<p>1 Amoeba Music's discerning & knowledgeable musical experts (our staff) have put their collective heads & ears together to bring you a biased & unobjective collection of... OUR FAVORITE NEW MUSIC & MOVIES! 2 Welcome to Amoeba Music- the biggest independent music store in the country! We hope you fi nd the results interesting and/or helpful! SOME HELPFUL HINTS: Our USED selection is fully guaranteed to play perfectly. Buying used means you can get more for your money - and many out-of-print & rare items that are ONLY available used. The new items are designated with a white price tag. The used items have yellow, green or red price tags. The "red tag" items are clearance priced. Clearance CDS have an ongoing deal, buy three get the fourth of least value for free! All the sections have clearance areas at the end of their respective used sections. There is a clearance selection for Rock and don't forget to look underneath the bins for extra bargains which may not be represented in the above corresponding bin. There are tons of nuggets hiding in pockets all over this store, so be sure to look all 'round! Happy Hunting! Amoeba Music has become synonymous with musical expertise and our staff consists of the most passionate connoisseurs of all musical explorations. Dip into the vast pools of knowledge located at each Amoeba Music: from the person who checks your bag to the used music buyer at the front counter. All Amoebites were asked to list their top 5 favorite releases from the last half of 2007 and early 2008. We then had a team of experts decipher some cryptic handwriting, analyze the results and compile the lists into this little book! 3 If you haven't heard yet... All 3 Amoeba stores host live music performances throughout the year, and continue to showcase our favorite local and worldwide talent. A sampling of live music at Amoeba in 2007: Visit the Amoeba Music website to watch live streaming performances, dig up listings of upcoming in-store performances, view photo galleries of past shows, top seller lists, blogs, contests and more treasures! Visit our website to sign up for our weekly email newsletter: www.amoebamusic.com Each Amoeba Music has its own personality and its own unique selection! Come visit us: 2455 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley (510) 549-1125 1855 Haight Street, San Francisco (415) 831-1200 6400 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood (323) 245-6400 Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings Leslie Hall Beirut Black Lips Boris Peru Negro Paul McCartney Vampire Weekend No Age Pete Rock M.I.A. Jesu 4 A sampling of our favorites by genre! ROCK Nick Cave - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! Beirut - Flying Club Cup Devotchka - A Mad and Faithful Tell- ing Radiohead - In Rainbows Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash Grand Archives - self-titled Foals - Antidotes Be Your Own Pet - Get Awkward Adam Green - Sixes & Sevens Tapes n' Tapes - Walk it Off Sigur Ros - Hvarf/Heim Bauhaus - Go Away White Morrissey - Greatest Hits Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam Fun Kil Moon - April Cat Power - Jukebox Mars Volta - Bedlam In Goliath Crystal Castles - self-titled Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel Magnetic Fields - Distortion The Kills - Midnight Boom Gutter Twins - Saturnalia Vampire Weekend - self-titled Dead Meadow - Old Growth Xiu Xiu - Women As Lovers No Age - Wierdo Rippers Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala MGMT - Oracular Spectacular Earth - Bees Made Honey In the Lion's Skull Black Mountain - In The Future Bon Iver - For Emma Forever Ago Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals Black Keys - Attack & Release HIP HOP Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple Living Legends - The Gathering Snoop Dogg - Ego Trippin' Del the Funky Homosapien - Eleventh Hour Lyrics Born - Everywhere At Once Pete Rock - NY's Finest Kanye West - Graduation Jay-Z - American Gangster Talib Kweli - Eardrum Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass Little Brother - Get Back Guilty Simpson - Ode to the Ghetto SOUL Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part One Sharon Jones - 100 Days, 100 Nights Mary J. Blige - Growing Pains Chaka Khan - Funk This Ledisi - Lost & Found Bettye Lavette - Scene of the Crime Michael Jackson - Thriller (25th Anniversary) Nicole Willis - Keep Reachin' Up Jill Scott - Vol. 3: Real Thing Lina - Morning Star Budos Band - II Eccentric Soul: Outskirts of Deep City - various Margie Joseph - Margie James Brown - Singles Vol. 4-1966-1967 ELECTRONICA Hercules & Love Affair - self- titled Yelle - Pop Up Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree Autechre - Quarstice M.I.A. - Kala Burial - Untrue Justice - Cross Prefuse 73 - Preparations Hot Chip - Made in the Dark Ulrich Schnauss - Goodbye Mum - Go Go Smear the Poison Simian Mobile Disco - Attack Decay Sustain Miss Kittin - Batbox 5 JAZZ Miles Davis - The Complete On The Corner Sessions John McLaughlin/Jaco Pastorius/ Tony Williams - Trio Of Doom Richard Galliano/Tangaria Quartet - Live In Marciac 2006 Charles Mingus - Cornell 1964 Aki Takase/Silke Eberhard - Ornette Coleman Anthology Hadley Caliman - Gratitude McCoy Tyner - self-titled Marc Ribot - Asmodeus: Book Of Angels Vol. 7 Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble - Black Unstoppable Howard Wiley - Angola Project Roscoe Mitchell - Composition/ Improvisation Nos. 1, 2 ,3 Myra Melford/Mark Dresser/Matt Wilson: Trio M Big Picture (((Powerhouse Sound))) - Oslo/Chicago: Breaks Keith Tippett/Julie Tippetts/Louis Moholo/Canto Generl - Viva La Black Live At Ruvo Billy Bang Quintet feat. Frank Lowe - Above & Beyond Agusti Fernandez/Barry Guy/Evan Parker - Topos COUNTRY/BLUEGRASS Tift Merritt - Another Country Kathleen Edwards - Asking for Flowers Carlene Carter - Stronger Gram Parsons/Flying Burrito Brothers - Live At The Avalon Ballroom 1969 Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood Lyle Lovett - It's Not Big It's Large Dolly Parton - Backwoods Barbie Dwight Yoakam - Dwight Sings Buck Emmylou Harris - Songbird FOLK Loudon Wainwright III - Strange Weirdos Vashti Bunyan - Something Just Stuck In Your Mind Wayfaring Strangers: Guitar Soli - various Ralph McTell - Gates Of Eden People Take Warning! - various Cris Williamson - Fringe Bearded Ladies - various Wizz Jones - Lucky The Man Sonia/Disappear Fear - Tango Jose Gonzalez - In Our Nature Mary Gauthier - Between Daylight & Dark BLUES/NEW ORLEANS Hot 8 Brass Band - Rock With the Hot 8 Lee Allen - Walkin' with Mr. Lee Crescent City Bounce - various Bob Brozman - Post-Industrial Blues Marie Knight - Let Us Get Together: A Tribute to the Reverend Gary Davis Samuel James - Songs Famed for Sorrow and Joy Al Cook - Barrelhouse Man Sam Carr's Delta Jukes - Let the Good Times Roll Honeyboy Edwards - Roamin' and Ramblin' Terry "Big T" Williams & Wesley "Junebug" Jefferson - Meet Me in the Cottonfi eld Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown - Bogaloosa Boogie Man Rarities From the Bob Hite Vaults - various Otis Taylor - Taking Back the Banjo 6 WORLD Authenticit: The Syliphone Years 1965-1983 - various Marc Anthony - El Cantante The Roots Of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias From Peru - various Manu Chao - La Radiolina Nigeria Special - Modern Highlife, Afro Sounds & Nigerian Blues Mahmoud Fadl - For Oriental Dancers: From Cairo With Love Bombay Connection Vol. 1 & 2 - various Shoghaken Ensemble - Music From Armenia Cuba: Lost & Found Sessions - various Ethiopiques 23 - Orchestra Ethiopia African Pearls: Vol. 1-4 - various Puntilla Y El Conjunto Toda Rumbero - A Tribute A Gonzalo Asencio, "Tio Tom" REGGAE The Lions - Jungle Struttin Barrington Levy & Friends - Teach The Youth: At Joe Gibbs 1980-1985 Eek-A-Mouse - Most Wanted: 12" Versions Cocoa Tea - Reggae Anthology: The Sweet Sound Of An England Story - From Dancehall To Grime: 25 Years Of The MC In The UK - various The Sound Dimension - Mojo Rocksteady Beat Lee Perry - Chicken Scratch Earth, Roots & Water - Innocent Youths Joe Higgs - Life Of Contradiction Triston Palmer - Joker Smoker Uptown Top Ranking: Joe Gibbs Reggae Productions 1970-78 - various CLASSICAL J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations - Simone Dinnerstein L. van Beethoven: Piano Concerto 5/ Piano Sonata 28 - HeleneGrimaud/ Vladimir Jurowski/Dresden Staatskapelle L. van Beethoven: Symphonies 4 & 7 - Paavo Jarvi/Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie H. Gorecki: String Quartet 3...Songs Are Sung - Kronos Quartet F. Haydn: Piano Sonatas - Marc-Andre Hamelin W.A. Mozart: Don Giovanni - Rene Jacobs/Freiburg Baroque Orchestra/RIAS Chamber Choir D. Shostakovich: Piano Concerto 1/ Piano Quintet/Concertino for Two Pianos - Martha Argerich/ Alexander Verdernikov/Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana K. Stockhausen: Stimmung - Paul Hillier/Theatre of Voices I. Stravinsky: Works of Igor Stravinsky (22-CD Sony reissue) J. Tower: Made In America/Tambor/ Concerto for Orchestra - Leonard Slatkin/Nashville Symphony G. Tsontakis: Violin Concerto 2/Clair de Lune/The Past, The Passion - Douglas Boyd/St. Paul Chamber Orchestra A. Vivaldi: Concerti per Viola D'Amore - Fabio Biondi/Europa Galante Lorraine Hunt Lieberson/Roger Vignoles - Songs By Mahler, Handel, & Peter Lieberson Anna Netrebko & Rolando Villazon - Duets Jordi Savall/Les Concert Des Nations/ Hesperion XXI - Lachrimae Caravaggio 7 EXPERIMENTAL Tristan Perich - 1-Bit Music Einstrzende Neubauten - Alles Wieder Offen Supersilent - 8 Magik Markers - Boss Sir Richard Bishop - While My Guitar Violently Bleeds Sir Richard Bishop - Polytheistic Fragments Afrirampo - Suuto Breakor Fred Frith & Evelyn Glennie - The Sugar Factory Eyvind Kang - Athlantis Henry Flynt & Nova'Billy - Nova'Billy Diamanda Galas - Guilt Guilt Guilt METAL Hellhammer - Demon Entrails Darkthrone - F.O.A.D. Pest - Rest in Morbid Darkness Sodom - Final Sign of Evil Wolves in The Throneroom - Two Hunters Xasthur - Gate Through Blood Stained Mirrors Municipal Waste - The Art of Partying Deathspell Omega - FAS Portal - Outre SOUNDTRACKS Perfect Place (Mike Patton) Electric Apricot Semi-Pro Blade Runner - Trilogy (25th Anniversary) Into The Wild (Eddie Vedder) Juno I'm Not There Across The Universe There Will Be Blood (Johnny Greenwood) Twin Peaks: Season 2 Sweeney Todd Atonement Once 3:10 To Yuma Assassination of Jesse James (Nick Cave) DVDS No Country For Old Men Darjeeling Limited Blade Runner Once Across The Universe 3:10 to Yuma Assassination of Jesse James Zodiac Director's Cut Ice Storm Criterion The Apartment Beowulf 30 Days of Night Zapped Gone Baby Gone American Gangster The Diving Bell and the Butterfl y INTERNATIONAL DVDS Perrot Le Fou La Vie En Rose I Am Cubs 5 Dedicated to Osu Royal Tramp Collection The Host Susanna German Expressions Collection Carlos Saurs Flamenco Trilogy George Melies - First Wizard of Cinema 8 TV DVDS My So Called Life, Complete Series Flight of the Conchords, Season 1 Twin Peaks, Defi nitive Gold Box The Wire, Season 4 Lost, Season 3 Saturday Night Live, Season 2 Project Runway, Season 3 The Riches, Season 1 Tell Me You Love Me, Season 1 Perfect Strangers, Season 1 & 2 Metalocalypse, Season 1 Family Guy, Blue Harvest Sarah Silverman, Season 1 Smurfs, Seaon 1 Newhart, Season1 Not Just the Best of the Larry Sanders Show IMPORT DVDS Roxy Music - On the Road Live 1979 200 Pound Beauty The Mighty Boosh 30th Century Man Daft Punk - Electroma Spitting Image - Series 1 Joe Strummer - Future is Unwritten ANIMATION DVDS Ratatouille Fantastic Planet Paprika Bender's Big Score 101 Dalmations Simpsons Movie Aquateen Hunger Force, Vol. 5 Blue Harvest Beowulf DOCUMENTARY DVDS No End In Sight King Of Kong Heavy Metal Parking Lot Cocaine Cowboys Sicko Who the F@#k is Jackson Pollock? Confessions of a Superhero The Bridge My Kid Could Paint That Helvetica Irag in Fragments Manufactured Landscapes Crazy Love Endgame 3 Films by Louis Malle MUSIC DVDS Kurt Cobain - About A Son Sigur Ros - Heima Beatles - Help! Nirvana - Unplugged in New York Bob Dylan - Other Side of The Mir- ror Tool - Vicarious Ramones - It's Alive American Hardcore Oasis - Lord Don't Slow Me Down Best of the Johnny Cash Show R. Kelly - Trapped in the Closet 1-22 Rufus Wainwright - Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Roxy Music - Thrill of It All Metric - Live at Metropolis Soul Syndicate - Word, Sound & Power Iron Maiden - Life After Death Otis Redding - Dreams To Remember Cowboy Jack Clement - Shakespeare Was A Big George Jones Fan Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder & The Beatles 9 BERKELEY STACY East Bay Mistress of Metal Dethklok - Dethalbum Amazing death metal album that sold nearly 34,000 copies the fi rst week it was out and debuted at #21 on the Billboard chart! Check out their show on the Metalocalypse Season 1 dvd set as well for some over the top metal hilarity. They're great in concert too, the live action version that is. Drudkh - Estrangement Ukrainian black metal with melancholy atmospheric fl air. Krohm - The Haunting Presence A one man black metal band without the low-fi squeal. Morningside - The Wind the Trees & the Shadow of the Past Debut release from this Russian doom metal band in the vein of Agalloch, Opeth & Katatonia. Vreid - I Krig Norwegian black metal that adds melody to the mix. Witchcraft - The Alchemist Heavy '70s style doom done the Swedish way. Check out the Pagan Fire Compilation. It's a great introduction to the Viking/Pagan/Folk Metal genre which includes a bonus video collection DVD for the price of one cd. HEATHER MEROVICH Receiving Department; High School Teacher Make Me - It Only Hurts the First Time... Oakland's own post-riot grrrl Fleetwood Mac! Boasting two couples, a raucous live show, insolent, smart lyrics with driving bass, guitar, drums, AND keyboard--this band is a MUST! Check them out around town! http://www.myspace.com/makemeoakland The Horrors - Strange House Probably, THE most played album at the Berkeley Amoeba store in the months following its release. Amazing that one band can get an eclectic record store to agree on one album kicking ass. And for anyone who caught their show at Shutter/330 Ritch-- enough said. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare The Brits do it again! Just when I thought they couldn't top their debut...they did. I started out a hater and a Rakes fan, but I must admit these boys know how to do it. "And I wonder, are they putting us under? Cause we cant take our eyes off the t-shirt and ties combination. Well see you later, innovator." Operation Ivy - Energy [Reissue] THANK YOU HELLCAT/EPITAPH for making this available (and affordable) for the kids again! THANK YOU JESSE/TIM/ MATT/DAVE for making this the fi rst time. Another one of the most played albums at Amoeba Berkeley and one of the most amazing records of all time. "Conditioned to self-interest with emotions locked away. If that's what they call normal than I'd rather be insane!" The Wire - Season 4 (DVD) And not just because I am a teacher, but this season is incredible and almost as 10 good as the fi rst one-- which leads me to recommend that you just watch the whole series. Even if you already have - do it again. Quality dramas that will make you take a different look at the corners in your 'hood and those that run them. INTI I'm a dj dude whom loves the music Simian Mobile Disco - Attack Decay Sustain Release Every single they dropped off of this one kicked my ass. Hustler. Ouch! Ouch I say. M.I.A. - Kala This was the deciding factor in whether or not this woman has true talent and staying potential. The conclusion, AMAZING! M.I.A. is going to be around for a long time. The Knife - Silent Shout (deluxe with DVD) The album itself is completely awesome. So to package it with a DVD of all of their bugged out music vids and a live recording of a show and a live video of that concert. WOW! Now this album is AWESOME! Squared. Modeselektor - Happy Birthday Goosebumps, freeking goosebumps. Thats what I get when I think of how totally amazing and talented these two dudes are. And all with a big pinch of silliness. Bumpy little goose skin. MGMT - "Electric Feel" I haven't even heard the rest of the album yet. But but butt I can't get near enough of the rocking, funky '70s-ish song "Electric Feel". Damn it's a hot slice of funky pie. I'll have seconds and ima eat it with my hands. SEAN SOKOL Security/Clearance/Awesomeness Dystopia - self-titled Final release from Oakland's doom ridden crusters Deathspell Omega - FAS Avant-garde black metal Bloody Panda / Kayo Dot - Split LP Quirky funeral doom Born/Dead - Final Collapse Oakland anarcho punk Witchcraft - The Alchemist Pentagram worship done right Totalitar - Vi Ar Eliten Swedish d-beat Sole and Skyrider Band Anticon records goodness Extinction of Mankind - Northern Scum Crust as fuck Limb from Limb - Death. Famine. Plague. Bolt-beat from Canada Devil Makes Three - self-titled Heartfelt bluesy folk punk Coffi ns - The Other Side of Blasphemy Heavy sludgy death metal from Japan Crass - Demos LP Pre -"feeding"Crass recordings plus Peel Sessions tip: Check out my band World Eater and go see Laudanum play live. (Wear earplugs) 11 JONAH AKA JONASTY pretty fantastic guy (pretty, fantastic, guy) Tear of a Black Tiger (DVD) Saturated Thai western, most slept on this one, but it is very entertaining and pleasing to view... Nicole Willis - Keep Reachin' Up Late to American audiences, but now picking up speed - excellent soul in an old style - lush strings, nice voice, good band... Cornelius - Sensuous Excellent album, made even better when you see the man perform it live, perhaps one of the most incredible live shows around today, both visually and musically... Roots of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias From Peru - various artists You know, psychedelic cumbias from Peru... Max Roach - Freedom Now Suite A necessary reissue of a controversial record, with the illustrious voice of the lovely Abbey Lincoln adding to Max Roach's extraordinary playing... music tip: don't just download, shop at your local record stores and let's keep the music industry alive, tangible and not just digital... and don't forget to be kind to one another. DEAN SANTOMIERI Every day I feel more like Rip Van Winkle slapped awake to the startled realization that we haven't impeached the whole lot of them! Noisy People (DVD) By Bay Area musician/videographer Tim Perkis. A look at Bay Area improv artists who straddle the jazz and new music scenes. It is thought provoking, entertaining and funny. Some of the artists profi led include: Damon Smith, Dan Plonsey, Gino Robair, and Laetitia Sonami. In one of the "extras" Kenneth Atchley coyly describes what they do as: "either passion or pathology." You be the judge. Luc Ferrari - Didascalies CD+DVD This set includes Ferrari's fi nal recordings and a DVD, which will only play in my computer. The DVD shows Ferrari's compositional process as he works, shortly before his death, with musicians performing one of his rule ordered pieces from 1969- 70. The fi rst piece on the CD: Rencontres Fortuities, brings together the composers various interests: musique concrete, electronics and instrumental music. The CD and DVD are a beautiful summation to the life and work of one of the great French electro-acoustic music pioneers. Karlheinz Stockhausen Many customers from the world of Electronica ask me to recommend CDs from the Classical avant-garde, which feature electronics. All three Amoebas now carry many of the Stockhausen verlag CDs. They are expensive, but expensively produced and, I think, worth it. If you would like to have your head blown off, start with the single disc of Hymnen, #47. If you've got the stamina, the wallet and a willingness to kiss this world goodbye, go for #10, the four CD version of Hymnen. If you want to start gently get #3, with the early electronic studies and the beautiful, otherworldly Gesang Der Junglinge. If you're not put off by voices, try #49, electronic music from Freitag aus Licht. So much of what we take for granted in modern music Stockhausen did fi rst, and, I would argue, better than most of his successors. It is hard to overestimate the importance of this composer. 