na: rough trade and more…

Okie dokie, it’s Rough Trade on eMusic. (And a bunch of other stuff too.)

Rough Trade

UK subscribers to the site will find that they have much, much more to wade through today at eMusic, but the US also got a couple of gems:

The Libertines – Up the Bracket
Those darn Brits and their debut album. You know, before all the trackmarks and NME covers and “concern” for Pete’s health. Humorously prescient AMG review moment:

At this point in their career they’re not as overhyped as many of their contemporaries, so enjoy them while they’re still fresh.

The Moldy Peaches - The Moldy Peaches
The zenith of anti-folk? Adam Green and Kimya Dawson have since gone on to fascinating solo careers of varying success, but this one remains a favorite of mine six years later. “Downloading Porn With Davo,” “Anyone Else But You,” and “Lucky Number Nine” are all pretty great.

The Hidden Cameras - The Smell Of Our Own
The dirtiest, catchiest little band there ever was. Anyone who can outfit a song titled “Golden Streams” with a string section that gorgeous deserves a medal of some sort. Check “Ban Marriage,” as well, for the Cameras’ particular brand of “gay church folk music” (as Joel Gibb, the leader of the group, calls it).

Emiliana Torrini - Fisherman’s Woman
While Torrini made her name penning Kylie Minogue’s “Slow” and singing over the credits to The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, this is an excellent slow-burn of a folk album. Ephemeral, folky, and a little bit beautiful.

And that other stuff.

Klimek - Dedications
I’ve never really loved this Pop Ambient vet, but his new record which is composed of tracks dedicated to other artists is really inspiring stuff. For those uninitiated into the Klimek experience of languid and distorted guitar and piano tracks stretched to infinity, this is a great time to get acquainted. Ambient music par excellence.

The Battles - Lycanthropy
Not Battles, actually. But the Battles, which incidentally features Dan Bejar of Destroyer and Scott Morgan of Loscil. The main songwriting impetus behind the band, though, is Steve Wood, though, so don’t feel like you’re getting anything that special.

Joe Lally - Nothing Is Underrated

Joe Gross of eMusic sez:

First things first: Yes, Nothing Is Underratedreunites the erstwhile Fugazi bassist with former bandmates Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto. No, all of them do not show up on the same tracks at once. No, Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty is not here. Yes, Lally’s voice has improved since his days as Fugazi’s George Harrison figure, a sometime singer and a player crucial to their sound, despite the fact that many fans thought of him as less important than the other two guys who played stringed instruments. MacKaye produced this (immaculate sounding) album at Dischord House; the m.o. seems to be that Lally’s collaborators improvise music over Lally’s pre-written bass lines — collaborators that include members of Haram, Capillary Action and Medications.

Jean Grae - The Orchestral Files

Keith Harris of eMusic sez:

Jean Grae is the most underutilized resource in hip-hop. With two full discs of new material in the can (and no current street date for either), she drops this, a compilation of unreleased tracks that’d be a career achievement for most MCs. The title may nod toward the Philadelphia International-style strings that sweep through a few tracks (notably “Soul Clap”), but more often the beats are spare and limber, ideal for spitting “ridiculous riddles like troll toll bridges,” or issuing playful yet deadly boasts like “I’m ‘ouch’ in the form of a person.” On “The Story,” she details a doomed childhood friendship with a narrative flair worthy of Biggie or Ghostface, while “My Angel Is You” describes a man in loving specifics that her competition on the other side of the gender line never squander on their lust objects. As for her lack of fame, it’s more criminal than any of the illegal acts this month’s best-selling thug rapper has copped to.

Rarities best known about, as opposed to actually listened to…

Sparks - Introducing Sparks
The seventh album by this group – never before issued on CD, I believe. More info here.

The Orb v. Meat Beat Manifesto - Battersea Shield
On Amazon, this is 20 bucks for three tracks. Why? Well, it’s packaged in “an embossed round tin based on the celtic design of the original Battersea shield.” Too bad “Matron” is a carbon copy of “Horn of Jericho” and “Insane” is a plodding dirge of a tune. I enjoyed “1885 BC” quite a bit, though, for what it’s worth.