS WITHIN SLO MIND.' After jamming this mutha a bunch, I found it fit well into a lot of house-moods: i.e., vacuuming, sewing, power doodle sessions, convincing your spouse there ain't magic gremlins who clean the house while she sleeps the day away, candle burning, shit-everything. Could this be a mature Dilloway? Hell gnaw, this sound disc is still teetering on a restless energy ocean -- just mad focused and... simple... direct... like a checking account based on pirate bones and jugs of fermented PEE WINE. 'Chain Shot' has a lot of depth to it -- it's as much DROLL YANKEE as it is BLACK GNOME... shit, I can easily file this wax in my environments/CBS Library/machine sound/rail road noise/animal sounds/nature LP section (which is AS BIG as Dilloway's, if you take out the military boot camp sound section) and it would fit right in. It's a BOAT OCEAN LURKING FRIGHTMARE LP. Like when a crazy old boat goes on some crazy old mission and it get frozen in the ocean near the North Pole, the crew runs outta food and sees nutzo ICE PIRATES circling the ship slowly in the freezing mist. Close your eyes, let your rat mind take off on its own weirdo adventure. I'm mad stoked this Dilloway LP is pressed on wax forever, cause now that quicksand is extinct apparently... I can still just jam 'Execution Dock' at 4:00 AM on a lonely winter night and sink slowly in the MSG-ridden HISS crawling within the rotten grooves... and disappear without a trace. FOUR STARS AND AN EYE PATCH!!!" --Coorz The Spartan, Winter '07

TOMLAB (GERMANY)

Artist:	HEY WILLPOWER
Title:	P.D.A.
Label:	TOMLAB (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	TOM 081CD

"Which band can claim to take over the dancefloor with a twist of R'n'B, radio-pop and electronica? Who has the secret recipe for a sound that equally stimulates teenagers and people in their 30s? Who sounds as sexy as Justin Timberlake and The Soft Pink Truth combined? And who was the cover star of the San Francisco Guardian in May 2005 with the headline 'dance, punk, dance'? Hey Willpower is one of the hottest acts in the R'n'B underground emerging from the U.S."

Artist:	MUNCH MUNCH
Title:	Wedding
Label:	TOMLAB (GERMANY)
Format:	7"
Price:	$6.00
Catalog #:	TOM 109EP

"The A-side, 'Wedding' defines Munch Munch's sound. With prominent synth similar to Of Montreal, and the distinct vocals of Klaxons, this track is a piece of raucous DIY charm. Complex drums and synth move in to a jingle pop ditty with 'Endolphins.' Like Architecture In Helsinki, Munch Munch are able to blend funk elements into the proceedings, making this track easy for every stripe of listener to enjoy. It is as hypnotic as Steve Reich-esque patterns play counterpoint to old school Neptunes style breakdowns. The end to this delectable slice of musical initiative is 'Wet Nightmare' -- the shortest track on the single, but by no means the least noteworthy. Like a Christmas song on speed, it grabs your attention and holds you tight, ending in a crescendo of frantic gusto. Recording frantic pop explosions in their bedrooms, they mix abstract lyrics, unpredictable structures, and ecstatic playfulness into a unique sound that appears to be the start of a fruitful career."

TOP SOUNDS (UK)

Artist:	VA
Title:	Shapes and Sounds Volume Two
Label:	TOP SOUNDS (UK)
Format:	LP
Price:	$29.00
Catalog #:	TSLP 003LP