12 Christina Kubisch - Night Flights This 20-year-old release has fi nally been reissued. It is an atmospheric mix of musique concrete, electronics and instruments, not unlike much so-called ambient music. In the intervening years we have been buried several glaciers deep in ambient music, so revisiting this pre-ambient reissue feels positively Paleolithic yet long overdue. CHRISTIAN ROSENKREUTZ The Original "Neo-Gnostic Sinhead" & trade The Threshold Houseboy's Choir - Form Grows Rampant Perhaps Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson's greatest effort to date. Fans of Coil will scream with delight. It's as if this work was guided by the hand of the late Jhonn Balance, from the beyond the gates of death. Von Thronstahl - Sacrifi care An intoxicating mixture of Martial and Neo-Folk, drawing inspiration from the Byzantine Empire and Lord Byron to the Clash. A brilliant collection of anthems for the march of the new empire. Death in June and Boyd Rice - Scorpion Wind An essential re-issue of the Scorpion Wind Heaven Sent album, of 1996. Imagine a Neuropean Rod McKuen whispering sweet Social Darwinist rants in your ear. Ahhh. Spiritual Front - Armageddon Gigolo Every generation needs at least one god- like, lounge singer, and his name is Simone "Hellvis" Salvatori. (Sorry Bain Wolfkind.) The Roman Empire is setting up shop in Las Vegas ! Changes Legends The original "Folk-Noir" Duo. Enhanced versions of their early works in the' '60s and '70s, and new pieces to stir the ancient fi re within the soul. LARRY KELP World Music Buyer, Berkeley store Malvina Reynolds - Sings the Truth Berkeley's original activist folk-singer, Malvina Reynolds composed some of our best-known political and children's songs. But she was unknown until Pete Seeger started having hits with her songs like "Little Boxes" (revived for a new generation on TV's "Weeds"). This is her 1967 Columbia debut LP, never before out on CD, which includes "Little Boxes," "What Have They Done to the Rain" and "God Bless the Grass." Plus live recordings from KPFA, KQED and the Bread and Roses Festival. It's great to have backed in print this long-lost album from who always spoke truth to power, and had fun doing it. Creole Belles - Creole Belles It only took them a dozen years, but one of the Bay Area's fi nest Cajun and Creole bands has issued its debut CD. Unlike most Cajun albums of the past 20 years, the Creole Belles stick to traditional instrumentation and tunes, and render them with fresh insight, lots of fi ddling and accordion. The four women are joined, as they are onstage, by Louisiana-born accordion master and singer Andrew Carriere. Instant dance party! Steven Bernstein - Diaspora Suite On his fourth "Diaspora" CD for Tzadik exploring Jewish roots in jazz, Berkeley- born trumpeter Steven Bernstein assembles Bay Area-reared musicians (saxophonist Peter Apfelbaum, trombonist Jeff Cressman, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, 13 electric guitarists Nels Cline, John Schott and Will Bernard among them) to play his original compositions inspired by Bay Area jazz that he grew up on, specifi cally the early '70s Herbie Hancock sextet. Igor Stravinsky - Works of Igor Stravinsky Nothing new here except the price. Stravinsky's complete Columbia recordings, mostly from the '60s, were originally issued on 22 CDs for $300. Sony has just reissued them, complete but in a smaller box, for $35 list! Everything he wrote and conducted, all the ballets, suites, symphonies, concertos, operas, choral and vocal works, oratorios, songs, chamber works (including Ebony Concerto with Benny Goodman on clarinet) is here. Plus some '30s piano recordings he made. Nigeria Special - various artists Available on CD and LP, the subtitle says all you need to know: "Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds & Nigerian Blues 1970-6," with most of the tracks making their American debut, rarities and single B-sides by bands most of us, even African music fans, haven't heard before. From Soundway. MICHAEL HENNING www.myspace.com/thewhybecause Favorite Albums of 2007, in rough numerical order, but without the numbers: William Parker & Hamid Drake - Summer Snow Earthy, worldly, intuitive, spiritual improvisations on a host of instruments such as doson'ngoni, tabla, gongs, water bowls, shakuhachi, double bass, and various kinds of drums. These pieces stretch beyond jazz to become something more timeless and deeply resonant. World Music in the best possible sense... Panda Bear - Person Pitch What to say about a record that has already captured so many people in its web of sunny vibrations? So simple and yet so layered and fi lled with positive energy... and way more interesting than the 'Strawberry Jam' album by Animal Collective. Akron/Family - Love is Simple Their most epic release yet, this one draws together so many ideas and sounds and styles that it's sometimes hard to believe that it's all the same band. And they do it all so seamlessly and with such soul... truly one of the fi nest American bands out there right now, especially live. Eric Copeland - Hermaphrodite This Black Dice member made a solo record that really pushes forward the looping/noise aesthetic to a higher plane. Totally catchy yet quite experimental... very interesting music. Michael Harrison - Revelation A suite of piano pieces in Just Intonation that shimmers with the silvery haze of hundreds of microtones. If you dig Lamonte Young's piano works or just want something that sounds like it's from another world/time yet is also beautiful and meditative, check this one out. Amon Tobin - Foley Room (Ninja Tune) Darker, cinematic, elctronica from this Ninja Tune beatmaster. This one's his best since Supermodifi ed, and 14 it comes with a cool DVD of videos for the tracks on this fi ne release. Glenn Jones - Against Which the Sea Continually Beats Guitarist extraordinaire from Boston post-rock legends Cul De Sac turns out his second album of solo guitar works, and it's even better than the fi rst one was. He brings his own style to the post-Fahey continuum of guitarists, making beautiful music rich with warmth and fi nesse. Life on Earth - Finally We Are No One Bassist from Dungen goes solo and makes an incredible album of psychedelic rock that sounds both classic and modern. Great tunes, ace production, and the perfect vibe for this kind of music... Kiln - Dusker This Michigan trio is almost invisible despite releasing several albums, which is a shame, because they make some of the most fi nely- crafted ambient/downtempo electronic music out there. Simply beautiful choice/ creation/use of sounds and a masterful sense of structuring and dynamics... everything they've done are great, and this one's perhaps their most refi ned work yet. Black Dice - Load Blown When I listen to this record, I keep imagining that a bunch of robots have taken over a giant factory full of machines and are making a musical maze of rhythmic insanity. Seriously their best record since the masterpiece 'Beaches and Canyons' from a few years back. White Rainbow - Prism of Eternal Now Cosmic mantras of the "Inner Mind Journey" variety. Blissful and trance- inducing drones, rhythms, and melodies. I also had a transcendent experience seeing him perform last spring... Gang Gang Dance - Rawwar EP A three track EP to hold us over until the next full-length, this one fi nds these NYC fusionistas exploring further into their world of dark, futuristic, avant-rock. This one's got an MIA-fl avored dance track, a cute little Kraftwerk-goes-middle eastern pop ditty, and a long experimental jam with lots of looping and spoken word samples. Odd Nosdam - Level Live Wires Former CLOUDDEAD beat-making maestro's latest foray into his unique universe of hazy electronic dub-hop is his best yet. High-quality laid back grooves and washed-out textural haze... great for late- night headphone listening. Tied + Tickeled Trio - Aelita They dropped the jazz sax parts and focused on making a dubby, cinematic electronic record. It works extremely well... this group features guys from the Notwist in case you like them but haven't heard this stuff yet. Moodring - Phoolan Devi Way cool experimental electronic/rock/ noise from two members of the almighty Rollerball. We don't have it, so you gotta get this one from them via their myspace page (www.myspace.com/themoodring). Highly recommended. Plants - Photosynthesis Ethereal synth dreamscapes, folky tunes with lovely vocals, and pretty instrumental passages. Nice! Nicole Mitchell & Black Earth Ensemble - Black Unstoppable Excellent progressive large-ensemble jazz from this Chicago-based AACM member 15 who is also in the incredible group Frequency (which reminds me, do yourself a favor and check out their self-titled album on Thrill Jockey... it was one of my favorites from last year and highly recommended to anyone seeking a soulful and spiritual musical experience). Dr. Dog - We All Belong Wow, in this postmodern age, I can't believe I actually like a band that writes pop songs... but I do. Kinda like the Band, the Beach Boys, and the Beatles, a little bit like the Lilys and Olivia Tremor Control, but mostly just exactly like Dr. Dog. Soft Circle - Full Bloom Former Black Dice drummer made this solo record with lots of drums, drum machines, and synths, along with some droney vocals. The mood ranges from calm and meditative at points to thundering tribal heavyness at others, with an overall spacy and futuristic vibe. Deerhoof- Friend Opportunity These folks have developed their own universe of weirdness so well that it'd be easy to say, "oh, just another Deerhoof record" and that would be that. But they're still amazing at what they do (something no one else does), and this record is further proof of that fact, even expanding yet again on their trademark sound. Inimitable... Stars of The Lid - And Their Refi nement Of The Decline Now-legendary ambient duo's best album yet, this one's a double dose of lovely symphonic droned-out bliss. Favorite Reissues, Previously Unissued Archival Recordings, and Collections of 2007, in Alphabetical order: Harmonia - Live 1974 Wow, I never expected to hear what these Krautrock legends were like live and it's pretty amazing. More raw than their studio works and very cool to hear new material and reworked versions of familiar classics. Herbie Hancock - Takin' Off His fi rst solo album ever was a great session on Blue Note and features some fi ne playing from Herbie and his sidemen. A classic record that sounds even better now that it's been remastered. Qua - Painting Monsters on Clouds Beautiful organic electronica with a keen ear for detail... highly nuanced compositions full of warm textures, continuously evolving rhythms, and lush soundscapes. An elastic labyrinth of elaborately patterned sound fabric. Seefeel - Quique Remastered reissue from this infl uential UK ensemble with new bonus disc of rarities and remixes. This is their best work, which falls somewhere between the shoegaze and electronica movements of the time (1993), mixing the best elements of each into one fascinating musical entity unlike anything else before or maybe even since. Caetano Veloso - Araca Azul Caetano's most experimental album ever and my favorite as well. Weird multi-tracked vocalizations, some beautiful piano and guitar based songs, and bizarre tape collages and edits make this one a surreal trip... one well worth taking! Caetano Veloso - self-titled (White Album from 1969 Another Caetano classic available again! Authenticite - The Syliphone Years - various artists Two amazing CDs full of the fi nest African 16 guitar pop from the 1960's and '70s, including many rare selections. Comes with an informative booklet, and possibly my favorite African collection of all time, though the 'Africa Dances' comp on Original Music is a strong contender too! Black Mirror - various artists Refl ections in Global Musics A nice collection of recordings from around the globe from the fi rst half of the 20th century... world music before there was 'World Music' including many styles of traditional music which have now sadly disappeared. Zanzibara 3 - Ujamaa: The 1960's sound of Tanzania - various artists Upbeat guitar pop from Tanzania with great harmony vocals, this one will really bring some sunshine into your life. Zanzibara 2 - Golden Years of Mombassa Tarab - various artists Kinda similar to the Ethiopiques series in sound and style, with a slightly different sort of groove... tip: Support local music, musicians, and music stores. Take any opportunity to build community with artists of all kinds. Practice kindness and strive to give love to everyone and everything in every way possible. Believe that we can make a difference in the world and set out to make that difference. Live each day like it's going to be your last (except for the crazy whirlwind of emotions that would undoubtedly cause). Be all that you can be (but NOT in the army!). ALEX Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators - Keep Reachin' Up Do you like Sharon Jones or Amy Winehouse? Aretha Franklin - Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul Do you like Nicole Willis? Radiohead - In Rainbows They've aged well, and I like this one. Tropicalia - A Brazilian Revolution in Sound - various artists Psychedelic funk from '60s Brazil is the new sliced bread. How could you dislike this party? Peter Bjorn, and John - Writer's Block Rock fun. Honorable Mention: No Country for Old Men (DVD) - Favorite movie in years! JIM NASTIC Age 31. Looking for donations to go on vacation. Please send checks to Jim: P.O. Box 11273 Oakland, CA 94611 The Gun Club - Miami Sixteens - Into the Goldwave of Future Non Rip Off! The Horrors - Strange House Psychotic Sounds for Freaks and Weirdos Swann Danger - Thin and Gold EP Wild Billy Childish and the Musicians of the British Empire - Punk Rock at the British Legion Hall The Slits - Return of the Giant Slits (Reissue) 17 Ramones It's Alive (DVD) Animals and Men Revel in the Static ('79-83) The Vicious Igen SPENSER COOPER RUSSELL- SNYDER He's super cute! It's just that simple. American Steel Destroy Their Future After a six year hiatus, Oakland's American Steel came back with a fantastic record. The band synthesized its three previous records into one of the best punk records of the year. Combining raspy east bay vocals with Motown chord structures. Chromeo Fancy Footwork The sophomore release from this Montreal duo is the perfect record to put on at your next dance party. With analog keys, vocoder effects and artifi cial hand claps, they're pumpin up the volume like Christian Slater. Metalocalypse Season One DVD DeathKlok Deathalbum Metalocalypse follows the lives of the biggest name in fi ctional black metal history: Deathklok! The show is one of the darkest, coldest and most brutal shows I've ever witnessed! The soundtrack album takes cues from Maiden, 80s Metallica, and Cannibal Corpse. It will leave you ready to slay dragons and party down with a clown! Kidcrash - Jokes This proggy, mostly instrumental band from Olympia and Santa Fe made a record that only left my car stereo a handful of times all year. With odd time signatures that constantly change (a la Botch) and loads of double tapping guitar licks, Kidcrash will be a band to keep your eye on. Operation Ivy Energy (reissue) Countless teens have based their lives on this compilation of just about everything OpIv ever recorded. I was no different. Energy is just one of those classic records you never get sick of EVER! It's too bad it's not being reissued by original label Lookout! Records, but Epitaph will have to do. Everybody skank! tip: Best East Bay karaoke Jaguar Karaoke on Telegraph in Oakland. I rock, you rockJaguar rocks! JAMES LEON (BOEHLER) 1st Chicago, then New Orleans, followed by Pre 9-11 NYC, then Chicago again and now Cali for the 3rd time. Blanche - Little Amber Bottles This ain't yo daddy s country music, but maybe it should be! Moonspell - Great Silver Eye Grrreat atmospheric metal bound to make anyone get into witchcraft, and I don't mean the band Witchcraft! Bauhaus - Go Away White For the fi rst time in almost 26 years, this band steps into the studio to record one more album and guess what? It wasn't a wasted effort! Firewater - Golden Hour One of the most over looked bands of the last 10 years. Their fi rst album in 4 years and people will probably still forget about them. Warlocks - Heavy Deavy Skull Lover Who says Psychedelia is only for hippies?! 18 Wait a minute. People call me a hippie! Oh shit! Am I not to be trusted?! tip: The Acme Bar on San Pablo is a great hole in the wall, but bad if you get kicked out! EMILY ROSE BOSWELL Come to in-stores @ Amoeba Berkeley! About a Son - soundtrack PJ Harvey - White Chalk Aretha Franklin - Rare and Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul! My So-Called Life - The Complete Series (DVD) Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Runnin' Down a Dream (DVD) ROB FLETCHER Rock Floor Head Grunt Horrors of Malformed Men DVD A late 60s Japanese psych-take on the old "Dr. Moreau" tale, only this time gonzo'd up with some Rampo script damage. Art school exploits told through a LOT of colored fi lters, Coffi n Joe set pieces and Butoh dancing monsters. Yes, Butoh dancing. Kreepy. A depraved mad scientist makes mutants and half naked sheep women. Cake faced folks in cages left out like Mummenschanz gone to seed. Etc. Oh my. Jodorowsky and Fukasaku fans take note: this one will please ya! Rumor has it that this is one of the lowest selling discs Synapse has released!?!? We gotta right this wrong NOW. Mystics in Bali DVD The holy grail of international horror fi nally gets a state-side release! A young American girl becomes possessed by an Indonesian witch and has problems keeping her head on (and internal organs in) as it fl ies around looking for fetuses to suck out of unsuspecting mothers. No shit. Why can't Hollywood make anything this entertaining? Insane f/x work and a fantabulous warlock battle royale that rivals Disney's The Sword and the Stone's fi nale in sheer Intellivision laser bolt action alone.Thank you for existing Macabro. Terrible Twos More spastic Motor City madness for you weird-ohs out there. Similar to Detroit locals Human Eye and the sadly missed Piranhas, TT's come off like Zappa's band raised on '70s synth punk Screamers, Eno and bathtub meth instead of commercial jingles and pot brownies. So frantic in change-ups you'll be left boogie puking all over your tie-dye, hippie. One of the best live acts you'll ever catch as well. Two great singles fl oating around out there on Big Neck and X! Records Catch the fever! The Golden Boys Whiskey Flower This Texas band's sophomore effort may not be as southern rawk or bombast as their past release or singles, but it's just as porch stompin' and soaked in despair (or maybe that's Shiner Beer?). Damned if it don't sound similar to John Lennon's solo output gone Americana at times (you'll know when that hits), and don't hold it against them. Suits em just fi ne. Horns sprout up, warped tape loops warble along, fi ddles and organs roll on off into a muggy sunset. It's still got some oddball Texas style Butthole-ishness throughout the B-side, so don't think it all went soft. Wish I was lying out in a fi eld of dandelions with this one playing in my head. Permanently. All this on the prettiest creamsicle swirled vinyl you'll be likely to fi nd outside a Woolworth's lunch counter. Perfection. 19 The Touched Funeral Dress 7" Way down in nowheresville Kentucky, the '70s Cleve-punk scene is still thriving. These burly southern dudes bring forth the Rocket From the Tombs/Electric Eels/ Pagans spew of the yesteryear and slosh it all up in an AmRep fi lth cake that caught me totally off guard. Hate fi lled proto-punk that feels like a Gulcher or Anopheles re-ish and I wouldn't have doubted for a minute it wasn't authentic and over three decades old. Outsider vocals of the Chris D./Debris variety and a hell of a lot o'unhinged f/x pedal clatter. Scum rock for older dudes who hate what muSICK has become. I want a full length please. BILLY SPRAGUE Blowin' up in 2008! Caribou Andora Polished up psych-rock. Super catchy pop at its best. Panda Bear Person Pitch Lush layers of Wilson-esque psych rock in a more lo-fi fashion. Apparat Walls Soulful electronica at its best; for fans of Jamie Lidell. Ike Yard 1980-82 Collected 80s Dark drum machines. Cool vocals and interesting guitar work. Best reissue in a while. Velvet Cacoon Genevieve Black metal at its best. Layers of guitar and nice ambient scapes and buried vocals if you're picky like me! tip: First Friday art walks! R.M.L. RIP! KEN KUBALA President, Society to Keep Music Analog Gladiators - Studio One Singles This is, to me, the defi nitive Gladiators collection - a treasure trove of their best work at the label, along with many of the corresponding dub b-sides. An essential purchase! Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights Sharon and the boys' third album is a burner. I think it's my favorite of the three. The title track alone is worth the purchase price. Amy who??? Paul Weller - Wild Wood (Deluxe Edition) This double disc expanded version of one of my fave '90s albums is totally worth buying. The second disc contains 28 (!) unreleased tracks that are amazing. His demos are better than most people's completed albums! Vashti Bunyan - Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind Vashti's early, poppier side is exposed here, as well as one-take live recordings from '64-'66 that display her unique talent wonderfully. Her voice and melodies haunt me. Honerable Mentions: Gram Parsons w/ Flying Burrito Brothers - Live at the Avalon Ballroom 1969 Billy Butler - Right Tracks: The Complete Okeh Recordings John Mayall - John Mayall Plays John Mayall & Live at Klooks Kleek Nathaniel Mayer - (I Want) Love and Affection (Not the House of Correction) 20 JOANNA RESNIK Cashier, Instore Photographer and Accessories Dungen - Tio Bitar Dreamdate - Come Over Now Liars - self-titled Interpol - Our Love to Admire The Ponys - Turn the Lights Out ZANE No time to be 211 shingles Soiled Mattress and the Springs - Honk Honk Bonk The great thing about these NYC strange young men is the underlying perverse aspects that seep from the feet of those who bop, pogo, tango and waltz in 2008. Nodzzz - I Don't Wanna Smoke Marijuana 7" These Bay Area poppers gave a great little nugget (sorry) for all of us to second guess the magical toke (sorry!) to. Very kind, yet choke Amoeba staffers. Call blasphemy! Girls - Live at Caf Du Nord This aching pop came on real strong for a fi rst show, and the girls in the crowd were slam dancing and singing all over the PA. A triumph! P.S. There is a girl in the band. Sex Vid - Tania 7" Holy cow, this one has the willies worried! Get out of Sex Vid's way! I guess hardcore isn't quite as much nostalgic as some geezers would guess! Magnetic Fields - Distortion This blissful pop refi nes a certain sunglasses- wearing-what's-their-name-who cares. I could drink some Cokes with this good time of an album. Mellow summer sammer. tip: Annihilation Time live, Miles on the Corner Box, Planet Earth DVD set, California Love, Reaping the Whirlwind. IAN M. Dystopia - self-titled Soundtrack to the impending apocalypse. Listen and prepare. Devil Makes Three - self-titled Perfect album for porch sittin' and whiskey sippin'. See them live! Chumbawumba - Singsong & a Scrap Stripped down acoustic folk by longtime English radicals. Try to forget Tubthumping ever happened. Carolina Chocolate Drops - Dona Got A Ramblin' Mind Traditional country and bluegrass revitalized by three young southerners. Born/Dead - Final Collapse Raging! JUAN "WONWAY" AMADOR Age: 28 HipHop Age: 71 5 Picks... Jneiro Jarel - Three Piece Puzzle Not new, but maybe I slept on it because it existed in a parallel universe where the Native Tongues never broke up and MF Doom got regular play on KMEL's Top 7 @ 7. Nice balance of the golden age and the futuristic. His group album with Shape of Broad Minds came out this year and is also a good listen, but if you're not up on Jneiro, this where to start. Blu & Exile - Below the Heavens One of the most well rounded emcees on the mic, and Exile's been bangin' em out since 21 I was buying Emanon and Dream Sequence cassettes in high school. "The new Pete Rock & CL is Exile & BL"...hmm, maybe. Best debut HipHop album to come out in years! DJ Haylow - Infl uence N Inspiration Somehow Haylow always has another mixtape to make my Top 5 and I.N.I is no exception. Feel good Hip Hop & Vintage Soul seamlessly inter weaved with fresh sound bites from legendary fi gures to keep your ass moving and your fi st raised. Essential. Mia Zuniga - Stories Such as These A sweet voice, an acoustic guitar, and solid production make for excellent "Sunday afternoon, light some incense" music. One of the best emerging talents out of the bay. O.C. - Word... Life (reissue) Somehow this album always gets left out of those "best albums of the golden era" conversations, but in my opinion ranks higher than 90% of the other ones everyone always talks about. Vintage D.I.T.C.! Out of print for years fi nally repressed for all you suckas to recognize! tip: Makossa Tuesdays @ Easy Lounge in Oakland and Creme de la Creme every 3rd Sunday @ Kitty's in Emeryville. Go! KYLE RUNYON Roams the folk section Karen Dalton - Cotton Eyed Joe Karen's voice is from another dimension, where Billie Holiday picked up the guitar/ banjo and made time stand still. Collected from unreleased live performances. "When I Think of Freedom" is breathtaking, ok? Les Rallizes Denudes - Yodo Go A Go Go In just a few short months since the release of Julian Cope's Japrocksampler we have seen an impressive resurgence of Rallizes reissues; start with this one! Collected from various bootlegs. Holy Modal Rounders - Bound to Lose DVD Take a trip with quite possible the strangest folk group out of 1960s New York. Eccentric, honest, crude, heartwarming, drunk, irresponsible. Moolah: Maurice and Walter Present Moolah Our friends at Scorpio Records/Distribution have truly outdone themselves! LP reissue of this virtually unheard psych/kraut/ cacophonic 1974 masterpiece. Fans of Cluster take note! Great price. Tropicalia: Ou Panis Et Circensis - various artists Finally the public can get their sweaty palms