PETE DRAKE: FOREVERby mrjyn
The talk box sound will always be associated with ’80s over-the-topness: the lazer funk of Zapp & Roger, the gaudy riffery of Peter Frampton. Even more recent retro-futurists that use the box (or similar, vocoder-y sounds) — Chromeo, Dâm Funk, Daft Punk — stick firmly to the ’80s m.o. of near-goofy neon [...]

We didn’t get new releases by the boatload today, but there are gems as always that deserve highlighting. Let’s dive in, shall we?
First and foremost, we got Broadcast today! Almost the whole catalogue, in fact, including the new one, bearing the hilariously convoluted name Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio [...]

(Superchunk as the Misfits!)
It’s been years since I actually dressed up for Halloween. I chalk this up to a combination of laziness, lack of planning and the fact that I can never convince enough friends to buy into my dream of going out in a group as the cast of the video game Burger Time [...]

On Saturday, my fiancee and I went to the Brooklyn Academy of Music to see — maybe “witness” would be a better word for the experience — Meredith Monk’s Songs of Ascension. It was one of the most deeply, indescribably moving live performances of my life, so I am now, foolhardy music writer that [...]

Just because Joe is not here this afternoon does not mean the pugs will stop
eMusic Hidden Treasures: Jazz and Classical
Today’s edition of our weeklong eMusic Hidden Treasures is a cross-section of fascinating jazz and classical records that, for any number of reasons, hide in plain sight. Picking a “Hidden Treasure” in the jazz and [...]

(photo by zac.overman)
Our trip throughThe Best Albums on eMusic You Haven’t Heard continues today, with more overlooked indie. Some genuine lost classics in here from the likes of Velvet Crush, the Glands, Rocketship and the Ivory Coast. We’re cranking out a new list every day, full of records we love and hope you will, too.

El Perro Del Mar, Love is Not Pop: The big news today is the new El Perro Del Mar. In celebration of this excellent new effort, the El Perro back catalog is, for a limited time, on sale in the US. Of the new record, we can’t say enough great things. Melissa Maerz conducted an [...]

(photo by great beyond)
They’re the ones that got away — the records that, for some reason, slipped through the cracks while other albums got the hype, the praise, the buzz. And all this week on eMusic, we’ll be showcasing records we love that somehow got passed over. We start today with overlooked indie, and will [...]

Words cannot express how much I am looking forward to this record.

Little did I know that when John Hodgman’s More Information Than You Require was published last October, the wait for the audiobook would feel longer than waiting for, um, a virus-ridden PC to load. At long last, the audiobook comes out next week, and the folks at Penguin were nice enough to share with us [...]

This week, around ninety (!) titles from the esteemed Bar/None Records were untethered from their regional restrictions and let loose to European customers. Below I’ve highlighted some key catalog additions, but check out the B/N label page for a more robust account.
Of Montreal, Horse And Elephant Eatery (No Elephants Allowed) The Singles And Songles Album: [...]

(i went to a pug costume party on sunday. this dude ruled.)
Another great haul of new arrivals today — I decided to break it out into “Known” and “Unknown.” And we’re off!
The Known:
Neon Indian, Psychic Chasms: The most recent recipient of Pitchfork’s coveted “Best New Music” designation, Neon Indian are weird and warbly and [...]

The renowned classical boutique label Chandos is celebrating their 30th anniversary! To celebrate this milestone, we have had John Schaefer, he of WNYC’s legendary New Sounds (now Soundcheck) broadcast and one of America’s most indefatigable and infectiously enthusiastic advocates for classical music, old and new, curate a massive hub for us that offers a broad [...]

(photo by prawnpie)
The Avett Brothers have a new record out, the Rick Rubin-produced I And Love and You. And while we aren’t currently offering that record on eMusic, we thought we’d provide the next best thing. Starting today, in the U.S., all Avett Brothers catalog titles are on sale. You read it right! You can [...]

The Colbert Report
Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Another big, big day for New Arrivals…let’s just dive headfirst. Updated with the Jesus Lizard because I am a total moron.
The Mountain Goats, The Life Of the World to Come: Newest from John Darnielle finds him working within an overarching theme. I’ll let Douglas Wolk take it away:

God has been turning up in the Mountain [...]

The fall comes in three chapters: September, October, and November. Or as most children see it: The death of summer, Halloween, Thanksgiving break. And just as we previewed some of the best that September promised (Girls! The Big Pink! Arctic Monkeys! Vivian Girls! Right, guys!) in August, this second chapter promises more to get us [...]

I watched the Girls’ multiple live videos on Pitchfork.tv. The Hellhole Ratrace video (not live) made me suddenly and (kind of) urgently understand what it is about them that works: as conventional as they *sound*, as normal as their music is, not only are they themselves weird, they *are* exactly what San Francisco prides itself [...]