...Shades of Deepest Purple from the BBC Archives 1967-1971.. "With this second excavation of previously unreleased live BBC session performances spanning the period 1967-1971, Shapes And Sounds becomes a series and Volume Two features a completely different line up of bands from last year's set. Pride of place on this second edition arguably goes to The Gun, with three astonishing performances that were recorded nearly a year before 'Race With The Devil' which illustrate their late '67 menu of mod and psych pop, with cracking versions of Rupert's Peoples 'Hold On,' Paul Simons 'A Most Peculiar Man' and a quite splendid airing of their legendary 'Light On The Wall!' The Casuals surprise with the beat of 'Midnight Confessions' and 'Take Me For A Little While' as well as a fine rendering of 'Jesamine,' while The Mirage perform a live version of their May 1967 single 'The Wedding Of Ramona Blair.' The Alan Bown! play an excellent take of 'Magic Handkerchief' and even more interestingly offer two numbers that never appeared on any Bown release, with the self-penned progressive popper 'Movie Star Baby' and a brilliant interpretation of The Association's 'Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies.' Also with three tracks on Shapes And Sounds are Wales' The Bystanders, who turn in a lovely version of 'Royal Blue Summer Sunshine Day' as well as a glorious homage to The Byrds with 'Renaissance Fair.' Even better and long talked about in collectors' circles but never previously released is their absolutely stunning rendition of 'I Am The Walrus,' which Top Sounds are sure will disappoint no one! Sourced from an off-air recording of their only British television appearance on Disco 2, Killing Floor perform 'Milkman' from their Out Of Uranus LP in superb quality (the TV show was wiped decades ago) and of similarly heinous rarity are live tracks from Portrait and Katch 22, who turn in forceful renderings of 'Born To Be Wild' and 'The Price Of Love,' respectively (the latter of which is better than the Status Quo cover!) The sound quality is absolutely superb throughout, with 12 of the 16 tracks sourced from original BBC Transcription records. The other performances have been taken from excellent off-air recordings and similarly shine and though few of the tracks on the collection needed much enhancement at all, all have nevertheless been professionally restored and mastered. The presentation is immaculate and as with the previous Shapes And Sounds release, Artholeghraphics have designed a memorable period flavored package. The LP has a 16 page color booklet based on a vintage Radio Times packed with illustrations, band histories and listings of all their known BBC sessions written and supplied by Nigel Lees, author of much of Record Collector magazine's 'The British Psychedelic Trip' series. Except for the Mirage recording being bootlegged many years ago (in lesser quality!), none of the tracks have ever been commercially available and most have not been heard in public since the '60s. Shapes And Sounds is a legitimate limited edition release, licensed from the BBC with the blessing and co-operation of many band members."

TOUCH (UK)

TOYTOWN RECORDINGS (SPAIN)

Artist:	VA
Title:	Papagayo! The Spanish Sunshine Pop & Popsike Collection
Label:	TOYTOWN RECORDINGS (SPAIN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$19.00
Catalog #:	TT 6000CD

"Papagayo! is dedicated to the unknown but fertile Spanish pop scene from the late '60s/early '70s. 24 rare tracks taken from mostly 45s, this is a pure soft-pop, sunshine pop & pop-psych delight: heavenly male-female vocal harmonies, lush orchestrations, mellotrons, harpsichords, Moogs, studio wizardry, folk-pop, turned on singers/songwriters, hip duos, teenage bands...you'll be amazed when you hear the Sagittarius/Millennium styled sounds from groups like Nuevos Horizontes & Voces Amigas, young y�-y� girl Licia doing an Spanish sung cover of 'Sunshine Girl' by The Parade, Los Yetis with another Spanish cover of 'My World Fell Down' by Sagittarius, singer Daniel Velazquez doing a cover of 'Please Don't Ever Leave Me' by The Cyrkle, cult soft-pop tracks by obscure bands like Tiza & Ellos y Ellas, Vainica Doble-styled sounds from Caoba & Oveja Negra, pure pop magic by Angeles, Joe y Luis, Reaccion, Dulces A�os, Les Extremes with a pop-psych smasher, mellow bossa soft-pop styled sounds from Amigos & David Y Sonia... imagine a Spanish sung Fading Yellow or Soft Sounds For Gentle People and you're there!"

TRUNK (UK)

TZADIK

Artist:	ZORN, JOHN
Title:	Filmworks XIX: The Rain Horse
Label:	TZADIK
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TZ 7365

"Another volume of FilmWorks is always a cause for celebration -- Zorn's freewheeling soundtrack music is among the most listener-friendly in his entire catalog. This installment presents a charming and lyrical score created for renowned Russian animator Dimitri Geller's delightful animated parable The Rain Horse. Beautifully performed by the dynamic trio of Erik Friedlander, Rob Burger and Greg Cohen, these eleven cues are some of Zorn's most appealing music film. Passionate and poignant chamber music for another masterpiece by one of the world's great animators."