on the album that started a whole movement in Brazil 1968. Forget any other Tropicalia collection. This is the ultimate collaboration featuring Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Os Mutantes, Gil Costa and more. tip: Check out Ugly Things mag for anything psych. Listen to the Minutemen always. Don't buy overpriced Experimental releases anymore. FELIX ELIEFF Dean, thanks for the Stravinsky tip. Go, Stravinsky, go! Happy 91 to our sweetheart, Iris! Saint-Saens Organ Symphony - Poulenc Organ, Go & Barber Toccata Festiva with the Philadelphia Orchestra - Chistoph Eschenbach (Conductor), Oliver Latry (Organ) This disc is fi lled with 3 beautiful compositions, Barber's piece begins with a fl urry and eases gracefully into such elegant phrasings. The richness of the strings and Latry's organ are in high relief on Poulenc's 22 organ. In both pieces the strings exemplify solace while the organ underlies reality and truth. Eschenbach has a masterful command of this important distinction. Agreement is miraculously attained in Saint-Saens organ Symphony and enlightenment is fi nally achieved. Luscious, sonorous sounds of this breathtaking recording have never failed to fi ll my heart. Ahhhhhhhhhh. Prokofi ev Piano Concerto #2 - Seiji Ozawa and the Berlin Philharmonic, Yundi Li (Piano) Yundi Li contributes a pristine and yet frantic splash of energy into Prokofi ev's powerful composition trying desperately to quell the doom and gloom which the piece dictates. His success lies with his valiant chase despite impossible odds, Ozawa's Berlin Philharmonic and Yundi Li together make this a great listen. Gershwin Piano Concerto in F - Rhapsody in Blue & Cuban Overature Jon Nakamatsu (Piano) and the Rochester Philharmonic Jeff Tyzik (Conductor) These engaging pieces emphasize the classical despite their jazz overtones. The mellifl uous and elegant playing by Jon Nakamatsu dances with polished delicacy alongside sweeping, fl owery melodies. The bouquet of Tyzik and the Rochester Philharmonic manages to encapsulate the Big Apple in the 1920s. It's a miracle! Mahler Symphony #5 - Davies Symphony Hall Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Mariss Janson (Conductor): Monday, January 28, 2008 I haven't given up trying to fi nd the perfect Mahler Symphony on CD but then my abode is not that spacious or isolated. To enjoy the many variations of delicacy and intensity that his symphonies present one needs lots of space. Hearing the RCO perform Mahler's 5th live at Davies earlier this year made me realize that this might be the only wayat least, for me. Janson and the RCO gave a potent (sans screechiness of the strings) and glowing performance radiating a warm brilliance throughout the hall which made even Renan forget where he was (or wasn't?). The fact that this performance still lingers within (or Renan hmmmm) qualifi es this as my most recent musical climax. Oh, how I adored that evening! MARK WEINSTEIN My mind goes blank when I'm in the middle of the store you? 2007 Releases in heavy rotation this last 6 months Raoul Bjorkenheim & Friends - Box: Studio (Rune Grammofon) An international "super-band" of sorts got together briefl y in Stockholm to record an all-improvised record of amazing instant compositions - featuring Trevor Dunn & produced by Zorn. It seems not-as- hardcore as Scorch Trio records and fi lled with more subtle listening. A must for pure Improv fans Thurston Moore - Trees Outside the Academy (Ecstatic Peace) Played it so many times - thoroughly fearless Art-Pop moods created out of thin air. A collaging of styles & infl uences nobody else could pull off. Featuring Steve Shelley of S.Y. & otherwise a beautiful band of friends Alemayehu Eshete - Ethiopiques 22 (Buda Musique) Alemayehu's various bands from '72- '74 all Rock and provide an incredible groove in which deep poems about life are interwoven. This one is a "must" of this extensive series 23 Love is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets '65-'70 - various artists (Rhino) From the well known to the barely known. Defi nitive examples of this highly eclectic scene. Four beautiful discs & a great book. Deep, yet barely scratching the surface. Carl Stone - Al-Noor (Intone) Carl builds incredible instrumental music out of bits & pieces he fi nds. Exciting minimalism that jams, perplexes, & inspires. A great new sound like no other! As usual, created in studios all around the globe Miles Davis - On the Corner 6 CD Set (Columbia/Legacy) Imagine a release with over 2 hours of previously unissued Miles from '72-'75. A few of the best bands ever with Miles. INCREDIBLE sounds of inspiration and a killer book with lots of rare photos, etc ALSO RECOMMEND: the new Meshuggah, White Rainbow and Gultskra Artikler. SAN FRANCISCO ROBERT WINHAINES That curly haired tattooed jerk that passed on your CDs. I probably fl irted with your girlfriend when I did it too. I run the punk rock section... where I probably fl irted with your girlfriend too. Born and raised in the 408 son. Fucked Up - Year of the Pig 12" The most visionary band in contemporary hardcore follow their groundbreaking 2006 2 LP masterpiece HIDDEN WORLD with an epic 18minute song that builds from a Godspeed You Pink Floyd organ & guitar intro through a Neu-esque Krautrock jam into a raging hardcore climax. The crushing b-side "The Black Hats" is one of this Toronto juggernaut's most lethal hardcore assaults. Christ on Parade - Sounds of Nature One of the cornerstone bands of the original 80's Gilman Street punk scene fi nally receive the re-issue treatment they deserve. Informed by the English anarcho- punk scene (think Rudimentary Peni/ Subhumans) but uniquely Bay Area at the same time. Bryan Ray Turcotte - Punk Is Dead Punk Is Everything An incredible follow-up to the amazing 1999 punk/hardcore fl yer art book FUCKED UP AND PHOTOCOPIED. Even more great gig fl yer art plus killer interviews with scene regulars including some of theoriginal San Jose punks I admired as a kid. Pissed Jeans - Hope for Men Brutal Pennsylvania hate-punk that recalls killer 80's outfi ts like Scratch Acid, Flipper & Big Black as well as early Killing Joke. Dark, vicious & punishing. Cock Sparrer - Here We Stand There is nothing... and I mean NOTHING... more embarrassing than 'ol punkers hanging around until well past their "sell by date." These 50-plus year old godfathers of British street-punk deliver their fi rst LP in over 10 years & reclaim their throne as the fi nest songwriters in the street style. Unexpected & heartwarming. Honorable Mentions Go It Alone - Histories Vancouver's fi nest say goodbye with a fi nal killer LP. R.I.P. Career Suicide - Attempted Suicide 2nd killer LP from these Toronto rippers who do the Adolescents almost as well as the Adolescents. Neil Young - Live At Massey Hall CD/ DVD & Jean-Luc Godard's BREATHLESS Criterion Collection DVD A man cannot live on piss & vinegar alone... though lord knows I'm tryin'... 24 Joe Strummer - The Future Is Unwritten Hopefully out on DVD soon, this theatrical documentary is a lovely tribute to one of the few people I feel comfortable calling a hero. JOHN W. GARCIA Stop.Don't.Look.Listen.Repeat. Robert Wyatt - Comicopera The Great One returns with a landmark effort. Considering how creatively desiccated many of his bipedal Sixties contemporaries have become, not to mention the regurgitated muskeg that often passes for musical vitality now, it is all the more remarkable that Wyatt can so consistently fi nd the wherewithal to touch the soul. Part of it has to do with his breadth as both player and listener. His CV includes work with Daevid Allen, Carla Bley, Jimi Hendrix, Mongezi Feza, Brian Eno, "Sugarcane" Harris, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Chris & Cosey, Elvis Costello, the Raincoats, Bjrk a.o. Interviews with him reference myriad musics from Mingus to Mongolian throat singers. And yet, his own work sounds like no one else, despite the occasional reference to any or all of the above. Margaret Thatcher's dictatorship rendered him mute with anger for much of the Eighties. Fortunately, current world events and his own personal demons have caused him to raise his heartfelt, melancholy voice once more. The songs, some co- written with his wife, muse, and album cover artist, Alfreda Benge, initially deal with relationships: their own and those of friends around, them each dealing with the loss and neglect that can transpire almost imperceptibly. These are the most straight- forward songs on the album, and as a result are the most immediately heartbreaking. Next, Wyatt deals with the world around him, particularly the atrocities the West is perpetrating in the Middle East. Many of these songs deal with the subject so microscopically that it is not always obvious what he intends until the end. And then, it stings, like a withering punchline. The album's fi nal side is where he departs from employing the English language at all, seeking the solace and hope of other cultures and ideas. This the most abstract part of the album linguistically and musically. In many ways, it is also the most beautiful as Wyatt's sincere handling of the Spanish and Italian languages and Orphy Robinson vibraphonic interlude induce a calm perspective on all that has come before. It ends, joyously, with Carlos Puebla's famous ode to Che Guevara, which is the most uptempo piece on the album. It is a recording that must be heard repeatedly to be fully appreciated. The voices and the immaculate arrangements are more fully charged with magic each time. Every note seems inevitable. At the risk of waxing hyperbolic, his is just about the only set of vocal cords that really matter right now. Richard Thompson - Sweet Warrior Linda Thompson - Versatile Heart Teddy Thompson - Upfront & Down Low In commercial terms, the above three would undoubtedly prefer to be assessed as individual artists rather than call attention to their erstwhile/current familiar or marital ties. But, as in mid-2007, when fortuitous circumstance brought about the near-simultaneous release of three new Thompson family albums, the temptation was too great not to delight in them collectively and singularly--particularly when they are all so damn good. Sweet Warrior managed to squeak into the last 25 MWL book, but it deserves a further mention as it ranks among RT's greatest works. Funny how in this youth-oriented marketing miasma there are a select few 60-somethings still quietly creating masterpieces? The songs in question at fi rst exude an air of familiarity; after all it is that powerfully unfeigned baritone singing them. But, there is something about that voice that seems to amass fervency as one memorable tune after the next leaves an exacting imprint upon the psyche and each play on words migrates from astute observation to poignant image. He is able to imbue societal, theoretical and, most blatantly on this album, global events with an intimacy that is almost disarming. The arrangements swirl with strings, sax and sinew and even though they seldom allow for the stinging, skirling, epic exploration of plectoral prestidigitation that highlight his live work, each solo impresses with its juxtaposition of craft and intensity. Despite LT's work and associations over the years with Martin Carthy, the Albion Band, the Trio (Harris/Ronstadt/ Parton), David Thomas (of Pere Ubu), Peter Blegvad (cover artist on album in question), and newer collaborators such as Rufus Wainwright, Rob Burger, Antony and Steven Bernstein, her stance as a solo artist has been primarily overshadowed by that legendary duo of yore. Versatile Heart should go a considerable way to certify her as a potent individualist. Not unlike her ex, her vocals sound better than ever as she negotiates songs of regret and exultation within the confi nes of rock, country, folk and blues in a feisty, beguiling manner. All fears that the condition that cruelly stole her voice for over a decade has been banished and Linda Thompson, the artist, goes from strength to strength. In a single fell swoop, she inadvertently displaces those other "rediscovered" female folkies from the Sixties that are au courant into the dustbin of fashionability. Sometimes one has to explore other voices before one can fi nd one's own and on TT's latest he returns to his "roots" in country music. And such is the skill and devotion that he brings to these sometimes lesser known classics written and/or sung by Ernest Tubb, George Jones, Dolly Parton, & Merle Haggard that one is quickly convinced that a young man from London has just made a more authentic country album than most of the Rocky-Tonkers that spew forth from the fetid rhinestone maw of the modern Nashville hit machine. The bell-like clarity of his voice is underscored neatly by accompaniments that range from simple strumming to full string ensembles. He has so internalized the idiom that the album's sole original composition in no way sounds out of place. Lastly, two out of the above three graced an Amoeba with an instore in 2007. Well, Linda? Amalgam - Wipe Out Reissues are not generally within my purview, but this album, which appeared as a 4-LP box set in 1980 on Impetus, was in print for such a short time that the current issue is practically new. Amalgam was the name of a series of free-boppish bands led by saxist Trevor Watts throughout the Seventies and often featured such key fi gures as John Stevens, Barry Guy and Keith Tippett among others. However, this version of the band was always the most mythic as it included AMM guitarist Keith Rowe, a pioneer of playing the guitar as a sound source fl at on its back on a table, and a reputed infl uence on Syd Barrett who attended AMM's fi rst recording sessions in 1966. What makes this 3-CD set, recorded on tour in November of 26 1979, unique is that Rowe is playing guitar in a more conventional manner which he had done only a handful of times since 1963. He includes a droll if rather involved explanation for why he decided to play in this manner, but the results are far from academic. He somehow elides his own deft, subtle sonic peregrinations with the more linear, virtuosic approach of early McLaughlin or later Sharrock. He just burns. Watts plays wonderfully in his post-Ornette style, bassist Colin McKenzie fi nds wondrous grooves which might otherwise have been lost and drummer Liam Genockey marshals the maelstrom with Herculean abandon. Those who pine for the glory days of Last Exit in the mid-Eighties, might want to investigate. Oh yeah, to my knowledge, after leaving this band, Rome placed his guitar back on the table, where it has stayed. Biota - Half a True Day It took the Fort Collins-based sound and art collective six years to create their sixth album of obliquely tuneful sound collages. The "band" coalesced in 1979 as the Mnemonists, a rigorous musique concrte group that tended to record their improvisations on any number of modern and antiquated musical instruments and then sculpt the resulting sounds into rich atonal abstractions. When they changed their name to Biota in 1982 they used the same processes to create music, but this time the results began to yield more structured, even melodic results. They have followed and refi ned this course ever since, even adding singers along the way. While this may seem like a band pursuing greater acceptance via more commercial means, in many respects they remain just as avant- garde as the Mnemonists. On the other hand, they are also more accessible. Their sound art veers from a lugubrious, aquatic churning to a buoyant, crystalline gleam. All the while melodies displaying a global awareness played on accordions, acoustic guitars; violins, rubabs and backward voices appear and vanish into the frothy melange. Many of the musicians are also exceptional visual artists and their art fi lls the CD booklet, which is a superb complement to the music therein. If this were a more aesthetically just omniverse, these folks would be the guiding models of the so-called phreeee(k) faux(k) movement rather than some her- suited, trans-genre robber baron and his overly-orchestrated warbling harpee. But, I digress.... KELLY "CAPTAIN" SWEENEY chaotic-good Little Wings - Soft Pow'r If you're familiar with those decorative, driftwood "hydrometer"/weather indicators that usually adorn the outer wall of beach bungalows and surf shacks then you need to get familiar with this album. If not, get hip. My Little Airport - Zoo is Sad, People Are Cruel This Hong Kong duo make scandalously cute music that'll likely endanger some listeners of being uncompromisingly charmed out of your shoes (especially if you are wont to wear smart, saddle-styled footwear). Fans of CTFPA and Takako Minekawa listen up! Agent Ribbons - And The Star-Crossed Doppleganger Beautiful granny-smith vinyl, entrancing cover art by Dame Darcy, and two killer songs by two lovely ladies making a mess of my heart. Limited to 500 hand numbered releases ~ get it while you can. 27 Woelv - Tout Seul dans la Foret en plein Jour, Avez-Vous Peur? Rather scary. The audible equivalent of the enchanted forest superstitious parents warn their children about wandering too close to, it may give listeners the impression that they're being banefully infringed upon by some pernicious faerie cantation. Ai Aso - Chamomile Pool As mellow and precious as the title suggests. Ai gets a little group effort going here with contributions from her hubby Michio Kurihara and other members of White Heaven/The Stars including a cover of a Boris song. Survive Style 5+ DVD Simply mindblowing. An overtanned hypnotist with bejeweled, tiger-faced loins, a road-tripping family of fi ve singing along to raunchy rock songs, a man who, try as he might, cannot kill his wife, bizarre "commercial breaks," sets dripping in the most over-the-top decor imaginable, crazy dialogue, insane hitmen, and ridiculous small time crooks all entwined together with unique editing and a surreal soundtrack make for one of the most original and entertaining fi lms I've ever seen. With such cool cats as Tadanobu Asano, Vinnie "Bullet Tooth Tony" Jones, Kanji Tsuda (Japan's answer to our Steve Buscemi) and Ittoku Kishibe this movie cannot help but make you smile like a child and laugh like an idiot in love. This rules! musical tip: Keep a weather eye out for the new ep by local unicorn Uni & Her Ukulele with the DING! String Trio entitled "As Gold" out in April. So good you'll swoon! TRIZZAE Part human, part TraeBot. Planet Earth - The Complete Series DVD This fi ve DVD set narrated by Sir David Attenborough is THE reason that you bought a HD Television. Seriously. There are things and animals and nature on these DVDs that you will never see in real life and probably never see again on DVD. The producers went all out and spared no expense to bring you the best of the best... It will even make your cheapo TV and DVD player look amazing, not to mention Blu Ray... Just buy it already... sheesh. Kanye West - Graduation Say what you will, this album is GOOD. Kanye West is Hip Hop's version of Kobe Bryant. It doesn't matter how much you don't like him or think he's an asshole or arrogant or whatever. Just like Kobe you can't stop him. If he's playing, you're gonna get dunked on and Kanye certainly showed up to play. Sure his voice is annoying at times, but he more than makes up for it in production value. If you're one of those people who haven't copped this because you "don't like Kanye..." shake that shit off and buy this album. It grows on you (and it's a slam dunk :-). Common - Finding Forever This is the companion piece to "Graduation . Kanye keeps the production value on par with his own stuff, without forcing you to listen to his voice on every single track. Common is as soulful as ever and it lines up perfectly with "Go", "Like Water for Chocolate" and "One Day It'll All Make Sense." Thank me later. 28 Weeks Later DVD The opening sequence is the best I've ever seen in a zombie movie. This also has to be one of the best zombie sequels ever (not counting remakes and adaptations). It might even be better than "28 Days Later." Go see it if you haven't. music tip: Support your local record store! 28 ERIN HURLEY White Magic- Dark Stars Mira Bilotte is a mesmerizing vocalist. She whoops, howls, chants, and plays the piano like she's casting some kind of spell. Bill Callahan- Woke on a Whaleheart I love everything this man does. "Diamond Dancer" is his best song ever - a soulful, R&B- inspired jam about a girl who "was dancing so hard, she danced herself into a diamond." Vashti Bunyan - Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind A collection of '60s pop songs from Vashti Bunyan's brief career as a Marianne Faithfull-esque pop star. Simple but lovely songs with whispery high vocals. Electrelane - No Shouts, No Calls Why is Electrelane so underrated? They're so great! Another totally solid album from these 4 Brighton ladies - triumphant, powerful, and pretty. M.I.A.