Photo courtesy of Shannon Taggart
New records? Let’s talk about ‘em, shall we?
Sunn O))) – Monoliths and Dimensions Opening of “Aghartha” sounds like a recording of a groaning glacier, or like Metal Machine Music chopped and screwed. Which means that it is a new Sunn O))) record. Long, droning sound vistas that shift over minutes and minutes from chord to chord. Then, then the terrifying vocals set in.
Liechtenstein – Survival Strategies in a Modern World An utterly charming record. Are you already certain that you don’t need another one of “these” in your collection (“these”=lo-fi/shamble-pop/pick yr adjective here bands that are now everywhere, like kudzu)? Well, you’re wrong. You need this one.
James Blackshaw – The Glass Bead Game – I’ll let Andrew Parks take over for this one:
The Glass Bead Game furthers Blackshaw’s development as a skilled musician and a modern-day composer — the kind that’s able to reel in concert halls and “the kids.” Skip to any song on here, really, and you’ll be at a loss to describe it as anything less than “mesmerizing.” The trick is in how quickly Blackshaw’s able to get our attention, whether it’s through tenderized piano melodies and swoon-worthy strings (“Fix”) or a towering triumph like the appropriately titled 18 minutes of “Arc.”
Black Moth Super Rainbow – Eating Us Pretty creepiness. Matos sez:
Black Moth Super Rainbow makes music that evokes both stirring psychedelic highs and their slightly queasy comedowns. Their songs are often beautiful, but there’s a haunted-house menace creeping just under the surface. Take “Gold Splatter,” one of the many standouts from the Pittsburgh psych-rock group’s fourth album: plangent acoustic guitar, sea-swept strings, poky beat, lovely melody — and then there’s frontman Tobacco’s voice, sent through a digital sieve to extract the tune’s sweetness, but dragging out its notes (“Beautiful friiiieeennnnnd . . .”) just enough to give it an unsettling edge.
Tiye Phoenix -Half Woman, Half Amazin’ I don’t know, she sounds pretty fully amazing here. Female MC, guest spot from Phonte of Little Brother, and OFL she is about 6.45334.5,65433454 times better rapper than Phonte. She calls herself “a female Kane” on one track here, and then rhymes it with “derailed trains.” Someday I need to do a post about great female MCs currently rapping who are right now lost in the Def Poetry Slam cocoa-butter-ad netherworld. Tiye and Jean Grae would be on there. This is my personal pick of the day.
Andrew W.K. & B-Roc Present: Damn! the Mixtape Vol. 1 I do not know what this is. But I am UNBELIEVABLY excited to listen to it.
What did anyone else find? Share yr weirdness!
I’d love it if I could actually download the James Blackshaw today!
Anyone got any info on the ongoing freshly ripped issues that have plagued the site recently?
Liechenstein sounds like great fun. Bring on the Slumberland revolution.
Any idea when the new Grizzly Bear will be available?
You didn’t mention this —
http://www.emusic.com/album/Vieux-Farka-Touré-Fondo-MP3-Download/11463686.html
– which looks very promising.
Oops. Let me try that again:
http://www.emusic.com/album/Vieux-Farka-Touré-Fondo-MP3-Download/11463686.html
Mm . . . kay. Well, in any event, I’m referring to the second disc from Vieux Farka Toure (son of the legendary African guitarist) — called Fondo — which looks to further expand his influences and solidify his reputation for being a top-shelf guitarist. The samples have that hypnotic, “desert blues” sound (think Tinariwen).
Do you guys have any news on recent/forthcoming In The Red releases? Specifically The Intelligence, Strange Boys, Blank Dogs?
The Leichtenstein is awesome.
Where’s the new Viva Voce (Rose City) that was supposed to be released today? I’ve been waiting and waiting…. going to see them Thurs night in Chicago and want to have a listen first. Pleeeaaaase emusic, get it up there!
Yes, I would also like to know where all the new In the Red releases are. Any info on that?