Artist:	DENCH, CHRIS
Title:	beyond status geometry
Label:	TZADIK
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TZ 8044

"Born in the UK, and now a resident of Melbourne, composer Chris Dench is a member of the new complexity movement along with Brian Ferneyhough, James Dillon and Richard Barrett. His music, rich with challenges and detail, is sorely under-recorded and Tzadik is proud to present four of his most extreme and passionate compositions in startling performances by some of the best musicians in the Australian New Music scene. Highlighting this disc is his infamous percussion quartet from 1995, 'beyond status geometry,' which was labeled 'unplayable' until this startling and virtuosic performance. A powerful disc of new music from Australia's most accomplished modernist."

Artist:	FRITH, FRED
Title:	Back to Life
Label:	TZADIK
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TZ 8045

"A new CD of classical chamber music by a contemporary master who has been redefining new music since 1972 with cutting edge bands like Henry Cow, Keep the Dog, Skeleton Crew, Massacre and Cosa Brava. Featuring the virtuoso cellist Joan Jeanrenaud (formerly of the Kronos Quartet), percussion madman William Winant (who has worked with everyone from Lou Harrison, Steve Reich and John Cage to Mr. Bungle and Sonic Youth), pianist/conductor Stephen Drury with his remarkable Boston ensemble the Callithumpian Consort, and the Belgian virtuoso Daan Vandewalle, Back to Life presents a sparkling program of five major chamber works by this imaginative and courageous border crosser."

Artist:	BERNSTEIN, STEVEN
Title:	Diaspora Suite
Label:	TZADIK
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TZ 8122

"With groups like Sex Mob, Millennial Territory Orchestra and Diaspora Soul, Steven Bernstein is energizing the downtown scene with a passionate and indefatigable creativity. His brilliance continues with Diaspora Suite, the fourth installment in his Diaspora series for Tzadik and perhaps the best! Twelve original compositions exploring the Jewish tradition are brilliantly performed by a nonet of California musicians including Ben Goldberg, Peter Apfelbaum and several key players from his legendary band, the Hieroglyphics. Channeling Miles Davis, Gil Evans and the Sephardic traditions of Darkness and Light, this is fabulous new Jewish music by one of the most talented and charismatic figures in the downtown scene."

UGLY THINGS

Artist:	UGLY THINGS
Title:	#26
Label:	UGLY THINGS
Format:	MAG
Price:	$7.95
Catalog #:	UT 026

224 pages, perfect bound, full-color glossy cover. "This issue is sure to make a big splash with our big MC5 cover story, featuring a lengthy, previously-unpublished interview with Rob Tyner and some incredible rare photos. Our other features include the story of '66 Sunset Strip rockers The Sons of Adam, English folk-rock outfit Trees, the Norwegian beat scene in the '60s, and British punk rock & rollers The Pop Rivets (Billy Childish's first band, 1977-1979). There's also an extensive pre-punk feature by Johan Kugelberg, with a foreword by Jon Savage. We also have articles on California garage band The Floggs (who featured a pre-Kaleidoscope Chris Darrow), legendary Ohio psychsters The Tiffany Shade, and the amazing tale of The Cedars from Lebanon. There's also exclusive interviews with The Pretty Things, Arthur Brown, Dave Lambert (of UK freakbeat icons Fire: 'Father's Name Was Dad'), Art Wood, Zappa associate Jeff Simmons, and much more, including of course, our massive review section covering all the latest reissues and music-related books and DVDs."

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Artist:	FENNESZ
Title:	Transition
Label:	TOUCH (UK)
Format:	7"
Price:	$7.00
Catalog #:	TS 004EP

Artist:	ELLIOTT ENSEMBLE, THE VERNON
Title:	Ivor The Engine/Pogles Wood OST
Label:	TRUNK (UK)
Format:	LP
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	JBH 027LP