- Kala M.I.A. is an international badass. music tip: Soul Nights! Oldies Night at the Knockout and 1964 at Edinburgh Castle are the best. TIM HELLMAN Speed is not my strong point. I really like the following local bands: The Traditional Fools Nodzz Dimples Lemonade Punch 100s of Dismembered Handbags Baader Brains CONNELL Wire - Read & Burn 03 Map of Africa - self-titled Cheap Sunglasses Turf Talk - West Coast Vaccine Fresh Is the Word Robert Wyatt - Comicopera Brainbombs - self-titled Time We Left This World Today Reissue: Circle - Sunrise You've Got Another Thing Comin' BEN STEIDEL For the LULZ Beach House - Devotion One of a precious few "rock" records to catch my ear lately. Dreamy indie-pop. This has been in constant rotation since it leaked onto the internets over 2 months prior to street date. The fact that I'm still listening is, I suppose, testament to its quality. Way high on the itunes play-count. Kathy Diamond - Miss Diamond to You Syclops - Where's Jason's K? Bubbletease Communications Podcast Maurice Fulton is owning it as usual with a few different projects. His production on the Kathy Diamond record is a perfect balance of smooth space-disco and quirky weirdness. The Syclops single on DFA (with full length to come!) dives further into the squelchy synth realm over a 29 bed of dirty electro beats. The best thing though, is his podcast, which brings all his projects together in half hour mixed monthly transmissions, all for free. Love it! Studio - West Coast This is just as good as everyone else is telling you it is; lush, melodic, and spaced-out. They've managed to combine the sounds of the current Scandinavian disco scene with just enough Cure and New Order to bump the accessibility up to the point where if these songs weren't so long they'd be hits. Someone please start a live band that sounds like this. I am by record store law required to include the word "balearic" in this review. Burial - Untrue One more that probably doesn't need another endorsement, but this did get a lot of spins for a reason. For actual, dancefl oor-bound dubstep, I refer you to Skreamism 4, but if you're on the bus home, Untrue is where it's at. Don't get spooked. Paramore - Riot! In which mall-emo achieves some sort of manifest destiny. An impossibly hooky pop record performed by a 4 1/2 ft. tall teenage girl with awful orange hair and her band of fl at-ironed, guy-linered protools plug-ins. Bonus points awarded for a lyrical homage to Refused and for actually catching my attention via an appearance on TRL. See also: my 2004 obsession with My Chemical Romance. You've been warned. tip: Secret Springs Radio on West Add Radio. Every other Friday from 7-9 on 93.7FM in some parts of SF. westaddradio.com 4 tha world! We play the best music ever and sometimes we say funny stuff. It's cute. JOEY IZZO Video Shooter/Editor & obsessive-compulsive DVD collector Satantango (Artifi cial Eye) PAL2 DVD Berlin Alexanderplatz (Criterion Collection) DVD Three Films by Hiroshi Teshigahara (Criterion Collection) DVD Hypothermia - Rakbladsvalsen Monarch - Die Tonight (Throne) RACHEL Jazz and Classical Floor Person Extraordinaire Trio M- Big Picture Michael Harrison - Revelation McCoy Tyner Quartet Giancarlo Vulcano - Vetro Dino Saluzzi - Ojos Negros tip: Check out the New Yorker music critic Alex Ross's blog www.therestisnoise.com for insight on the latest happenings in the classical music world. SEAN MURPHY Irish Drinker, Jewish Thinker The Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath Screw all this Ouija Board nonsense; this 30 is a solid return to form for a band I started to lose faith in after Amputechture. Radiohead - In Rainbows Hail to the Thief didn't really do much for me, and I wasn't a fan of Thom Yorke's solo album, but this WOW! And to all the people who asked me "Who's going to buy a CD that's available online for free?" Answer: Tons o' motherfuckers. In your face, haters. Knocked Up DVD Every time I hear Jonah Hill say to Seth Rogen "She licka the way you dic tast," an angel gets its wings. "Is that Ben's rabbi? The one that cuts the penis?" No, I think its Matisyahu." Priceless. Comedy Death Ray - various artists As a budding comic myself, I love the wonderful comedy section here. This double disc features many of the best in the biz and even includes a shout out to our very own Mike B. BATTAGS RULES! Paul F. Tompkins - Impersonal The former Mr. Show cast member and Tenacious D. open mic host shows just how prodigiously talented he is on this stand up album, recorded at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in LA. tip: Check me out at Myspace .com/ seanmurphyishilarious. I'll have a bunch of new videos up very soon! BEN TUTTLE A mix by Tuts is a quality mix Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights Modern yet timeless soul music with the baddest rhythm section alive today. Dirty Projectors - Rise Above Nobody sounds like the Dirty Projectors. Polyrhythmic, hyper- melodic and 4 part harmonies for days. RF & Lili De La Mora - 11 Continents Delicate dreamy drones suitable for breakfast or dessert. Rush - Snakes & Arrows You could say "Tuts is a Rush fan." I would say, "My Rocinante sailed by night on her fi nal fl ight." Fucking Champs - IV Phil Manley is one of my heroes. Tim(s), you rule too. Can I borrow a Coles 4038 for a day? tip: More blickum in the drum monitor please. Thank you. ANDRE HAISLIP Movie Geek of the Strangest Order Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory DVD Practically everyone in their 30s, including myself, grew up with this confectionary classic. What's NOT to like about this fi lm? The Road Warrior DVD Mad Max kicked ass! But this follow up truly delivers the goods! When Mel was still at least halfway sane and was driving the bad ass V-8 Interceptor. Yellow Submarine DVD Arguably I'd say this is the very fi rst fi lm I've ever seen and it still resonates beautifully with me. Gotta love the Blue Meanies! Seven Samurai DVD My personal favorite from my favorite director Akira Kurasawa (R.I.P.). Toshiro 31 Mifune shines in a warmth of sadness, angst and pride. One hell of a fi lm. Halloween (1978 Original) DVD Sorry Mr. Zombie, but not even you can out- do (i.e. remake) this fl awless horror classic. A perfect storm of story, atmosphere, music, character, scare tactics, etc. John Carpenter's masterpiece! tip: Everyone has a story to tell - time for yours. Never follow the fl ock. Be your own leader. NERO Tigerman Top 5 things I found at Amoeba in the past 6 months: Lou Reed - Legendary Hearts & New Sensations I found that unlike a lot of other Lou Reed fans I know - I actually really like his '80s stuff. The songs are personal, sharp, and even fun at times. Is that him dancing in the "I Love You Suzanne" video? Meeting Morrissey In The Smiths Section - I found myself talking to a hero of mine... Morrissey. He was in The Smiths section. Truly, a big moment for me. Giddy like a girl. I had just seen his show the night before. I introduced myself and I gave him my glowing review. He was very nice. And more chatty than I thought. Dopestyle - Little Happy/Fools Pool I found that I can still dig a hip-hop record. That it's not all boring and cliche-ridden. This album is authentic, original, smart, and subversive-all the things great about hip- hop music. Jesse Johnson - Can You Help Me I fi nally found this single. The b-side "Free World" is a fantastic club record. Prince - Planet Earth I found that Prince can still stir things up. After last year's "3121" album, I thought Prince was opting for the funk fun music route. But this album has great pop tracks ("The 1 U Wanna C") and blistering guitar work ("Guitar"). This album has one of the most unusual openings tracks of any Prince record. Great record. Wendy and Lisa even make an appearance. music tip: "what? Who is the band? Already? Christ..." JUSTIN Rock Alicia Keys - As I Am Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light Kate Nash - Made of Bricks Coheed & Cambria - No World for Tomorrow Nada Surf - Lucky AUDRA WOLFMANN Actor, writer, dilettante. Victrola Favorites: Artifacts from Bygone Days - various artists Rare 78rpm recordings from around the world. This is the closest we will ever get to time travel!! Heavy Trash - Going Way Out With Heavy Trash I loves me some Hillbilly rawk n' roll! 32 Crime - Exalted Masters So classy and arcane that it's only on vinyl. Ramones - It's Alive 1974-1996 DVD Previously unreleased concert footage and photo galleries that are a must for any life- long Ramones fan. Blood Trilogy - Special Edition DVD Box Set Where can I get three of H. G. Lewis's bloodiest movies on one DVD? HERE!! SALLY No Other Bonnie Prince Billy - Ask Forgiveness EP Bears the ultimate sign of a massively enjoyable record: I can never pick which track is my favorite. Today it's "Cycles." Black Mountain - In the Future Actual Rock n Roll! Wooden Shjips - self-titled SF's best band, bar none. Karen Dalton - Cotton Eyed Joe KD live in Colorado. Never thought we'd get to hear anything else from this gal! Sad sounding songs. My So Called Life DVD Box set Yeah, I had the other, older box set, but this one comes with so many more irresistible extras! Ricky, why'd you have to go and get new teeth? Paul McCartney In-store at Amoeba Hollywood It was unreal, people. The Love Boat Season One (DVD) At last! Well, it's not out quite yet as I type this, but (aside from that upcoming Sun Kil Moon record) this is my most anticipated release of 2008! RYAN ROBERT This is stuff found to be awesome by me in the last year. KTL Tangerine Dream - Zeit Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians Lustmord and B.Osborn - Juggernaut Wildildlife - Six tip: Uhhhread This Band Could Be Your Life, watch Pink Floyd Live In Pompeii and listen to more Jethro Tull. JESS SCOTT Rock Floor! No particular order... Pylon - Gyrate Re-issue of '80s Athens, GA female-fronted post-punk mania. All you can eat! Mika Miko - 666 Hear the thrilling fury and wild, pure punk joy from our fave L.A. girls! G3 - Un Nuevo Enemigo Re-issue (on vinyl!) of fantastic '80s Peruvian hardcore! Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil Another piece of '60s pre-punk, garage infl uenced fuzz-mayhem! M.I.A. - Kala Will you civil union-me? 33 JON GINOLI New Stuff: New Pornographers - Challengers Neil Young - Chrome Dreams II LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver Wire - Read and Burn 3 Luke Haines - Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop Reissues: Pylon - Gyrate Dictators - Every Day Is Saturday The Eat - It's Not the Eat, It's the Humidity RANT! (a.k .a. "SECURITY RIC") Freespirit/Xtraturestrealcelestial. The Red Balloon - DVD This timeless GEM of a fi lm won't be out 'til April, but I STRONGLY recommend getting this, not only for yourself, but for your loved ones... a piece of my past. Bad Brains - Build a Nation The godfathers of Hardcore STILL got that supertouch!! The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters DVD I just wanna' give Steve Wiebe a big old hug... & give Billy Mitchell (the Billy Ray Cyrus of the video arcade world) not only a much- deserved kick in the bum, but a righteous haircut - 'nuff said. Great doc-fi lm. Downtown 81 - soundtrack When I heard that this hard-to-fi nd No- Wave soundtrack was being re-released, I was overjoyed!! Not only get this soundtrack, but by all means, SEE THE DVD! R.I.P. Jean-Michel Basquiat. The entire KISSOLOGY collection If you're a KISS Army soldier (like myself from 1976), then you're probably going plum retarded over all the goodies Gene (lets be real folks, this is all his doing... as always) is giving us on these 3 volumes. Music Tip: There are many great nations, but the greatest nation of them all is... IMAGINATION!!!! FIEERR Sometimes good guys don't wear white Comedy CDs Doug Stanhope - Deadbeat Hero Bill Hicks - Philosophy Joe Rogan - Shiny Happy Jihad Bill Burr - Emotionally Unavailable David Cross - Shut Up You Fucking Baby! Hip Hop CDs T-Kash - Turf War Syndrom Dead Prez - RBG Paris - Sleeping With the Enemy DJ Revolution - In 12s We Trust Paris - Sonic Jihad Other CDs The Pogues - Red Roses for Me 34 Operation Ivy - Energy Dead Kennedys - Bed Time for Democracy Crass - Feeding the 5000 Born Dead - The Final Collapse music tip: Turn off the radio!! ESTEN LINDGREN Noisy People DVD A fi lm by Tim Perkis Sun Ra - On Jupiter Henry Kaiser - Playola Paul Mooney - Jesus Was Black.... Bob Dylan - Dylan STACEY A. MALONE "Laps were made for sleeping cats and good books." - Anon Chris Brown - Now That You're Fed A Bay Area fi lmmaker by day, Chris Brown crafts sophisticated pop tunes full of haunting melodies and sublime arrangements in the vein of Elliott Smith and Josh Rouse. Mitch Easter - Dynamico 18 years after Let's Active's fi nal record, the iconic Southern producer/musician releases his fi rst solo album, and wow...is it ever a stunner! Time has not dulled his jangle pop, power pop, and guitar-hero genius. The Feeling - Twelve Stops and Home This British quintet channels the golden age of '70s AM rock with their lush harmonies, massive hooks, and stadium- sized production. Do yourself a favor and buy the original import version; the artwork and song order are far superior to the domestic release. Mellowmen - Tomorrow's Sound Today Sweden's retro-minded Mellowmen hit all the major touchstones (McCartney, Wilson, Rhodes, etc.) yet manage to keep their sound fresh and inspired. Brilliant from start to fi nish, this is absolutely my favorite album of the year! The Red Button - She's About To Cross My Mind 11 tracks, 32 minutes of sugar-soaked, candy-coated, jangle pop heaven from Seth Swirsky and Mike Ruekberg. The Singles - Start Again Four years after their acclaimed debut, Detroit's The Singles reformed as a trio, and are sporting a new garage-y crunch to their infectious power pop hooks. More music that blew my skirt up in 2007: Anton Barbeau with Sue Jordan - The Automatic Door Candy Butchers - Making Up Time (early recordings 1994-98) Cloud Eleven - Sweet Happy Life Future Clouds & Radar - s/t (Robert Harrison of Cotton Mather) Jason Falkner - I'm OK You're OK (Japanese Import) The Family Tree - Miss Butters (reissue) Field Music - Tones Of Town Jose Gonzales - In Our Nature Richard X. Heyman - Actual Sighs The Makes Nice - Candy Wrapper & Twelve Other Songs! (Josh Smith of Fucking Champs) The Makes Nice - This Time Tomorrow mas rapido! - Pity Party Myracle Brah - Can You Hear The Myracle Brah? New Pornographers - Challengers 35 P. Hux - Kiss The Monster Mark Roebuck with Noonday Ruin - Some Half-Remembered Thing (previously of The Deal) Shalini - The Surface And The Shine Greg Summerlin - All Done In Good Time Superdrag - Changin' Tires on the Road to Ruin (B-sides & rarities) Dwight Twilley Band - Sincerely/ Twilley Don't Mind (reissue) David Vandervelde - The Moonstation House Band ROBBIE SIMON I really like Segways and "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys Favorite New Bands Times New Viking - Rip it Off TNV's third album continues their work using the studio as an instrument of destruction and what a glorious racket it is! Like dropping your cheeseburger in the sand and fi nding that it tastes even better! This is the scruffi est of pop music. Blank Dogs - On Two Sides Highly prolifi c and mysterious, one Mr. Blank Dog has spent the last year holed up in a bunker (but not really), creating a really great deconstructed psyched out post punk sound, staying true to the Messthetics ideology every step of the way. You'll fi nd plenty of synths, echoed vocals, and gritty guitars here. First full length, after a slew of impressive 7" and 12"s, is due out on Troubleman Unlimited. Check the Myspace tracks if this sounds intriguing. Highly Anticipated Reissues on Radio Heartbeat Records Milk'n'Cookies - self-titled + bonus tracks Bubble Gum Glam perfection recorded in 1974. In a meeting of all things adorable, the lead singer of Milk'n'Cookies used to go get ice cream with Johnny Thunders in Long Island- which is actually a pretty good indication of how they sound and how great it is! Rabbits make love!!! The Quick Mondo Deco More amazing Bubble Gum Glam, this time coming from the west coast. Recorded in 1975 and produced by Kim Fowley (defi nitely one of his better moments), these kids were the perfect mixture of the quirky brilliance of Sparks and the Kasenetz Katz world of pop. Instantly loveable, and impossible to forget. A perfect pop record. Favorite Recent Discovery Pink Fairies So what do you get when some of the wildest drug addled degenerates of London's late sixties psych scene start a band intended to appeal to Nazi bikers? The band with toughest name in town, The Pink Fairies. Most times they're like a no bullshit Hawkwind- serious riffage drives big hooks and drums as thunderous as you would expect. But every few songs they'll throw you a curve ball. Start with Never Never Land and then give a Kings of Oblivion a try. The Snake just wants to come inside LYNNE BRADY Amoeba's Top-Secret Invisible Employee, who does what she does with all that the Lord hath given her. Boris with Michio Kurihara - Rainbow Michio Kurihara et al, eviscerate my soul 36 with these guitars, gut me like I am a pig, swinging upside-down on a hook, in utter denial, pretending to be a dying and thinking human. Boris, Boris: you are the life that is my glue, my weight, my ponderous heartbeat, you are and yet you echo the sludge that is the thick unholy blood, that which clogs my vital organs and refuses to let them take fl ight with my human and faulty soul. Lucinda Williams - West "Anoint my head with your sweet kiss, my joy is dead; I long for bliss." Patti Smith - Twelve (plus the two- song 7" if you can get it) This release, the Amoeba Hollywood in-store, plus the concert at the pier in Santa Monica all conspired to give me the wherewithal to endure 2007 and rat-a-tat- tat type up this list in 2008: the year I deem the best year of my life. Let us make it so. Gram Parsons & the Flying Burrito Brothers Live At the Avalon Ballroom 1969 I did not see it coming, the wounds it would reopen, a mauling with sharp teeth - that of a dog you've loved forever that suddenly and inexplicably attacks you and tears out your throat. Which means I was lying to myself before and trying to not look the songs straight in the eye. The quality of this recording is stunning, for I almost can never stand live music, especially something dusty and found in a vault. But it was in no regular vault, was it? Thanks to all. Alcest - Souvenirs d'un autre monde "Les sourires timides et douloureux - Sur l'autre rive je t'attendrai." Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone A loose refl ection of the waves of noise in my head, drowns out the world while taking me to a place far away from this planet, this cold dead place. Sentimental reissue: Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True (Deluxe Edition) "... I know this world is killing you." In closing: 2007? Lose almost everything you own, go totally broke through no fault of your own, then end up having to buy ancient junk vehicle (since you lost your down payment on the thing that has awesome clean emissions and MPG) ... and be happy. How can this be so? Because then you will discover that which your new dashboard demands: cassettes, baby. After fumbling with delicate CDs for years and their sunglare fl ash 'n blinding, after years of tinny crap- sounding mp3s? Cassettes are rich! Cassettes are easy! You can hold them in your mouth while you answer your phone at the toll gate! (kidding, jesus) Best of ALL: you can get tons of them at Amoeba for about a dollar. MAGIC. You're welcome. LOREN "FOLKLORE" CONE Bi-polar Vault Redman - Red Gone Wild Following a failed attempt at domestication [see Fox's half-baked fi asco Method & Red], Redman has been re-released into the wild with his sixth collection of transcendental medications...err, meditations. The Noble one funks your head up in parliamentary off-kilter oft-nonsensical regalia, coat tailed by his Gilla House band of merrymakers: Saukrates, Ready Roc, Icadon, et al. Contributing producers Erick Sermon, Timbaland, Pete Rock, Rockwilder, and DJ Clark Kent provide an ornamental frame, which Red canvases with a potpourri of lush witticisms from his colorful palette. Ideal for the couch or the car. Brother Ali - The Undisputed Truth If life and art imitate each other, then why aren't they the same? Why listen to anybody if they lack conviction? Do I lack conviction? These are the types of things I ponder while listening to Brother Ali, Gentleman 37 and Scholar. There's a reason Rakim hand- picked Ali to tour with him. There's a reason I'm gonna start calling him Blastmaster Ali [who wants what?]. He doesn't need to impress you, but he does need to buy clothes for his son. Support honesty. Florida Funk: Funk 45s from the Alligator State, 1968-1975 - various artists I hereby reserve an annual top-fi ve slot [go-go gadget hyperbole] for whatever subsequent earthy sediment Now-Again might dig upor license for domestic release, as UK imprint Jazzman Records (also responsible for the Midwest and Texas Funk compilations) did the actual excavating. Confused? Me too. What's that savory aroma wafting from the cauldron? It's a hearty goulash of chunky grooves, salty guitar licks, and saucy spit valves from the sticky croc pot that is Florida. Enjoy the original sultry, stripped-down version of Gwen McCrae's consummate "90% of Me is You" as performed by Vanessa Kendrickproducers Clarence Reid and Steve Alaimo fi rst recorded the bittersweet sizzler with a young Kendrick in Miami in '72. Reid's ribald Blowfl y persona also makes an appearance as he helms the instrumental "Blowfl y Theme," anchored by James Knight & the Butlers. Such information is provided by an extensive liner-notes bookletwhich people used to read--featuring bios, photos, and personnel accounts. Mosquito spray not included. El-P I'll Sleep When You're Dead The ego simultaneously high-fi ves itself and stabs itself in the back. I appreciate your company, but I can do without the high- fi ves, Goose. How's that for brevity? Oh No! - Dr. No's Oxperiment Madlib's sibling slices up more smoked Turkey slabs than Pepperidge Farm, administering a tryptophan-rich heap of eastern-European cold cuts, the likes of which would make Dom DeLuise blush or comatose [note: He's actually still alive]. Greece, Italy, and Lebanon also get the treatment, resulting in a pastiche of rarities more diffi cult to anticipate than the butterfl y effect (the theory, not the movie), yet it remains cohesive. Oh No certainly has the cumulative body in mind, generally opting to transfuse his selections with healthy rhythm cells, rather than altogether transform them. Most of the samples employed are likely esoteric to all but international rare groove sleuths save Turkish folk-rock-funk- psych-fucking amazing artist, Selda, whose mid-'70s catalog recently saw some light courtesy of UK label Finders Keepers. Check also: Oh No - Exodus Into Unheard Rhythms and MED - Push Comes to Shove. Honorable Mention: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights Percee P- Perseverance J.J. Brown [& Ludacris]- Re-Release Therapy (www.5gproductions.com) Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass DJ Muggs vs. Sick Jacken - Legend of the Mask & the Assassin Royce 5'9" - The Bar Exam mixtape Copywrite - The Jerk, Vol. 0 mixtape AZ - Memphis Sessions: The Remixtape Blockhead - Uncle Tony's Coloring Book Guilty Simpson - Ode to the Ghetto For more information regarding the practical applications of quantum physics, visit: www.myspace. com/folklorelegend. BRIAN MCCALL Electronica William Basinski - El Camino Real CDR (2026) Heard this for the fi rst time while on BART. Haunting, melancholic, and disintegrating tape loops. 