Holly Throsby: nice folk/pop/country from Australia guest starring Bonnie Prince Billy and members of Lambchop and Silver Jews:
http://www.emusic.com/album/Holly-Throsby-A-Loud-Call-MP3-Download/11440092.html
Sorry to just ask for something that isn’t here yet, but…are we gonna be getting Sharon Van Etten’s Because I Was In Love?
My tip would be Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens “What Have You Done My Brother”. Great stuff that wouldn’t sound out of place alongside some of the greats from the golden age of gospel.
http://www.emusic.com/album/Naomi-Shelton-the-Gospel-Queens-What-Have-You-Done-My-Brother-MP3-Download/11445872.html
Post Rock fans should definitely check out this double EP from Australian band Mr. Maps. They are causing quite a stir here in Brisbane and there’s plenty to get excited about.
http://www.emusic.com/album/Mr-Maps-Mimicry-of-Lines-and-Light-MP3-Download/11453301.html
Not weird (for me
) but the Scratch (Second BeatBoxer from the Roots) Album was just posted http://www.emusic.com/album/scratch-from-the-roots-Loss-4-Wordz-MP3-Download/11439764.html Has a great Damon Albarn (sp?) track on it that’ll appeal to even those not that into Hip-Hop
It would be beyond fantastic if St. Vincent’s newest showed up.
Can I just say I totally agree with you about Liechtenstein. And downloading…now…
Jayson: Your shout-out made me add the Tiye Phoenix to my iPod; also checking out the Scratch on Nergal’s rec — I was suspicious at first, but the Roots are one of my all-time favorite bands, so I figured I’d give it a go!
Did anybody catch the ep by Glasser, of ‘Selected and collected’ fame? http://www.emusic.com/album/Glasser-Apply-EP-MP3-Download/11449418.html
Shame no Sunn 0))) for the UK but it has led me to notice that Black One is here – I must have missed when that snuck in because I’m pretty sure it didn’t arrive with the initial Southern Lord motherload.
skerzo the glasser ep is AWESOME
beergal-
it was a straggler, but the Viva Voce is up now:
http://www.emusic.com/album/Viva-Voce-Rose-City-MP3-Download/11466004.html
I love Holly Throsby’s “A Loud Sound”!
http://www.emusic.com/album/Holly-Throsby-A-Loud-Call-MP3-Download/11440092.html
& Jenny Owen Youngs’ “Transmitter Failure” is pretty great too!
http://www.emusic.com/album/Jenny-Owen-Youngs-Transmitter-Failure-MP3-Download/11463284.html
Okay, so summer’s the time for dubby and/or dark disco, and there’s some especially interesting new stuff from that genre that recently arrived. On May 26, we got Dimitri From Paris Presents: Nightdubbin’, which unearths a lot of old underground disco cuts, and presents them dubstyle. And on May 18, we got Milky Disco II, a various-artists collection (improperly credited to Hatchback on the eMusic page). I’m not sure it’s as strong as Milky Disco I, but songs like “Hungry Ghosts” are — as a great reader review by JamieH says — “woozy and narcotic.” This is stuff to enjoy either on the dancefloor or (like me) through a good set of headphones:
http://www.emusic.com/album/Various-Artists-Dimitri-From-Paris-presents-Nightdubbin-MP3-Download/11444990.html
http://www.emusic.com/album/Hatchback-Milky-Disco-II-Let-s-Go-Freak-Out-MP3-Download/11415151.html
OH “snap” best turntablist album ever came to Emusic Tonight
http://www.emusic.com/album/The-Invisibl-Skratch-Piklz-The-Shiggar-Fraggar-Show-Vol-3-MP3-Download/11468455.html
:-O
for those interested, the most recent In the Red releases have appeared: blank dogs, black time, the intelligence, strange boys, etc.
MILKY DISCO
Thanks for pointing out, Daniel! I know nothing about this stuff, but I dug the first two in that series.
I’ve already checked out the new Black Moth Super Rainbow album, and I do believe it’s their best yet!
Damn: That Dimitri From Paris mixtape — Night Dubbin’ — is gone!
Hope it’s coming back.