na: a place to bury strangers, skatalites, etc.

So much to talk about. Let’s do this:

A Place to Bury Strangers - A Place to Bury Strangers

Well, I don’t get quite it except for “Don’t Think Lover,” but, then again, I’m probably not playing it loud enough. Pitchfork, however, loves it and had this to say:

Compiling mastered versions of the band’s early CD-Rs and mp3s, A Place to Bury Strangers’ self-titled debut LP sets tinnitus-inducing noise-pop against a tension-wracked Joy Division-meets-Ministry backdrop. Plenty of bands have tapped the trebly, ecstatic side of shoegaze in recent years, but none have imbued it with this band’s frustrated aggression or lacerating feedback.

Danuel Tate - Pushcard

A new Wagon Repair EP that simultaneously pushes things forward for the label and hearkens back to their base competency (huge analog bass sounds, tracks that sound “live”). eMusic contributor Michaelangelo Matos is a fan of “Bloss,” while I prefer the title track. Do yourself a favor and grab both.

Luke Vibert & Jean Jacques Perrey - Moog Acid

Another Vibert collaboration, this time with the electronic pioneer Jean Jacques Perrey. The tracks range from hipster lounge music to bangers, but the wicked sense of humor of both is the constant theme.

Skatalites - Rolling Steady: The 1983 Music Mountain Sessions

Ye olde press release:

UNRELEASED SKATALITES ALBUM DISCOVERED: ‘Rolling Steady With The Skatalites: The 1983 Music Mountain Sessions’.

Motion is extremely excited to announce the release of an album recorded in 1983 when the Skatalites reformed to appear at Jamaica’s Sunsplash Festival. Ten tracks were recorded at Music Mountain studio under the guidance of producer/promoter Tony Owens. Eight tracks were finished but two were left unfinished (the horns were still to be recorded) and these may appear on the CD version as bonus tracks. Only one of these songs, Big Trombone, has been heard before [a live version appears on the Stretching Out album] The other nine are, we believe, being heard for the first time. We are aiming for an October release.

Musicians: Jackie Mittoo - Piano. Tommy McCook - Sax. Lester Sterling - Sax. Roland Alphonso - Sax. Johnnie Moore - Trumpet. Lloyd Knibb - Drums. Lloyd Brevett - Acoustic Bass. Jah Jerry - Guitar. Calvin Cameron - Trombone. Lord Tanamo (Joseph Gordon) - vocal on Big Trombone.

Commentary: I’ve got my soundtrack for the rest of the day.

Skepta - Greatest Hits

Second-rate UK garage dude comically calls his debut record Greatest Hits. That’s about as witty as it gets, as far as I can tell. Anyone a fan? I’d love to be converted…

Robert Johnson and Big Bill Broonzy - Kings Of Blues Vol.1

Classic and pretty well-recorded(!) blues.

Tiger Stripes - Safari

Swedish up-and-comer brings some rainforest house (as Beatportal calls it) to the masses. Try “The Voyage”: it’s one of my favorite house tracks of the year.

Black Devil Disco Club - Ride Again

Three remixes of tunes from Black Devil Disco Club’s that are already on Black Devil Disco Club in Dub. Whatever, Prins Thomas is still as awesome as ever.

Shantel - Disko Partizani

The European analogue to Eugene Hutz (i.e. the guy who helped make it cool to like Balkan music.) Shantel, though, as you might expect from the European part, is more of an electronic guy and these are very hip-hop influenced. Not sure I like it very much, though. Many of the songs lack the infectious energy of Gogol or Balkan Beat Box.

Blood Money - Axis of Blood

Jon Whitney, the propreitor of the awesome site Brainwashed.com, is one-third of Current 93-lovers Blood Money. That means this release comes replete with the sort of evil drones and walls of static. Nice.

Japanther - Skuffed Up My Huffy

Drummer/vocalist Ian Vanek and bassist/vocalist Matt Reilly have been releasing records at about a rate of one per year. Even so, I don’t really know much about ‘em, so I’ll just rely on Eric Grandy of The Stranger’s Line Out blog:

On their new album, Skuffed Up My Huffy, Japanther revive some previously recorded tracks—“The Boss” (which appeared on Don’t Trust Anyone Over 30 and Yer Living Grave), “Mornings” (which appeared on Master of Pigeons)—and they lay down recent live favorites “River Phoenix,” “Challenge,” “Cable Babies,” and “Fuk Tha Prince A Pull Iz Dum.”

Jean Pierre Dupuy - John Cage: Sonatas and Interludes

Avant piano goodness.

Sam Frank - The Hour

Yancey recommended I check this one out and I’m glad I did. Its samples are all over the map, reflecting a guy about as schizophrenic as can be: one look at the cover art will confirm. It goes from delicate singer-songwriter stuff (”You Know Me Well”) to blurting muscle rock (”Yeahgodamnitallrightok”) to filthy-tongued dubby techno (”Like My Name Was Kenny”) in the span of four songs. Definitely a weird one.