38 Tim Hecker - Atlas 10" (Audraglint) Wow! Richer, more nuanced departure from his last album. Oren Ambarchi - Lost Like a Star LP (Bo' Weavil Recordings) My fi rst experience listening to this guy, and I am very impressed. Similar to Hecker 10" in scope. Machinefabriek - Music for Intermittent Movements: Soundtracks For Films by John Price CD (Decca All- Star Records) for fans of anything dark, melancholic, and cinematic. This guy is in peak form now. All his new stuff is wonderful. Studio - West Coast LP/CD (Information) Let me be very honest here: everyone needs to hear this album on a sunny, warm, black sand beach like I did last year. JOE GOLDMARK Roots Music Maven Love Is the Song We Sing - San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970 - various artists Hats off to Rhino and Alec Palao for producing the defi nitive box set of the San Francisco Sound. They got it right, and I know because I arrived in S.F. in 1966 and soaked it all up. This four CD set is really an entertaining 120 page book of photos and remembrances with music as the theme. The fi rst CD covers the birth of the sound and features some cool early alternate versions, like "Section 43" from the Country Joe EP. Disc 2 covers all the San Jose and suburban bands, like Syndicate of Sound and Count Five. Disc 3 is titled "Summer of Love," and is the cream of the psychedelic sound with the Dead and Big Brother. The last disc covers bands that took off in the late '60s like The Sons of Champlin and Blue Cheer. A real entertaining and well done set. Dr. Dog - We All Belong This is a great album from a very surprising band. They're very loose, but have great catchy songs. They're like a weird cross between Wilco, The Band, and the Beach Boys. Although they're not terrifi c singers, they put their hearts into their vocals, and their melodies and arrangements are wonderful. I like this whole album, but haven't been able to get into some of their other recordings. Brandi Shearer - Close To Dark; Gram Parsons - Live At the Avalon 1969 This is shameless promotion time. Having been closely involved in the making and production of these albums, I'm very biased. However, I'm proud to say that Amoeba's initial foray into label land has yielded a couple of very cool albums. Brandi's voice is world class, but it's her surprisingly evocative songwriting that makes this album special. My favorites are Lullabies, Yes Yes Yes, Heaven, and My Boy's Coming Home. Joni Mitchell's producer (and ex-husband), Larry Klein, added his mixing magic to really make this album shine. The best part of the Gram project for me, was getting to see the legendary Grateful Dead vaults. Dead archivist David Lemieux pulled out boxes of tape that hadn't been played in almost 40 years, stuck them on a recorder, and mystical sounds jumped out and 39 engulfed us. We were truly opening up time capsules. This 2 CD set puts you in San Francisco at the Avalon Ballroom 1969, with strobe lights blinking, hippie dancing, tie dyes and cosmic cowboy music. This is the birth of country rock music, and you can feel it in every note. JAMES AARON DILLON 33 + 45 = 78 Joe Higgs - Life of Contradiction One of my all time favorite albums. A highly personal account of the struggle of life and what lies beyond. A humble, subtle, work of brilliance. From the man who helped to teach Bob Marley how to sing. I am so glad that pressure sounds has re-released this album. Featuring the Now Generation Band. Luie Luie - Touchy Luie Luie plays his intimate music beyond the keyboards, past the drums, ouside the trumpet. His galaxy of instruments cannot contain him. His garrulous guitar strings spelllbind you into space. Luie Luie projects meaningful music to tenderly touch your soul. You will thankfully draw a deep breath and relax comfortably wherever you are. We have a champion. The greatest single act in the world. I have never heard anything like it. Victrola Favorites - various artists The Climax Golden Twins have complied one of the greatest collectons of music ever assembled. 2 cd's of 48 songs from the '20s to the '50s from their extensive 78 collection. Beautifuly housed in a 144 page clothbound book containing nothing but amazing artwork from old 78 records from around the world. (Worth it for the Goebble Reeves track alone.) This is a music lovers dream. Also check out the Black Mirror 78 collection and anything else on the Dust to Digital label. Annea Lockwood - Early Works Featuring The Glass World which is another one of my favorite albums and is comprised only of sounds made from glass in its various forms. She used to perform this live in the sixties. She has also released The Sound Map of the Hudson River and also did a series of piano installations with old pianos buried in the ground that would be played by whoever came upon them. I love her. Actionable Offenses - Indecent Phonograph Recordings Featuring 19 cylinder recordings of obscene material from 110 years ago. Not for everyone, but the fact that these recordings have survived is enough for me. A friend once said that she was into music so obscure that it does not exist. Well this is probably that album. Nominated for two Grammys this year. Buy this and anything else on the Archeophone Records label for recordings from the 1890's and beyond. Also check out the Lost Sounds Collection and anything by the great Burt Williams. Lee Perry - Chicken Scratch 18 hot shots from the man responsible for many important musical innovations of the 20th century. In his spare time he also slew the devil and legalized marijuana globally. Creator, innovator, and dubulator, these are his earliest works form his time spent at Studio One, sometimes refered to as Jamaica's Motown. Featuring the Skatalites and others, this release has been expanded and features many single mixes that differ from the original issue. Heartbeat Records is doing it right once again. Check out any of other titles that they released. Especially "Forever Version" by the great Dennis Alcapone. It will put a smile on your face that you can never erase. You will not be disappointed. Liner notes by the 40 man called Dave Katz, author of People Funny Boy, the Genius of Lee Scratch Perry and Solid Foundation: An Oral History of Jamaican Music. A great addition to any library. Godzilla - King of the Monsters DVD Of course I have nostalgia for this fi lm from my childhood. I fi rst watched it on Creature Features hosted by Bob Wilkins on KTVU Channel 2. But it suffered from bad dubbing and inserted Raymond Burr scenes. The original Japanese version of the 1954 fl im is a very moving and powerful story. But it suffered from a very loud and sarcastic Castro Theater audience upon its American re-release in 2004. But Classic Media has remedied all that because all of their Godzilla releases feature the rare Japanese versions along with the American ones we remember. One of the greatest monster movies of all time. Another fi ne Toho picture. Chinese Buddha Machine - various artists This is the deluxe Buddha Machine featuring 13 songs and chants for meditation. It has a backlit spinning picture of Buddha. The perfect gift. Amoeba Music has managed to secure a limited supply of these. Get yours today! Batteries included. tip: If you want to buy some amazing handcrafted goods from around the world, check out etsy.com. I sell buttons and magnets www.potatopotato.etsy. com. Look at my photos www.fl ickr.com/photos/ potatopotato. That's all! KAITLIN It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out High on Fire - Death is this Communion This is the best album of last year. I think I listened to it for 3 weeks in a row. Solid, fi erce and tight. The 9 string guitar blows my mind! See them LIVE if you have the chance. Re-issues: Burning Witch - Crippled Lucifer Carpathian Forest - Black Shining Leather Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures, Still & Closer All worth checking out whether it's for the added material or just cause you need to hear it!!!! Metalocalypse - Season 1 on DVD This is the best damn show in TV. BEST, I SAY! And that's in the midst of the amazing Adult Swim line-up of comedy cartoons. And don't forget EARTH'S new album The Bee Made Honey in the Lion's Skull out soon. I saw them on New Year's Eve. They kick my ass every damn time. Bill Frisell plays with them on this album. LEAH dj I'm in love with a ferengi Big Business - Here Come the Waterworks Cloak/Dagger - We Are Dinosaur Jr - Beyond Kinski - Down Below its Chaos Pissed Jeans - Hope for Men Triclops - Out of Africa 41 ALLEN LEONG The way it looks from here, the vinyl LP will outlast the CD, and I never thought I'd live to see that. Maria Schneider Orchestra - Sky Blue The term "big band" usually triggers audio images of riffi ng saxes and horns over swing beats for ballroom dancers, which might be the reason for Schneider's new nomenclature for her group. Instead of drawing on older blues and swing traditions, she goes for more impressionistic tone paintings that suggest exotic latin rhythms, intimate memories from her midwestern upbringing and sounds from nature. It sounds a bit new-agey on paper, but Schneider knows how to coax fresh and meaty textures and solos from her players, incorporating unusual instrumentation (accordion, cajon, Luciana Souza's voice) to spice things up. The result is a thoroughly modernized approach for large jazz ensemble writing for the 21st century, with perhaps more in common with a European aesthetic than, say, Count Basie. Still sounds American to me, though, and that's a good thing. (www. mariaschneider.com) Popeye the Sailor, 1933-1938 DVD Not quite E.C. Segar, but thanks to the Fleischer Brothers, something just as wonderful on its own terms. If you watch Popeye scattin', fi ghtin' and mumblin' his way through these cartoons, you can understand why he was a star in his own right in the pre-war days. The transfers are excellent; I've never seen or heard a clearer copy of "Popeye The Sailor Meets Sinbad The Sailor" in my life. Jazz Icons DVD set II The fi rst disc has Coltrane in three settings: 1960, with Miles Davis's rhythm section; 1961, starting out as a leader, with his quartet plus Eric Dolphy; and 1965, as the quartet winds down while reaching for the sky. How much more can you take on the other six discs, with Ella, Duke, Mingus, Dexter Gordon, Wes Montgomery, etc.? I'll let you know when I resurface. VERONICA It's science Pamela Kurstin - Thinking Out Loud Brian Eno - 77 Million Paintings by Brian Eno DVD ROM Carlos Saura's Flamenco Trilogy DVD Oxbow - Narcotic Story Wildildlife - Six BROCK GALLAND Busking soon on a street corner near you Caribou - Andorra This album completely took me by surprise. I'd heard of them but never gave their records much time, until this one, which blew me away and became my favorite of the year. Kelley Stoltz - Circular Sounds Another great record by my man Kelley. An excellent psychedelic pop record that should put him in great company and break him to a larger audience. (Take note, local media!) I'm proud of ya, Kelley! 42 Dungen - Tio Bitar More psychedelic fuzz bliss from Sweden. it doesn't matter to me that these guys sound exactly like some lost Psych/Prog band from 1971. Grinderman - self-titled Nick Cave's stripped down and sounding like a lascivious, caged, dirty old man. Panda Bear - Person Pitch If Brian Wilson grew up going to raves and was fried on ecstasy, he would have possibly made this record. tip: If you have a chance to see a living legend like Ravi Shankar perform in person, do not hesitate! You will not regret it. P.S. You have to watch "The Mighty Boosh". Try YouTube if you don't have an all region DVD player. DON MEGA Nothin' clever here! Kylie Minogue - X MGMT - Oracular Spectacular B-52's - Funplex Dolly Parton - Backwoods Barbie Diving Bell & The Butterfl y DVD MIKE C. Alien being from a dying planet Gallows - Orchestra of Wolves Jonah Matranga - And Taking Back Sunday - Notes From the Past Weakerthans - Reunion Tour Youth Group - Casino Twilight Dogs Random Picks: Filthies - Your Turn/ Celtic Frost/Rudimentary Peni/ Sparta/Smoke or Fire/Beltones/ Eskapo/Christian Death/Antisect music tip: New Brunswick, New Jersey, Goodbye - Book by Ronen Kauffman. Films: This is England and Factotum BRIAN DAVIS I buy stuff. Jack Peate - Matine Reminds me of some of the stuff I so dug in the '80s-your Housemartins, your Aztec Cameras, etc. Dog Day - Night Group Bite-sized chunks of Martsch-esque goodness. Sons & Daughters -This Gift At fi rst I was taken aback by their new slickness, but it didn't take long to be won over... Rocky Votolato - The Brag & Cuss High quality hickrock tales of liquor and woe. Oakley Hall - I'll Follow You Ramshackle indie band informed by country-rock and '60s British folk. I think. DAVID JAMES I do actually listen to new music. Look! Right there! At the top of the list. Getachew Mekuria & the Ex - Moa Anbessa Amazing African saxophonist (See Ethiopiques Vol. 14) travels to Holland to play with long-running Dutch Anarcho 43 collective. The Ex, who bring their own horn-playing friends along. The Ethiopian tunes are adapted faithfully and the resulting combination of Getachew's roar and the Ex's raucous, jangly stomp make what was. For me, the most uplifting set of the year! Miles Davis - Complete On the Corner Sessions 1972-1974 Studio Miles. Guitars, sitars, electric bass. Echoes of Jimi, Sly, Stockhausen. Funk, Rock and even some Jazz. Probably contains the geneses of a few electronic genres as well. Aretha Franklin - Rare and Unreleased Recordings (1966-1973) Remarkable set of previously unheard songs and alternate versions that shows that, in her prime, even her demos and throwaways were amazing. Roots of Chicha Psychedelic Cumbias from Peru- various artists What? Yes! Colombia! The Golden Age of Discos Fuentes - The Powerhouse of Colombian Music 1960-1976 - various artists Super Rail Band - Allo Bamako Tabuley Rochereau - Voice of Lightness: Congo Classics 1961-1977 Steven Bernstein - Diaspora Suite Electric Miles meets Meshuggah at Temple. Hadley Caliman - Gratitude Former Bay Area resident's fi rst album as a leader. It's beautiful! BILLY Cashier/Master of Mundane Tasks A Place to Bury Strangers - self-titled Walls of sound shot through hand-made pedal. At worst you could say they sound a bit too reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine or The Jesus and Mary ChainThen again, that isn't a bad thing at all. The Shoegaze gods are smiling. Thee More Shallows - Book of Bad Breaks This group deserves WAY more attention than they've received! If there was any justice in the world I would see ten times more of their albums being rung up. Amazingly melodic, noisy pop songs that grow on each consecutive listen. The National - Boxer Yeah, yeah. This one made a lot of lists a while back, but with good reason catchy and melodic enough to throw on the table when folks are over, but dark and solemn enough to listen to by your lonesome with a whiskey and water. Elliott Smith - XO and Figure 8 vinyl reissues He was (still is) the greatest. If you're ever in that desert island scenario, then Either/ Or is the one album you need. But before your plane goes down you should pick up these gems. Inland Empire DVD I used to think that the word "genius" was some word people threw around with no understanding of foundation for use (you know, like "love" or something). A "genius" had to be a fi ctional person. Then Mr. Lynch came along and blew that theory out of the water. You'll need to watch this movie more than a couple times. tip: Stop listening to your music with those silly little white MP3 earbuds or through your laptop speakers. You're missing all the good stuff! 44 DERECK DONOHUE Takehisa Kosugi - Catch-Wave The purple Taj Mahal Travellers album has a lot of cool sounds. This is the guy who made those going solo. Oscillators, voice, and violin make this a haunting alien/drone masterpiece. Aaron Dilloway - Lucifer Dilloway/Yeh Squid Long Live Hanson Records! Too bad both of these are probably outta print. Hopefully they'll be put on cd sometime. "Lucifer" is the Lucifer Rising soundtrack run through tape machines (?) and looped then deconstructed. "Squid" is a collaboration between Dilloway and C. Spencer Yeh (Burning Star Core), and damn good. Not as harsh as one might think. It does have a strange underwater murkiness that explains the title. Burning Star Core's "Blood Lightning" on No Fun is another kick ass release and a great addition to a killer discography. Prurient/Drumm - All Are Guests in the House of the Lord A lot of collaborations ending up being jams. Which is all good and fi ne, but sometimes you want something more. Something more composed and thought out. This is it. Prurient's screaming is planned and placed for maximum effect. A subtle, intense album from start to fi nish. Masayuki Takayanagi - Action Direct Late great improv guitar shredder lays the guitar on the table and runs it through a bank of effects. Added shortwave radio for an AMM effect. Expensive (Like all his stuff), but worth it. MIKEBEE aka BATTAGS It's 2008, and I feel like 2007's been done to death already (if you haven't already bought and loved Studio's West Coast then get on it). Let's see what's hot for the year to come... Trus'me - Working Nights (Fat City UK) Already out and already one of my favorite full-lengths of the year. This Manchester- based artist is taking disco, soul, afrobeat and funk and mashing it up into something that's familiar but different than what you already know, sampling bits and pieces of texture from classic disco jams and adding new drums, keys, bass and more until the fi nished product is ethereal and atmospheric, bringing to mind Burial in its devotion to creating a mood. Works equally at home or in the club (actually, it works GREAT in the club...) and is my headphone album of 2008 so far. Check it. Aeroplane - Aeroplane 12"/Pacifi c Air Race 12" (Eskimo Belgium) I'm hoping this Belgian duo drop a full album in '08 but for now you'll have to do with tracking down the two 12" singles they released in 2007. Their debut self- titled single is perfect, combining an '80s disco aesthetic with modern production values and keeping melody at the forefront. They're not afraid to drop the tempo to make slow-mo modern disco classics for more exploratory dancefl oors, as on "Aeroplane", whereas "Pacifi c Air Race" amps the energy up for a peak-hour jam that's selling like hotcakes since it came out at the end of the year. Don't know when that album is going to drop, but keep an eye out for it, or hit up their MySpace for a fi x. Kelpe - Ex-Aquarium (DC Recordings UK) Kel Mckeown's fi rst album Sea Inside Body was a sleeper hit for us in 2004, selling far 45 beyond anything we expected and ultimately garnering a local fanbase that made an appearance at the 2007 Symbiosis Festival possible with a sound that sits somewhere between the glitched-out digital hip-hop of Prefuse 73 and the blissful, melodic vibes of Boards of Canada. Kelpe is back in '08 with this new album that truly takes it to the next level, crafting a 'new ambient' vibe while not losing sight of the beats and rhythms that made his loose style gel so exquisitely. Worth buying blind! Harmonic 313 - EP1 12"/forthcoming album (Warp Records UK/US) Mark Pritchard is an artist whose work I've been following and supporting for nearly 20 years - whether as half of ambient pioneers Global Communication and the electro-fi ed Jedi Knights (both with Tom Middleton) or under his Troubleman alias which turned broken beat on its head and supplied me with many of my all-time favorite tunes of the young century. His dabbles with hip hop, "library music" and exotica under the name Harmonic 33 were standouts over the past few years, and his album Extraordinary People, released on Danny Breaks' fantastic Alphabet Zoo imprint, was criminally overlooked due to its limited release. Heads weren't ready. Pritchard's back on a hip-hop tip for 2008, subtly changing his name to Harmonic 313 - an obvious tip of the hat to Detroit and local heroes like Jay Dee - and getting down and dirty with it. Infl uences range from Dilla to Dubstep, with wonky oscillating rhythms setting the stage for analog synth attacks and throbbing basslines that bring to mind Flying Lotus - an obvious comparison. His fi rst 12" single is out now and limited, so grab it while you can. If vinyl isn't your thing, wait until later in the year when his new full-length for Warp will be released on CD. Chaz Jankel - My Occupation: The Music of Chaz Jankel (Tirk UK) Chaz Jankel is one of these artists who I seriously can't believe I hadn't heard before. I couldn't fathom how music so freaking fantastic could have passed me by completely, but it happened. Now I'm making up for lost time after having checked out this retrospective of Jankel's work from the late 70's to mid-80's. Jankel was keyboard wizard and songwriting partner to Ian Dury and The Blockheads, helping pen many of their hits including "Spasticus Autisticus" and "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick". On the side, he had a lengthy solo career making R&B-infl uenced disco hits like "Glad To Know You" and "Ai No Corrida" (later covered by Quincy Jones!) which are big room, somewhat off- the-beaten-track disco jams. What makes Jankel truly interesting though, is that, as a result of having his own studio to record in when he liked, his pop singles would often be paired with far more esoteric and intriguing tracks that didn't fi t into the pop mold, like "Too Woo Lady Kong", a track that uses the hit "Glad To Know You" as its basis, but instead turns it into a clavichord reggae jam with a slower tempo and is one of the funkiest tunes he recorded. The man seriously has the funk, and a lot of these tracks could stand up with anything else from the time period as classics. Get to knowin'! Other stuff to check out for 2008: Rustie (sick low-end theories sitting between glitchy hip hop, grime and dubstep without permanently adhering to either), Hercules & Love Affair (fantastic NYC- based throwback house/disco jams on DFA featuring Antony Hegarty on vocals!), Windsurf (two local boys coming together to make killer new music fusing krautrock and synthrock with house and disco), new Jamie Lidell album!!! and new music from The Emperor Machine. 46 CORRIE part time lover. full time friend. Juno - DVD & Soundtrack The movie and the soundtrack are both equally ADORABLE!!! The soundtrack is peppered with sweet tunes by the likes of Belle and Sebastian, The Kinks, and the lovely Kimya Dawson... the last song is a diabetes inducing cover of the Moldy Peaches' "Anyone Else But You" as sung by the fi lm's stars Ellen Page and Michael Cera. Cuter than Carebears in love. Black Mountain - In the Future Heavy and Delicious There Will Be Blood - DVD & Soundtrack Another double whammy, the movie is stunning to look at, and the score is done by Jonny Greenwood, who lowered his guitar and showed his classically trained chops. Great music to strap onto your head while adventuring (or walking) around the city. No Country for Old Men DVD The Coen Brothers at their creepiest. Warm up the edge of your seat for maximum comfort. Radiohead - In Rainbows The album was long awaited, and this band never disappoints, Thom Yorke's precious wail, and layers of sound make my heart jump...just a lil' bit. GABRIEL WHEELER Locked away in Area23 Agent Ribbons - And the Star Crossed Doppelganger 7" These Sacramento ladies are at it again with a brand new single. Limited to 500 with amazing art by Dame Darcy on 70 gram green vinyl and we managed to get our paws on few here in SF. After marveling at the package the songs will take you away. "That's Not Edgar's Heart" has fast become my favorite song of 2007. Comes with a download code for the turntablely challenged. Grace Sings Sludge Wow, Wow, Wow! When your ears fi nd this they will thank you. Dark, raw, humorous and fucking intense. Sludgehammer writes and Grace sings. I've been waiting for something like this for a loooong time. Afrirampo - SUUTO BREAKOR The ladies from Osaka are back. Exploring other dimensions and showing a mellow side. Amazing! Puffy Amiyumi - Honeycreeper Recovering from "Splurge" Puffy come back with a great guitar pop record that would make Cheap Trick proud. They still rule live too! Dieselhed Buy their fi ve cds: "Dieselhed", "Tales of a Brown Dragon", Shallow Water Blackout", Elephant Rest Home" and "Chico and the Flute". Some are out of print but each one is unique and a treasure in its own right. Highlights: Happy Donut, Wedding Song, B A Band, Yellow Kitchen, Fog it Up, Tying Flies, Corrine, Tidepool, Gentle Grooming, Tag it up and the list goes on and on. The best San Francisco band of the '90s songs' are amazingly crafted. Their unique style of country tinged rock will bring a smile to your face and a tear to your eye. Real working man's music that was all I wanted to listen to in 2007. 47 DOUGLAS PAGAN borrowed. blue. old. Joan As Police Woman - Real Life 2 years old and still resonating in my household. Ex-Dambuilder Joan Wasser's solo debut was easily my most played album of 2007. Featuring production that is intimate, Wasser crafts indie-soul songs full of longing, sorrow, & comfort. Stand out songs include; "The Ride", "Eternal Flame", and her soul stirring duet with Antony "I Defy". If you missed it... Abbey Lincoln - Abbey Sings Abbey Abbey Lincoln is renowned for many things: former screen vixen turned jazz protest singer, fi erce diva orchestrating red wine fueled performances that swing from erratic genius to sublime to just plain swingin', icon for women of color who walk their own path...What is sometimes overlooked is her songwriting. She has written songs such as "And It's Supposed To Be Love" that have already become standards. On "Abbey Sings Abbey" she gets a guitar driven backdrop reminiscent of Cassandra Wilson (one of her stalwart heirs). The stripped down backing allows the blues in her music and the always raw beauty of her voice to shine. Alela Diane - The Pirate's Gospel Her friend and cohort Mariee Sioux has gotten the shine in the press but Alela Diane's work is just as evocative. Using a call & response (for the most part with her) approach on most of her songs creates a trance like feel that emulates the best repetitive music. It's the voice that hooks you, though. It's a clean, sure instrument that should thrill for years to come. Burial - Untrue The fun house soul of uk garage is boiled bone white on this haunting work by uk artist Burial. Sounding both futuristic and old as dirt-ghosts haunt the tracks while beats usually meant to pound the dance fl oor skitter off into dark corners compressing & decompressing. Under the underground dub music. Terence Blanchard - Tale of God's Will Terence Blanchard's expansion of his soundtrack to Spike Lee's "When the Levees Broke" was simply the most thrilling listening experience I had in the store last year. On further listening it stands as one of the few great works of art of this young century. Matching symphonic sophistication with the urgency & sorrow of the blues this piece is equal to its ambitions: to say something signifi cant, painful, and yet beautiful about one of the great American tragedies. This native son of New Orleans gives us a fi tting tribute to the city & people, and culture that is lost as we knew it. Honorable Mentions: Colleen - Les Ondes Silenciuses The Politik - self-titled Dengue Fever - Venus on Earth Fiery Furnaces - Widow City Jill Scott - The Real Thing Dee Dee Bridgewater - Red Earth Dilettantes - 101 Tambourines Rewind That! The Four Tet catalogue (including the Steve Reid collaborations) 4hero - Creating Patterns & Two Pages Colleen - Golden Morning Breaks Soul Jazz Acid House Collections Watch That! Lost - Season 3 Bernie Worrell - Stranger On Earth Read That! Y - The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughn League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier by Alan Moore The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkham Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz 48 ACROSS 1 Jamaican toaster "Your ace from outer space" 5 Belinda Carlisle was in this band 6 A "Dyke" who arranged Joanna Newsom 7 French, teen-beat sound, circa 60's 8 Bobbie Gentry "style", circa 1970 10 Eden discovered under Hollywood sign 13 King Cousins' count 16 What The 6ths and Gothic Archies have in common 17 Avant-garde string quartet 23 Shaggs sisters 24 Transgender Wayne of music fame 25 1st female Country singer Grammy nominee 27 Kurt Weill's 1st wife 28 Opera singer, died in 2007 31 Jazz musician Allison 32 Kool Keith's medical moniker 35 Singer Rhodes w/4 octave range 38 Recorded 20-track album "Tusk" 40 Transgender Wayne of music fame 42 America's Blue Yodeler 43 A "Big Star", deceased 44 Wrote track 14 of "Louder Than Bombs" 52 Group who recorded "Buffalo Bill" song 53 The Loneliest Punk 54 Mr. Betty Davis 57 Sisters Maggie, Terre & Suzzy 58 Leadbelly's fi rst name 59 European light-pop 60 Folk singer Phillips, also, state 61 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Gene DOWN 2 Bassist for The Ravens? 3 Protected by a dyke; inspired Joanna Newsom 4 Austrian seen on Top US R&B/Hip-Hop charts 5 Singer Guthrie, born July, 14 in Okemah, Oklahoma 7 What they call Yaz outside the U.S. 9 Tim, I Wish You Were Born ____ 11 Sang "Siamese" duet, solo 12 Morrissey side project? 14 Cliff Edwards' axe 15 Swedish for "the grove" 18 Recorded 20-track album "Tuk" 19 Noah Georgeson production 20 Last seen: Detroit in '68 21 Also: Dan Savio or Leo Nichols 22 Opera singer, died in 2007 25 Scott 8? 26 Noah Georgeson production 29 Blue-capped Gene? 30 McVie's maiden name 33 Noah Georgeson production 34 Kurt Weill's 2nd wife 36 ESG sisters 37 "Carnival of Souls" composer Gene 39 Shocking Blue's 80's hit? 41 99 Records release 45 Frida's '75 solo album 46 Blue Bell _____ (Cocteau Twins) 47 Diamanda in the rough 48 Singer, played Cinnamon on "Facts of Life" 49 Actor George's singing aunt 50 Academy award winner, sang duet with a Jackson 51 A "Supreme" Birdsong 53 Lebanese siren 55 Singer Guthrie, born July, 14 in Okemah, Oklahoma 56 The "Auntie" of Hawaiian music JOB Crossword puzzle 49 50 Eat That! Join a community farm. Get local, truly organic produce, eggs, & meat from farmers who truly care about what you put into your body. Plus, it's cheaper than most markets. Peace! TOBIAH W DVD Room Nerd & Rockabilly/Psychobilly Horror Fiend Devil Doll - Return of Eve Horrorpops - Kiss Kiss Kill Kill Lee Rocker - Black Cat Bone Reverend Organ Drum - Hi-fi Stereo Monster Squad DVD KATHY from SF In no particular order: Annie Lennox - Songs of Mass Destruction Bruce Springsteen - Magic Patty Griffi n - Children Running Through Lucinda Williams - West Jesse Sykes & the Sweeet Hereafter Like, Love, Lust & the Open Halls of the Soul LOS ANGELES BECCA BREITHAUPT At Hollywood, but she hails from Kansas. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky I was worried for a little bit with their last album, but this album makes me wonder why I ever questioned Tweedy's brilliance. For those of you who fell in love with Yankee Hotel, this album recaptures that feeling and takes it to a new level. Lupe Fiasco - Lupe Fiasco's The Cool This album combines a Kanye like beat with the styles of Pharrell. I love this album; it put me back in a hip-hop groove. Ray Ricky Rivera - Neighborhood Fame Everyone has to say they like their friend's music, but this CD is actually awesome. It's like Latin, hip-hop, and soul all in one. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning Okay so this came out it 2005, but it is still one of the most beautiful albums I have ever heard. You may remember Bright Eyes released this album at the same time as Digital Ash, a techno-dance album. Digital Ash was good but this album is amazing! It's my exploring album because I love to blast it on my IPod while I take in new scenery. Weezer - Pinkerton Yeah so Rivers' may not like this album, but I think most Weezer fans will agree it's his best. And as the boys head back into the studio to record their 6th album maybe we all need a reminder as to why we will go out and buy it. tip: if your buddy says; "Hey I'm gonna go see this band after work and I know nothing about them, wanna go?" Just go. Good music is everywhere but you have to be willing to hear it. 51 JENN PRATT miss february in the amoeba music 2008 calender. (i'm pictured with my bestie, john waters) sharon jones and the dap-kings - 100 days, 100 nights fi rst off, let me start by saying that i have yet to meet anyone who doesn't like this record. knock your socks off, super funky, soul that miss sharon belts out every word too, with every ounce of her being. john waters - this fi lthy world this dvd is part of his speaking tour and i believe is shot in new york. it almost seems like he talks about everything. there is reminiscing about "eat your make-up" and "hag in a black leather jacket" all the way up to the disney sprinkled "hairspray" (i'm pretty sure i will never see that). the most shocking of all...john waters has limits!!! siouxsie - mantaray all by herself. this album makes it obvious that she loves the blues, and torch singers. there is such a velvety texture to this record. there isn't too much that she can do wrong in my book. this is england (dvd and soundtrack) partly based on director, shane meadows' life, this movie is a funny but bleek look into the summer of 1983. the soundtrack is a landscape of new wave, punk and reggae. perfectly fi tting for a rowdy bunch of skinheads in 1983. there are also some classical pieces on the soundtrack that invoke situations and emotions in the fi lm.. amy winehouse - frank now, i realize that i'm kinda cheating here, but screw it! this is a great and fun record. it was re-issued this year, so i think i squeaked in there. i only have 3 words for you fuck. me. pumps. if you put all the silly tabloid stuff aside, she can really sing. tip: for an evening of fun psychobilly check out the goddamn gallows or bamboula. they will both be on tour this year. for the best tattoo in southern california andrew moore at shogun studios in pasadena. for the best pornographic stained glass, my secret life in glass. for a fun dance night, monday's at akbar rock steady. good times and good tunes. LISA V. Hater The Ten DVD "You smell good. What is that, coffee breath?" Broken English DVD My favorite Parker Posey role ever. She drinks, she smokes, accepts herself. It's way better than that sounds. Hot Rod DVD Cool Beans. Days of Heaven (Criterion Collection) DVD Magic Hour, Wheat Fields, Sam Shepard so fucking beautiful I want to stab my eyes out and never see anything again. Eastern Promises DVD Lady porn. SHANE 2nd Floor Down The Hall In The Cave Amoeba Employee #36 MARCHING DYNAMICS - Nailsleeper (Hymen Records) A brilliant release encompassing electro - ambient - dub and tech. A mature showcase of all things electronica. From beginning to end a strong album, there aren't very many releases these days you can just put on and listen to all the way through, with this, you can over and over again... looking forward to future releases from the project, as well as Germany's Hymen Records.... 52 Fabriclive.37 - Caspa & Rusko Amazing compilation of thick and wobbly bass lines...LFO's are defi led in the most appropriate ways on this must own Dub- Step collection. Every track a winner! Caspa Rocks! Bauhaus - Go Away White Legendary spooksters return with a new offering..not so much the classic Bauhaus sound, more of a rawer/ edgier earlier Murphy solo release, excellent either way! You know you wanna dust off those old pointy buckle boots, pour yourself into those Fizzy stretch pants and Aqua death that hair-do, switch off the lights, light up a clove and writhe in front of your mirror to this one! Burial - Untrue Sophomore release, moodier than the fi rst. Put this baby on when you have some alone time with that freaky someone special. fog shrouded sensuous dub-step. Uberzone - Ideology Q returns! Setting the pace once again on the electro front! By far the top release for funky electro breaks of 2007. tip: No tips, Discovery is best served to one's own self. Cheers! BOONE JAXSON HAMMARLEY east coast kid steez s.h.h. owner/head designer work in the corner of the store grizzley bear - friend EP choral rock at it's best. soundz like they recorded this album in a burned down church south of westchestington. there will be blood - soundtrack jonny greenwood's dark soundz for that butt... create your own murderous rampage... slap this on your i-pod and grab a chainsaw. pan pot - pan o rama stripped down minimal techno masterpeice. complete with muted vocals that will tell you how to get down on the dancefl oor. aesop rock - none shall pass the complex lush hip hop beatz hold this album together. blockhead # 1 stunna. agoria - at the controls everytime i listen to this mix i wanna buy another 12" from it. for fanz of tech house jamz. tip: for best designs shop at aparment # 3 www.apartment-3.com JAYME MOUGHINS/ DJ LADYFACE Cashier, Seattle transplant, Recording Engineer, Sasspot 2007 was a fantastic year for new music! Quite a few indie bands found mainstream success. If you enjoyed Spoon's "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" and The Shins' "Wincing the Night Away", you will like these indie pop gems that fl ew just under the radar... 53 Ghost Stories - Quixoticism This is the solo project from Ron Lewis, a sometimes-member of The Fruit Bats who is also now in Grand Archives with an ex- Band of Horses member. Such fun! Field Music - Tones of Town Wow! I love this record. It's like Olivia Tremor Control but less weird. Dr. Dog - We All Belong These guys write fun pop songs and sound kind of like The Beatles or The Kinks... except not British. The Parson Red Heads - King Giraffe Front to back, this album delivers. Every song is delicious and catchy. They're kind of a cross between The Vaselines and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. That could be a total lie... but the record is pretty great anyway. I'm From Barcelona - Let Me Introduce My Friends They're not really from Barcelona! They're Swedish! This album is totally nerd-pop and fun. Favorite collection: The Stax 50 - The Best of Stax/Volt... A great introduction to soul music, including Otis Redding, The Bar-Kays, The Staple Singers, and the original "Whatta Man" by Linda Lyndell. Favorite reissue: Sarolta Zalatnay - Zalatnay She's the Hungarian Janis Joplin. She's that good. Don't miss out on these pipes. Favorite favorite: The Detroit Cobras - Tied & True All they do are '60s cover songs... but they do them so well! The production is impeccable, as are the song choices, which include James Brown, among others. They are pure rock and roll... sweaty, dirty, and middle fi nger good. Favorite awful: R. Kelly - Trapped in the Closet Chapters 13-22 If you don't know about this amazing hip- hopera, you need to get schooled. It is the most amazing, awful work of art you will ever watch. Have a party, invite over your dearest of friends, get cozy however you see fi t, and enjoy R. Kelly's gift of storytelling magic. Okay, let's just get this out of the way... the Amy Winehouse record rules. If you don't own it, buy it. Stop being a hater. The songwriting and production is amazing. It's the perfect meld of old soul with contemporary ideas. I love it. And deep down, you know you love that gap-toothed, coked out vixen, too. RAY (CASHIER) Left Handed Sagittarius B Boy From Boyle Heights Casa De Calacas - self-titeld (Triumphant Records) East Los Angeles based Latin party band. Great for dancing! (Filed in World). CAVA - self-titeld Only in Los Angeles can you fi nd music this good. An amazing fusion of Cumbia, Ska, and Soul. Go Get it! (fi led in World). Ray Ricky Rivera - Neighborhood Fame (Triumphant Records) Rooted in Hip Hop with elements of Latin, Soul, and Pop. Feel good music you can get down to! (fi led in World/Latin Hip Hop). Gambler's Mark - Last Chance Saloon Psychobilly / Rockabilly / Surf. A strong debut from an awesome Trio! Go get it! (fi led in Rockabilly) 54 Ben Harper - Lifeline Great for all you aspiring song writers. Well written, produced and performed. It's soulful from start to fi nish. (fi led in Rock) tip: Visit Descarga every 2nd Saturday of the month @ Echoplex. The best in Latin Soul Cumbia. ED KARAPETYAN Electronic department. Born in Moscow,moved to LA in 1998. Record Label Owner/Dj/Producer/ PRO-TEZ RECORDS Exclusive Kompakt Label. NSI (non standard institute) - nsi plays nonstandards Tobias Freund and Max Loderbauer move away from the dancefl oor with an album of piano drone music on Shk! !Possibly the best comparison would be to Akira Rabelais' incredible (and long out of print) Ritornell album 'Eisoptrophobia' which took 'standards' from composers such as Bartok and Satie and processed them in ways that previously hadn't been explored. NSI's treatments feel similarly forward thinking and beautiful. Quite awe-inspiring... Shut Up and Dance! - various artists (OSTGUT) Ostgut have now engineered a dreamlike hookup between Berlin's Staatsballet and their very own establishment - with a special one-off performance in Panorama Bar. The club has commisioned some of the most sought-after producers of the moment to score the soundtrack - and the results are now brought together on this totally brilliant compilation that's pretty much the most anticipated Techno/Minimal release of the year and just about the best thing of its kind we've heard. Only 5 long pieces make up this release, totally exclusive material from Luciano, Sleeparchive, Ame, Nsi and, impressively, Luke Slater's "The 7th Plain", with some of the tracks clocking in at almost 20 minutes. Cadenza's Nsi open the set with a 14 minute exercise in spacious bliss. The inimitable Sleeparchive is up next - his "Perspective" track quite possibly being the most fully-formed track in his career to date.Ame's 17 minute contribution "Fiori" has perhaps been the most discussed track on offer here - lending their innate understanding of form and melody into a maverick, slow-building epic that starts off with a constellation of twirling bleeps and a pulsating bassline, and ends up quite some time later with an almost euphoric, string- laded jaunt in 4/4 that will no doubt be as copied and referenced as often their carrer- defi ning track "Rej. Luciano's "Drunken Ballet" is the most playful thing here, it's just brilliantly understated minimal funk of the highest order. Luke Slater's long-dormant "7th Plain" out of retirement and the result is a 13 minute journey through ambient signatures, dusted beats. If you're only going to buy one electronic album this year - make it this one. SCSI-9 - Flight Mode EP (Pro-tez Records) The sixth installment of the U.S./Russian Pro-Tez label is a three track Flight Mode EP by label bosses SCSI-9. Now Russia's oldest minimalheadz release an EP on their own label - for the fi rst time. Flight Mode presents three tracks made during their recent journeys over Europe and South America. Created somewhere between Florianopolis and Subotica. The title track truly starts off with full-speed fl ashing one back to famous tunes. More dubby but with some edge lines on 'Walking Through The Fog' will keep fans spiced up with clicks and synths. Free from everyday workout, a bit apart from the usual Kompakt-esque sound, but these works retain a distinct 55 lyrical touch, which made SCSI-9 loved for - especially 'Submoon,' featuring a deeply arpeggiated piano solo. Due to the small print-run, this record may soon become a phonographic rarity. A must for all SCSI-9 fans." Efdemin - self-titled (Dial) Full-length by Efdemin features 8 previously unreleased tracks in addition to singles, 'Lohn & Brot' and 'Acid Bells'. For the fans of Lawrence and Pantha du Prince. Classy aural sad blissed out techno . Perfect for the late night drifting through the big city. A bit nostalgic and meloncholic. Mujuice - Monochrome EP (Pro-tez Records) Mujuice's Monochrome EP is the music you've always wanted to hear by the artist you've never heard of. This four track EP is full of tender atmospheric sweeps, ethereal textures and micro-sounds layered together to build soft yet powerful passages, and breathing female voice samples make the impression that tracks are breathing their own breath. The artist prefers sampling to sound synthesis, and it looks like he sampled the beauty itself and turned it into music. A Russian brilliant." tips: If you need cool vintage analog synths check out Big City Music store in Studio City. Local artist to check out is John Tejada DJ/live shows. DANIEL TURES Floor manager, out-of-touch old man AKA the Disco Grandfather, Jingle Cat, White Widow In no particular order: Prins Thomas - Cosmo Galactic Prism This double-disc mix comes from a Norwegian DJ who really knows his stuff, new and old it's a sonic treat and a history lesson, ranging from a freaky Joe Meek opener through some groovy Italo disco, Holger Czukay grooves, even some Hawkwind (!) and racing-car sound effects, and somehow it all sounds like the latest dancefl oor thing. As Savoir Faire would say fl ambostic! Pylon - Gyrate The fact that the entire Pylon catalogue has been out of print for years is a national tragedy, and this reissue on DFA at least goes a little way towards healing the pain. Pylon was the greatest American postpunk band to never make it, a muscular, minimalist combo out of Athens GA. with scratchy guitar, pulsing bass and the wild, yowling vocals of superwoman Vanessa Briscoe-Hay. Having made the world safe for the wimpier sounds of R.E.M. and the B-52s, they gradually faded into undeserved obscurity. Their name was inspired by the logo on the the fi rst two Kraftwerk albums (see next entry), and their sound is an attempt to translate the Dusseldorf kling- klang into guitar-based rock, which they most surely did. Ahead of its time then (like Kraftwerk), it sounds perfect now. If you love postpunk and haven't heard this, you're missing out on the best, and if you love the DFA dance-punk sound, this puts the new stuff in the shade. Kraftwerk 1 & 2 This lovely reissue gives you the fi rst 2 Kraftwerk albums in all their haunting, shimmering, and minimalist glory. 56 Electronics, chimes, gentle guitars and fl utes are orchestrated into a prismatic sound that is both robotic and organic. Kraftwerk took modern classical music into the '70s hippie world, gave it a sci-fi twist and in time became one of the major sources of electronica, hip-hop and ambient music. These early albums are quite unlike their later, better-known electro-pop they are at once quieter, subtler and more challenging. B-Music - Cross-Continental Road Trip Amazing compilation from this excellent, deep-digging reissue label gives you unbelievable psych-funk treats from around the world, with an especial focus on Turkish, Middle Eastern and Eastern European rarities. All have crazed vocals, odd instrumentation and slammin' drums and sound like they're taken from original 45s, and most of them sound like nothing you've ever heard. Everything on B-Music, pick it up! Furry Selection - Luxury Cuts of Trojan Chosen By a Super Furry Animal There's a lot of reggae compilations out there but this one is my favorite ever. It has a particular kind of late night, stoney, dubby fl ow to it, and every song has some sort of production oddity to it that really stands out, especially on the Mikey Dread and Lee "Scratch" Perry tracks but pretty much throughout. Let this be your gateway drug to exploring the rest of the Trojan universe Roots of Chicha - Psychedelic Cumbias From Peru This will hook you from the fi rst track it's got one of those uncategorizable drunken, rusty, tick-tock shuffl es, that sounds like it's being played by a bunch of skeletons in an underwater pirate hangout. A great set of low-budget, super-groovin' vintage cumbias with just enough cruddy wah-wah and phaser to justify the title. A side note: many people do not know what the word "psychedelic" is supposed to mean. I had someone ask me for the "psychedelic" section the other day and when I asked what he meant, he said "you know, Beatles, Ramones" Not everything that sounds interesting or unusual is thereby "psychedelic". It should at least refer to truly whacked-out, freaky music, that makes you feel like you're on a psychedelic drug, and that sounds pretty disturbing to someone who's not insane or experienced. This cumbia compilation is not actually psychedelicbut it is really great and very unusual! Cass McCombs - Dropping the Writ None of his CDs have really grabbed me yet but I saw him live and I was completely fl oored. It took me back to when rock giants walked the earth (late '70s and early '80s rock giants at least). Phenomenal voice, fascinating labyrinthine lyrics, epic, slow-building tunes, and laserlike, intense dark energy. Somewhat like Ian McCulloch but more complex and less pop-friendly. Someday his ship will come in and then we'll have some real rock to care about, I hope. High Society - EP Speaking of real rock to care about my own co-worker Jason Moore has decided to turn his back on modern crap rock and pretend like it's 1972, with a hard- rockin' band and high-fl ying tunes that do a pretty damn good job of recreating classic rock. Hell, I think it in fact IS classic rock. Why don't people still play classic rock anyway? I am not so sure, especially when you hear this fun batch of tunes that fuse 57 rock riffs, soulful singing, a little dancefl oor shuffl e, a little country honk. AND you can remember how the songs go after you've heard them coz they're catchy! Like how bands used to do. Maybe more bands will get back to this sort of thing in the meantime, enjoy the High Society. Especially live! Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970 - various artists Awesome 4-CD box set gives you a slew of wonderful rarities and a handful of hits that make us all feel bad that we missed out on the magical glory years of the original San Francisco scene in its full creative swing. Unless you were therein which case I salute you. Amazing text & photos too, all courtesy of Sir Alec Palao, whom I also salute! White Widow II Enter the next pyramid epic new space junk odyssey from this mysterious local electro/goth/prog warlock! Danceable homemade ditties about glow-in-the-dark mini golf and Rosicrucianism, with echoes of Steely Dan, Psychic TV, Durutti Column, Ariel Pink. %&#! And fi nally, my favorite out-of-print vinyl discoveries from the last 6 months: Woo Amazing early '80s low-key Can/Cluster- esque scribbles from two brothers who are also Hari Krishnas! Tax Free Beautiful, meditative early '70s folk-rock from Wally Tax, of the Dutch Outsiders! Linda Cohen Mellow solo acoustic guitar explorations with mildly trippy accompaniment from this Mandrake Memorial cohort! AARON J. ALDORISIO Pricer/Freedom Section Fighter The Magik Markers - Boss I know everyone is sick of hearing me talk about it already, but i seriously, for really real, think this is the best record to come out in the past decade or so. These cats have been laying down some incredibly noisy jams for a while now and they've fi nally gotten their act together and rewarded us loyal fans, and a bunch of new converts, with this proper LP of actual songs. The only way I can really describe "Boss" at this point is to say it's kinda like if The Germs, Harry Pussy and Void formed a super group and made their very own "Bad Moon Rising." Yes, it's that freakin' good. Mute Audio Documents - Various Artists Big 10xCD set of every 7" single Mute Records released between 1978 and 1984. There are some rarities on here, too, and a pretty bitchin' repro poster for The Normal. I had a lot of these tunes before, but it's uber-convenient to have 'em all in one place. Plus, it made me feel a little less weird for thinking Yazoo and Smegma sound really good back-to-back. Kylie Minogue - X I guess this is album number 10 from everyone's favorite Australian pop vixen and it's one of her strongest. Party jams like "In My Arms," "Like a Drug" and "Wow" make me wiggle every time they come on and "2 Hearts" does they faux- gay-glam thing way better than the Scissor Scissors or Mika could ever hope to. Some folks say this record isn't innovative 58 enough, which is completely beside the point. It's a blast and Kylie's back and OMGSHEISTOTALLYAWESOME!!! Zweistein - Trip/Flip-Out/Meditation Leave it to Japanese label Captain Trip to release a crazily lavish 3xCD reissue of what is quite possibly the furthest-out Krautrock triple LP set ever made. The mirrored, gatefold package is a mini replica of the original LP release (not that any of us will ever see the genuine article to verify this) and the music is post-psych/pre-new age thud of the highest order. Both relaxing and horrifying, like all the fi ner things in this life. This might be the most ridiculous CD I've ever purchased and I in no way regret dropping $80 on this thing. Yoshi Wada - Lament for the Rise and Fall of the Elephantine Crocodile Another Japanese reissue, this time on the even groovier EM label, of a legendary minimalist LP that probably sounds like an hour of refrigerator hum to most people. Mr. Wada was a key player in the whole Fluxus thing and this is one of two (barely) commercially available recordings the guy made. The fi rst piece, aka side 1, is a vocal raga that you can tell was heavily inspired by his connection to Prandit Pran Nath via La Monte Young. It's totally righteous and all, but the real keeper is side 2's jam "Bagpipe." It's pretty much a solid half hour of Yoshi's homemade, electric bagpipe going off and it's heavy as all get out. Trade in your Sunn0))) records, folks... this is the real drone deal. TIP: Mississippi Records. Vinyl-only reissue label out of Portland. They do small runs that we sell out of within a week or so and usually can't restock. There is no website, so it's hard to tell when and what is coming out. If you put in the effort to seek this stuff out, though, you'll be rewarded with crazy rare gems by obscure, electric gospel acts, old country/ blues dudes, African party bands and the Dog Faced Herman. RUBIN MEISEL Classical Buyer Cecilia Bartoli - Maria Bartoli's tribute to the great Italian 19th Century Mezzo, Maria Malibran. With excellent notes and packaging. Bantock - Omar Khayam First recording of post-romantic British composer Granville Bantock's lush Biblical Oratorio conducted by Vernon Handley. Stockhausen - Stimmung The Theater of Voices under Paul Hillier offers a stunning performance of the late Karlheinz Stockhausen's masterpiece. Korngold - Sea Hawk Naxos continues their excellent series of fi lm recordings with the fullest recording yet of Erich Korngold's famous score to Errol Flynn's swashbuckling fi lm. Mozart - Don Giovanni Rene Jacobs continues his series of Mozart opera recordings with a revelatory performance of Don Giovanni. RENONDO Buyer / Hip Hop vinyl pricer, Anselmo by way of Cincinnatti. Rusko - Babylon Vol. 1 (Sub Soldiers) This is some serious dubstep bizness. 6 BLOCC - Sub Assault 1, 2, & 3 All three volumes deliver Los Angeles dubstep massive. 59 U - OME - Keep it Skanky If you like Kromestar this mix is for you. Heavy reggae vibes. One of my favorite mixes. Barrington Levy - Englishman Reissue Classic early 80s reggae. Columbia! Golden Age of Discos Fuentes Powerhouse of Columbian Music 1960 - 1976 - Various Artists (Soundway Records) Cumbia, Gaita, Fandango, Salsa, and Champeta. tip: Barfi les.com - Dubstep mixes from DJs all over the world. LEN HAYNES Import buyer. The Specials: Too Much Too Young DVD All the classic videos and bonus live footage of the greatest band of all time! Saxondale: Season 1 Import DVD Steve Coogan proves once again that he is the British comedian since Peter Sellers! Rockford Files: Season 5 DVD Jim Rockford for president 2008! Roxy Music: The Thrill of it All DVD Fantastic visual anthology of Roxy Music! Lots of rare live footage. Killing Joke - Fire Dances & Night Time CD Reissues - Remastered with bonus tracks. BRIAN GOULBOURN More mopey, emo sensitivity than you can handle! Cherry Ghost - Thirst for Romance (July 9. 2007) Import only Debut from British troubadour Simon Aldred and Company. A sunny, jangly, even melancholy blend of Wilco meets Sparklehorse meets Doves. A Must Have! (This was my favoritest favorite album of all 2007!) Soulsavers - It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land (October 16, 2007) Gospel electronica from the UK's Soulsavers and grunge survivor Mark Lanegan. Ghostly, spiritual, and euphorica wonderfully downbeat collection. Jos Gonzlez - In Our Nature (September 25, 2007) The sophomore album from Argentinian - Swedish folk musician Jos Gonzlez. This time around, Jos offers a set of emotive, deftly-picked acoustic numbers abut the human condition. There Will Be Blood - Soundtrack by Jonny Greenwood (December 18, 2007) Mini-epic masterpiece soundtrack from Paul Thomas Anderson's sprawling, gut- wrenching, mega-epic masterpiece fi lm. Radiohead's guitarist Jonny Greenwood composes 11 songs of minimalist classical arrangements blended with minimalist electronic arrangements. WOW! Ryan Adams - Love is Hell Japanese edition w/ bonus disc (June 27, 2007) Import only Japanese pressing of the haunting 2004 album includes bonus disc of 7 unreleased recordings, ranging from sing along acoustic ditties ("Halloween") to painful romantic excursions ("Caterwall", "Fuck the Universe") that only heighten the album's stark appeal. 60 SCOTT HURST Let's pretend it's the late '70s, early '80s. I'm tired of the 2000's. The Bomp Book Eye candy, fantastic reading. The history of Los Angeles rock. Go back in time with Greg Shaw. He knew his shit! The Records - self-titled The self titled LP is the best. British power - pop of the highest order. What a brilliant name, huh? "I just bought The Records record" The Shoes - Present Tense is incredible. One power-pop burst of brilliance after another. My favorite record. Paul Collins - The Beat Paul Collins remakes the fi rst Who record and it's just as amazing as the real thing. The fi rst Beat record can't be beat. Devo - De-Evolution De-Evolution is right. Reality T.V. - crappy everything. Cell phones, internet be damned, Devo knew what was what. Join the cult, be a part of the downfall. Listen to Devo. tip: Go for a walk in the Hills, buy a bum a donut & coffee, and pet your cat. ERIC "POPTONE" BRIGHTWELL I kicked it around the Upland South & then Midwest for way too long. I love L.A., the world's biggest multicultural theme park. Beau Brummel (1924) DVD Directed by Harry Beaumont. John Barrymore plays the revolutionary dandy who used wit & anti-foppish style to gain the favor of the Prince of Whaled & various women whilst remaining devoted (in his heart) to the unattainable Lady Margery Alvanley. Lost & Found: The Harry Langden Collection DVD Discovered by slapstick pioneer Mack Sennett in 1923, he was considered by Sennet to be the best comedian he'd ever seen. His character of the sweet, dopey, & creepy innocent basically invented the idiot-manchild. Bit of Fry & Laurie: The Complete Collection DVD Every Bit! You don't have to be britarded to appreciate the prickly satire of this peerless comedic duo. Variously silly, stupid, & smart, it's almost always better than anything else from the sketch comedies of the era. This Sporting Life (1963) DVD Directed by Lindsay Anderson. Richard Harris stars in this, one of the fi nest examples from the Angry Young Man movement. A miner who gains fame as a rugby league player, but still fi nds happiness out of reach amongst strangely beautiful Northern grimness. Zodiac - Director's Cut DVD Directed by David Fincho. A surprisingly & pleasantly reserved police procedural marketed as a standard serial killer thriller. There are thrills but also amazing atmosphere & a lot to say about the obsessive desire for closure that never comes. tip: When there are no good new releases in the theaters, remember the Silent Movie Theater, The New Beverly, Nuart, & other revival theaters. 61 DAVE A. Amoeba is a record store! Paul Newman - Re-issue! Re-package! Re-package! Re-evaluate the Songs Double-pack with a photograph extra track (and a tacky badge). Give into the fascists and pick up all the Joy Division reissue's and that fancy Death in June package. Now onto the movies Blade Runner Five DVD version in a deal or no deal case with toys and lots o' stuff including fi ve versions of this sci-fi epic. There Will Be Blood DVD Paul Thomas Anderson's version of Citizen Kane portraying the tru American Dream (greed is good)and so is the soundtrack by that Jonny Greenwood guy. Control DVD Anton Corbijn's Ian Curtis biopic, fi lmed in the fuzzy black and white! The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters DVD A true tale of good vs. evil: "Jobs are for people that can't play videogames." tip: www.myspace.com/hankcraddick MICHAEL WHITMORE Blathering fool, vinyl junkie, whiskey connoisseur, lapsed Catholic The Five best used singles I found this past year. The Diablos featuring Nolan Strong - The Wind (Fortune Records, 1954) Formed in Detroit in about 1950, the Diablos sound centered on the eerily ethereal, lead tenor voice of Nolan Strong, (his cousin, Barrett Strong, wrote ''Money'' and other R&B standards). Music historians often site The Diablos as the originators and early archetypes to the Motown sound. "The Wind", written by the group, has a curiously ghostly quality; a simple guitar line plays with a light vibrato fi lling in behind the background harmonies singing "blow wind", as Strong's incredibly delicate, smooth as silk lead carries over the top. The atmosphere takes on a strange feel during the bridge when, backed by a quirky plate-reverb effect, Strong quietly recites his lines about his missing lover. All and all it's just bizarrely and evocatively captivating. Some eight years later the single was re- released, this time reaching the Billboard charts. "The Wind" is now regarded as a doo wop classic and is much sought after by collectors. With varied lineups, the Diablos would continue to record for Fortune Records until about 1964, though they never charted nationally again. Nolan Strong was heavily infl uenced by Clyde McPhatter, in turn he would be a huge infl uence on a young Smokey Robinson & the Miracles over at Motown. At one point Berry Gordy tried to sign Nolan Strong & the Diablos, reportedly offering 5,000 dollars for the their contract, but a deal never emerged. Later, Gordy would cover another Diablos' composition "Mind over Matter" on his Mel-O-Dy label with a group called the Pirates, later known as the Temptations. Gloria Walker - Talking About My Bab (Flaming Arrows Records, 1969) This is actually the b-side to the Chevelles single "The Gallop" (they also back Walker on her track). On side one the Chevelles play tight, funky and in tune ...but not so true on side two! Anyway, Miss Walker is lamenting the behavior of her man in a monologue that ends with the lyrics from Etta James' "I'd rather go Blind". There's a cool soulful bass line, some minimal guitar work with just a touch of vibrato. Mood laid back. 62 So the song begins with the story of Gloria and her lover and what she use to think was true. Then wham! Two second later she's going off about what you really need to worry about is your close girl friends; because when they tell you about your man's cheating ways, they're just "trying to get some for themselves". Set into motion is a deeply paranoid rant, Gloria Walker's monologue ends with her shouting "dirty dirty dirty!" to her girl friends, to her ex and to anyone else within earshot! Simply said, she becomes completely unhinged, (then again I may be over-reading this whole thing and just reliving some of my own personal shit ). Anyway, the song ends on her super souled-up, desperate vocals digging into the melody, the Chevelles horns come in underneath completely out of whack and totally out of tune. I guess it's just the sound you'd expect from a one-take-in-and-out-of-the-studio situation, second tier bands had to put up with because you've got your Ike's or Lee's or Slim's waiting (and possibly packin') in the hallway. I'm not sure what ever happened to Gloria Walker, but she is my kind of woman: out of her freaking mind crazy, surreal hot chick that can stop time with a song. Anna King - Sally (End Records, 1964) Some time ago I wrote about a Jean Dushon single, "I'm Tired", and with absolute, over- the-top aplomb I ranted, raved and foamed. A discovery like that, out of the blue, only happens once in a lifetime. I went so far as to say that my aching back was miraculously healed just by hearing the song. Well I may have been wrong. Not only did my backache return, eventually it worsened. But Wait! Then I heard "Sally" by Anna King I think I had a religious experience. And I swear to god I haven't had an asthma attack since I fi rst heard this cut these healing sounds, as if touched by the hands of Benny Hinn Anyway, as I have often found, it's all about the fl ip side, and "Sally" is the B-side to "Mama's Got a Bag of Her Own", a kind of a dig at her old boss James Brown, and that's a great track too, but "Sally", oh Sally . . . The song builds slowly, once again a story unfolds. "Sally" is an impossibly soulful, medium tempo ballad with just a hint of a musical arrangement. Starting with little piano, a touch of a bass, kick drum and all the room in the world for Anna King. She fi rst starts off a little breathy, a little hesitant, telling her dear friend Sally about her no good boyfriend. But by the second verse the vocals just lay it on the line: Sally should just forget that son of a bitch, because as Anna King plainly states, "I'm gonna steal him from you." And I thought they were pals! There isn't enough space here to suffi ciently explain the greatness of this cut. Find it, even if it takes you a decade. So what. Think of it as a religious pilgrimage and you're seeking the truth. Hey, I'm serious! Jimmy Ricks & The Raves - Daddy Rolling Stone / Homesick (Atco, 1962) Jimmy Ricks is the greatest bass/baritone singer in the history of recorded music jazz, or classical, gospel or soul, R&B, C&W or rock Rick's voice was so rich, so deep, and so fl exible; no one has ever come close to surpassing his abilities. It's not an exaggeration to suggest that every aspiring R&B or gospel singer with a low voice, especially in the 1950's, wanted to sound like Jimmy Ricks. His career lasted some 30 years, from the mid forties until his death in 1974. And though the Ravens or Ricks as a solo artist had few charting hits, he was always a popular draw. Both sides of this single are amazing, but "Homesick" is the one that sticks in my head for days on end; a mid tempo Latin groove thing with an understated R&B feel, add a little exotic fl ute in the background and you've got a 63 masterpiece. The song is a heartrending tale of a man trying to fend for his family by going to the city to get rich and bring back a better life, but he fi nds all the things he thought he wanted isn't worth the loneliness and the pain of leaving his loved ones behind. I've said this a few times before, but records, any style, any era, don't get much better than "Homesick." Jimmy Ricks was really a one of a kind talent. Jerry Butler - Isle of Sirens (Vee-Jay Records, 1962) While most of the world was dancing to and buying only twist records, a few brave souls insisted on releasing incredibly provocative pop records which of course failed to sell. This is one of those records. Jerry Butler was known as "The Ice Man" because of his cool demeanor, cool vocal styling, and he was also a great songwriter (he co- wrote, with Otis Redding, "I've Been Loving You Too Long"). But on this record it's his Impressions' band mate, Curtis Mayfi eld, who really shines. First of all Mayfi eld wrote "Isle of Sirens", but what excels most is his virtuosic guitar work. Mayfi eld not only was a hugely talented composer and producer but one of the greatest guitarists of his generation. A purveyor of the idea that less is more, Mayfi eld's economy of notes would always create just the right mood or feel. On occasion he would just set his guitar loose on a song, but his note selection, variety of tones, space, and soulfulness was always brilliant, something most guitarists will never approach. "Isle of Sirens" is of course the saga of a sailor who can't resist the call of the mythical Sirens singing to passing ships, and try as he may, Butler can't defy their beautiful cries. At the end of the song, blind with desire, the song's narrator fearlessly jumps over board into the sea, in a splash of strings and ghostly female voices. The song is perfect, the vocals are perfect, the spacious and restrained production is perfect and the guitar playing is a gift. GOMEZ COMES ALIVE! Latin Music Buyer Amoeba.Com Blogger, DJ (Nativo/ De Volada), Bass Player (Monte Carlo 76) www.myspace.com/gomezcomesalive Various Artists - Si, Para Usted: The Funky Beats of Revolutionary Cuba, Vol. 1 A collection of Cuban groups from the late '60s to the mid seventies infl uenced by rock, funk and Samba. This movement in Cuban music rivaled the Nuyorican movement that also occurred during the same time period in New York. It's dirty, funky and has all the great rhythms that you would expect from Cuban musicians. Roots of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias From Peru - various artists Popular in Peru for many years but new to most, This Compilation touches the surface of Chica, a variation of Cumbia that is guitar heavy and uses vox organs rather than the accordion that is used in traditional Cumbia. The music has its western infl uences yet retains its Afro-Peruvian roots. The music on Roots Of Chicha African reminds me of other great musical styles such as Soukous, Jamaican Ska and Ethiopian Jazz as much as it does Cumbia. Quantic Soul Orchestra - Tropidelico Quantic made a big splash in 2006 with his collaboration with Nickodemus on their monster international hit, "Mi Swing Es Tropical" on Tropidelico, Quantic goes deeper in his Latin music explorations with Boogaloo, Salsa, Mambo and Cumbia tracks mixed with QSO funky production. She 64 Said What? W/ J-Live is a standout Boogaloo/ Hip-Hop track and "Lead Us To The End" features the great pipes of L.A.'s own, Noelle Scaggs, formerly of The Rebirth. Tim Maia - Nobody Can Live Forever If Caetano is the Brazilian Dylan and Os Mutantes were the equivalent of the Beatles, It would be safe to say Tim Maia was Brazil's answer to Sly Stone. It's funky with quiet grooves and bits of Psychedelic and Brazilian grooves. Tim Maia releases have been hard to fi nd over the last few and this collection so this collection should satisfy one's curiosity 'til his entire classic album is one day released. Todos Tus Muertos - Greatest Hits Todos Tus Muertos were one of Roc En Espanol brightest moments during the 90's. Their lyrics were way to the left and their live shows were legendary. Musically, they have been compared to The Bad Brains because they are a rock band that played Reggae and their two co-lead singers, Pablo and Fidel, are both black, which is rare for a band from Argentina. Along with bands such as Los Cafres, Cultura Profectica and Gondwana, Todos Tus Muertos are the forefathers of the burgeoning Reggae En Espanol movement that is ready to explode any day now. Geronimo - self-titled This album would be a great soundtrack for the next Dario Argento - whoever that may be. Much like Goblin, the band that Argento used for some of his classic horror fl icks (Suspira, Profondo Rosso) Geronimo makes a soundscape of eerie sounds with a heavy rhythm section that reminds me of early Swans. Geronimo sounds like no other group around. Part of that reason is that the band's creator, Bill Nelson only plays instruments that he creates. (Check out the instruments at Trogotronics.com). On top of that, his rhythm section is from East L.A. Orale East Los! Also get: The Budos Band - Budos Band II Caf Tacvba - Si No Authenticit: The Syliphone Years 1965-80 - various artists Mala Rodriguez - Malamarismo Tego Caldern - El Abayarde Contra-Ataca Ticklah - Ticklah vs. Axelrod VIOLA GALLOWAY World buyer also runs a non-profi t for Ethiopia, www.villagepace.org Toumani Diabate - Mande Variations If you think "no more kora" (west African harp) albums, check again: Toumani is one of the greatest musicians in a classical sense, not just African. This is a more personal, profound album, totally unaccompanied. Meditative,and beautifully recorded. Wijdan DVD Beautifully fi lmed encounter between traditional Gnawa musicians from Morocco and Malian musicians (the Gnawas are descendants of black slaves that were taken into Morocco). A must for anybody interested in trance, music, rituals, etc. the portraits are amazingly intimate. 65 The Yacoubian Building DVD Hit movie in Egypt about the people living in one building which show the issues of the society in a surprisingly candid way, a real window into another world, and absolutely well-made. Waiting for Happiness DVD By my favorite director from Mauritania, Abderrahmane Sissako. A poetic, dreamy fi lm about a young man getting ready to leave his country. Not much of a narrative, just amazing shots. Totally timeless. Hollow City DVD An orphaned child trying to survive in the capital of Angola though it could be any African city beautifully fi lmed by Maria Joo Ganga, a newcomer, from a child's view. Alemayehu Eshete - Ethiopiques #22 Recently I met this man and is he ever suave, a bit of an Ethiopian Little Richard, who would appeal to anyone that heard the great Mulatu Astatque. Lots of blues & groove! Andy Palacio - Watina The Garifuna artist's latest album fi nally made it in world music circles, and then he died of a heart attack. There is not much cultural music available from the Central American countries. This garifuna music was proclaimed one of the "masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity" by UNESCO, and this CD would be a great example. Bembeya Jazz - Syliphone Years The true African super group before there was "world music," funky stuff from Guinea, which was a socialist country & refused help from its former colonizers, thereby eliminating itself from the international radar. A few lucky people have this stuff on vinyl, and FINALLY this compilation of their best years was released. A Visit to Ali Farka Toure DVD Combination of great music, scenery, and philosophy. Ali Farka Toure as ecologist who knows that Africa has to be self-suffi cient and he had become an important local fi gure as farmer, investing his money in improving conditions in his homeland. LEE D. GORDON R.I.P. Matt Hogan... Chico, Ca. music scene stalwart the past 30-odd years. My fi rst memory of Hogan in action is of his band Incredible Diamonds opening up for Los Lobos at the Ping Pong Palace (long gone), early in '85. Chico had a fertile music scene in those days with 28th Day, Vomit Launch and later The Downsiders all making records that were distributed nationally. Hogan was a grind 'em out local rocker who played practically every dive in the North Valley. Every small town should have at least one of these characters... I'd like to recommend 5 acts from the Oldies Dept. at Amoeba that seem to fl y a tad under the radar. These groups do not sound anything like one another... Peanut Butter Conspiracy This L.A. group issued two albums on Columbia circa '67-'68. A nice amalgam of Jefferson Airplane and Mamas & the Papas. Well executed harmonies matched with psych instrumental accompaniment. 66 Rascals - Young Kingpins of the mid-'60s "Long Island Sound" scene that included The Vagrants (Leslie West), The Pigeons (later Vanilla Fudge), Gandalf, and others. I'm mainly familiar with their early material when they still had "Young" attached to their name. Hot soulful raving rockers mixed with beautifully rendered ballads. Racked up 5 Top Ten hits including 3 #1s between '66 and '68. Great organ sound... Olympics Formed in Compton in 1954, this rhythm 'n blues vocal group left a varied batch of records as a legacy. Their fi rst (and largest) hit was the 1958 novelty "Western Movies". They waxed a wonderful and somewhat incoherent dance disc "(Baby) Hully Gully" that launched scores of imitations. Toward the end of their career (and after member Charles Fizer was killed during 1965's Watts Riot) they delivered two fi ne up-tempo soul numbers, "Mine Exclusively" and "Baby Do The Philly Dog". Los Angeles has an amazing R &B history that can boast acts like Bobby Day, Bob & Earl, Johnny Otis (and his many bands and acolytes), Richard Berry, Robins and early Coasters, Brenton Wood, War, Hollywood Flames and on and on... Troggs British band whose early days were its best. Had a #1 with the deathless "Wild Thing" in '66. My personal primitive faves are "From Home", "I Want You" (not the Dylan song) and "Gonna Make You". Made the world safe for AC/DC... "5" Royales Wrote about these guys briefl y in an earlier Music We Like. They started as a Gospel vocal group in the 1940s. Went secular early '50s and made a string of outstanding singles on both the Apollo and King record labels. Much of their late '50s material features stinging lead guitar by chief songwriter Lowman Pauling. Tip: The recent 13th Floor Elevators, Gram Parsons and Doors by the Doors books are to be recommended. Always remember, precious and few are the moments we two can share... MARYANN BAKER Mezz Crew Ferraby Lionheart - Catch the Brass Ring Radiohead - In Rainbows Band of Horses - Cease to Begin Sigur Ros - Hvarf/Heim Kathy Griffi n: My Life on the D-List: Season 1 DVD Jesus had nothing to do with this listing. tip: Lori McKenna, A Fine Frenzy, Meg Librizzi & friends - smoke a bowl with Jesus. SPENCER "naps & tea" Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 6 DVD This is easily the funniest show on television. Larry David is a genius. Thailand - Motorcade Thailand is an underrated indie electro from Los Angeles. If you're a fan of Brian Eno, Krautrock, and/or contemporary electro pop bands, you should check them out. Various Artists - Eccentric Soul: The Outskirts of Deep City CD/LP This is the Numero Group's 17th compilation of soul and funk, and it is 67 probably my favorite. Quality tunes from obscure artists I probably otherwise wouldn't be familiar with. John Maus - Love is Real A collaborator and friend of Ariel Pink, John Maus's last release got a lot of guff from music critics. I think with tunes like "Do Your Best" (a song that would easily fi t on a Buffalo Bill mix tape) will help this album be more warmly accepted. Spindrift - The Legend of God's Gun Apparently, over the last couple of years the band shot a full length feature fi lm and recorded a soundtrack to go along with it, but the movie has yet to be released. I'm not sure what the movie's about, but if I had to take a guess from the soundtrack, I would say it's a mix between a mescaline trip and "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". JAMIE S. "We are not men but working magicians, fi ghting against time in the midst of diffi cult and luminous circumstances." - To paraphrase Ernesto "Che" Guevara Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon Another beautiful record from Mr. Banhart, the youngest musician to bear the title of Mr. California. Each new record shows him getting even better at singing and writing. His voice has a new lower richness to it, and there are so many different styles of songs. "Smokey" is an ambitious album that still manages to sound cohesive. It's great to hear someone have the means to realize all of their musical ideas. I love his arrangements, especially with piano, acoustic guitar, and the backing vocals. He often adopts characters for the different songs and acts them out to some extent, occasionally even switching gender in the lyrics. There are more sad songs this time; a breakup is obviously being dealt with. More songs in Spanish, too, the Tropicalia inspired "Samba Vexillographica", the sassy sounding "Carmensita", along with the quietly beautiful "Rosa", and the opening song, "Cristobal." Devendra's interest in vaudeville continues with "So Long Old Bean," all understated and heartwrenching, and in 50s Doo-Wop with "Sha-Bop Shalom," the silliest song on the album. There's also a gospel rocker, "Saved", complete with soulful choir, and the Jackson 5 styled "Lover." Even tense reggae rhythm acoustic guitar on the guilt- ridden and regretful "The Other Woman." I'm not even mentioning some of my less stylized favorites. One more thing: I really don't see why a deal has been made about how weird he is; even though he may use some unusual and jarring imagery, the sentiment behind Mr. Banhart's lyrics (when he's not "in character") is level headed and open hearted. I think he just has free and uncensored access to his imagination, a skill that we should all be encouraged to use! Neil Young - Chrome Dreams II Wow, this record really shows Neil's guitar soloing and lyric writing at his most genius! What a great album! There are warm, quiet country songs with harmonica, lap-steel and acoustic guitar, mentions of birds in fl ight, and walking through sun-drenched trees, and then there's the moody, stormy rockers uncovering the dark side of human nature. The 18 minute long "Ordinary People" is the provocative centerpiece exposing greed, corruption, drug addiction, and brain washing as the ugly, not -so- hidden side of American culture. He lumps the drug and illegal weapons dealers into the song about the "hardworking, ordinary people," saying that at this point, criminals are part of the American economy. And when the goal is to get as much money as you can, people caring for one another vanish and corruption is invited in. He seems to be reminding us "ordinary" citizens that we must accept responsibility for what is done to us by the government and corporations. 68 Such a complex, amazing song! Great horn section riff, there is even a sax solo and a powerful but sentimental, fl ag waving poppy piano, and incredible guitar solos. This song sounds like classic Crazy Horse, with Ralph Molina on drums and Frank Sampedro on guitar. Other standouts are "Dirty Old Man" with its stompy Cajun fi ddle and blazing Hammond organ, "Spirit Road" about temptation and self destructiveness, the "snake" that steals "your soul without a fi ght", and the antidote song to the snake, "The Way," sounding so angelic with a childrens' chorus featured. Especially touching that a man in his 60s can write such a sweet, hopeful song. An album for all you soul searchers out there. Caetano Veloso - Caetano Veloso (Originally released in 1971; vinyl reissue 2007 on the Lilith label) One of my all time favorite albums has been reissued, so you bet I'm writing about it! This is the third self- titled Caetano Veloso album, recorded in London after his imprisonment and then exile from Brazil. It shows an artist who feels homesick, isolated, and is recovering from the shock of a horrible experience. He says in his autobiography, "Tropical Truth," written in 2002, that no one who has been in jail is ever 100% free again, even after their release. So while there is an overall sadness, there's no self pity. There is even some dark, absurd humor and carefree, childlike observations. The lyrics are poetic gold: there is a direct honesty that never gets too heavy emotionally and conveys precisely feelings and ideas. He knows how to draw a listener in; the fi rst line of "Maria Bethania," a song about his sister back in Brazil, starts, "Everybody knows that our cities were built to be destroyed." Whoa, tell me more... His beautiful, expressive singing never loses control, and he knows how to push his vocal range and stretch words to make them more melodic. He does some pretty eccentric nasal humming/ scat singing at the end of two songs, further making him my hero for just going for it and not caring if someone will think he is weird. The musical arrangements are sparse, but the playing is defi nitely professional and tasteful. There are hand drums, jazzy acoustic guitar, fl ute, bass, strings, and that's it! Except for the full drumset and choral sing along on "If You Hold A Stone." I very highly recommend this recording by a super talented, original, and adorable weirdo. I saw him last November at Pasadena Civic Auditorium and was blown away! P. S. Since I'm on a Brazilian music discovery right now, I'd also like to recommend both Souljazz Compilations, "Tropicalia" (SJR118), and "Brazil 70 - After Tropicalia" (SJR 164). Also Gal Costa's "India" album and Dom um Romao's "Spirit of the Times." Fursaxa - Alone in the Dark Wood Tara Burke, aka Fursaxa, makes music so stirring, stately, and strange that it sounds like the trees and fl owers made it themselves. Phantasmagoric is a good description. Using a drony instrument or lower register vocal as a base, she adds other vocals, shakers and bells to create songs simple in melody and instrumentation, but rich and fi lled out with tones. I'm hearing harmonium, acoustic and electric guitars that are in and out of tune, banjo, some kind of wood fl ute, and maybe ukulele. All used to take you into a refreshing trance. Her Allmusic Guide page lists Hildegarde von Bingen and Nico as infl uences, and I'd agree. She deals with the sacred and the profane using the power of the human voice. Her singing is so unusual and beautiful, it grabs you. It sounds ancient and eternal. It's fairy music if you think fairies are a little bit scary. 69 Wooden Shjips - self-titled Steady, mid-tempo drums and bass guitar give the background for some mucho psychedelic guitar work. Songs are instrumentals or with minimal vocals, including some backwards vocal sampling to add to the trippiness. Song structure reminds me a lot of the early 90s psych band "Loop" with a simple bass riff making up the whole song, and then a wild duo of fuzzed out and wah wah guitars giving dynamics, scorching and skittering through the song. Organ, programmed synthesizer, sleigh bells and a sample of a fl ock of birds chirping adds grooviness. The music is super heavy, but not doom and gloomy, the LSD isn't spiked with bad vibes. My brain feels like chewed bubble gum after listening, all gooey, expanded and blown. CHRISTOPHER JAMES LAROSE Amoeba Department of Computers farmathon@yahoo.com The Hazy Sounds of the New Blunted Tomorrow... Lukid - The Now EP (Werk) There is a serious fl ood of interest in the instrumental/ visionary hip-hop genre (which incidentally needs a new name. Brain-Hop? Anyone have an idea?! This 12 is one of the best examples of kids taking it to the next level, not thinking of the track as a template for an MC, but fi lling it up with everything it needs to stand on its own. Flying Lotus - Reset EP (Warp) Local LA head that got signed to Warp and delivers the goods (except the track with the R&B vox which I could do without). Same as the Lukid release, future hip-hop explodes out into a new intergalactic genre. Ras G - myspace tracks Another blunted LA crate digger. Ras' tracks sound like they were lost in some historical vortex of old space technology and crackly intergalactic drum breaks. From Across the Pond... A Made Up Sound - Sleepwalk/669 12" (Subsolo) 2562 - Kameleon/ Channel One (Tectonic) 2562 - Channel Two/ Circulate (Tectonic) It's a good thing that DJs and producers are starting to fi nd the parallels between Basic Channel techno and the dubstep genre. These 12"s (all by the same person) are a very good example of the potency of spacious production and heavyweight bass. Autechre - Quaristice LP (Warp) Got my hands on a copy of this, their fi rst record in three years. Looking forward and back, complicated and simple, hard and easy. Really good stuff to uncover. See them live and I'll see you there. One from the Vaults... Burger / Ink - Las Vegas LP (Matador, 1998) I see this come in used sometimes in Electronica. These guys really synthesized their huge back catalogs and alises and cut together a restrained and sleeepy ambient techno gem. 70 CHARLIE RICHARDS I've been a music lover as long as I can remember, and have been working in music retail for twenty years now (can it really have been that long? It all seems like a wonderful and peculiar dream). Besides loving music, I'm a snail fancier (don't like eating them, just like to admire them), a Disneyland addict, and a big fan of the Oz books, Lewis Carroll, and children's literature in general. Antonin Dvorak (composer): Piano Quintet Op. 81; Bagatelles Op. 47 - Ensemble Explorations This is the kind of recording that makes one leap out of one's seat with excitement as soon as the fi rst note sounds. First off, the Op. 81 quintet is a delicious piece of music, the fi rst movement by turns nostalgic (the fi rst subject has a sweet, folk-like lullaby character) and wild; the second (and most famous) mournful and yet comforting; the third full of the vibrancy of the Bohemian countryside; and the fourth triumphant. The playing on this new recording is transparent, lilting, and evocative of everything this music should be music that fuses the world of the Brahmsian salon with the fresh scents of the Czech forests. Particular praise should go to pianist Frank Braley, whose clean articulation is accented from the fi rst, and who never overpowers the string players. The charming bagatelles, written for the odd combination of two violins, cello and harmonium, make a perfect "side dish" for this musical feast. Measha Brueggergosman (soprano): Surprise - BBC Symphony Orchestra, David Robertson (conductor); William Bolcom (piano) This is Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman's third solo recital album, but the fi rst in her new contract with Deutsche Grammaphon, and one can see why the distinguished label was eager to sign her up. Her voice is rich, velvety and creamy; if one were to make a comparison, I would say think of the young Jessye Norman but comparisons are weak in this case, as Brueggergosman has so much of her own style and personality. The repertoire is daring for a debut album. It begins with some delightfully sardonic songs by American composer William Bolcom, the highlight being the joyfully infectious "Amor". Schoenberg's cabaret songs follow this forget the spiny serialism you associate with Schoenberg here these are charming little numbers reminiscent of Kurt Weill. The last "set" in the recital is by far Brueggergosman's greatest "coup", the far-too-seldom heard art songs of Satie, full of Parisian lilt, mysterious cadences, and the eccentric humor for which the composer was known (the waltz-like "Je Te Veux" stays in the memory long after a hearing). Brueggergosman has chosen material that is perfect for her voice, an excellent showcase for a rising star. Ian Bostridge (tenor): Great Handel - Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Harry Bicket (conductor) The Baroque era was defi nitely not the age of the tenor he would come into his own in the 19th century the castrato being the star of the operatic stage in Italy, England and elsewhere in the 16 and 1700's. But Handel, living as a naturalized citizen in England, had at his disposal one of the greatest tenors of his age: John Beard, and for him wrote some of his most memorable material and most stunning 71 parts, including the title roles in his two magnifi cent oratorios Jephtha and Samson. Ian Bostridge has been overdue for a recital of this nature, and now that, at long last, it is here, one's breathless anticipation does not yield to disappointment. This is a glory of an album, fi nding Bostridge's voice fresh, expressive, and incisive as always. Handel scholar Harry Bicket leads the period Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment with fl air and precision, forming a perfect partnership with Bostridge's oboe-like voice. As an added bonus, Bostridge is joined by up-and-coming diva Kate Royal (see below) for the rapturous duet "As Steals The Morn", which, as Bostridge states in his liner notes, is "one of the great soprano-tenor duets of musical history, to rankwith those of Mozart or Puccini." No argument here. Kate Royal (soprano): self-titled - Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Edward Gardner (conductor) I'm afraid this list is a little top-heavy with vocal recommendations, but this year has been ripe with new operatic talent, and Welsh soprano Kate Royal is certainly the cream of the crop. Her voice is bewitchingly smooth indeed, fl awlessly so, and her technique expertly geared to the wide- ranging repertoire she has chosen for her debut album. Like Brueggergosman's debut DG album reviewed above, Royal has not gone the route of usual debut selections here (the inevitable selections from Boheme, Butterfl y, Traviata, etc.) but a well-balanced meal of Debussy, Strauss, Ravel, the scena from Stravinsky's Rake's Progress, Canteloube, and even a few wild cards rarely heard songs by Granados and Rodrigo. All-in-all an hour of never-ending delights, I happily look forward to hearing more from her. Locklair (composer): "Symphony of Seasons; Lairs of Soundings; Phoenix and Again; In Memory H.H.L.; Harp Concerto" - Janeanne Houston (soprano); Jacquelyn Bartlett (harp); Sloval Radio Symphony Orchestra, Kirk Trevor (conductor) One of the joys of music listening and collecting is discovering a new composer, and here's one I'm so glad I've found. American Dan Locklair is new to me, but his compositions greeted me like old friends, at once accessible, fascinating and welcome. The main piece on the disc, his Symphony of Seasons, is a boundless exploration of the joys of the passing year optimistic, poetic, intricately scored, tuneful, and memorable. "Lairs of Soundings" a work for soprano and orchestra, is a bit thornier, but rewarding nonetheless, and the Harp Concerto a rapturous evocation to the glory and majesty of that often overlooked instrument. Throughout, the humanity and good-natured spirit of Locklair the man is most apparent, and proves that contemporary music need not be diffi cult, pessimistic, or world-weary to be profound. Highly recommended. CHRIS GUTTMACHER I LOVE EVERY FUCKING ONE OF YOU!!! Here are some of the best available reprints of vintage Jamaican music on vinyl - mid 60s through early 80s. Most have been reissued during the last 2 years or so. A couple have kicking around longer than that, but deserve mention. I've concentrated on the obscure stuff that hasn't been repressed or compiled a zillion times already. Alton Ellis - I'll Be Waiting (Techniques) 1968 Barry Brown - Give Another Israel A Try (Extended Mix) 72 Barry Brown - Sweet Sixteen (Extended Mix) (Greensleeves) 1980 12" Black Harmony - Pretty Looks / DEB Players: Pretty Looks (DEB Music) 1979 (re-make of the Heptones' rocksteady classic) Cornell Campbell - Press Along / King Tubby - Press Version (Striker Lee) `76? Count Matchuki, the Destroyers - Movements / the Destroyers - Caesar Trojan/Amalgamated Records 1969 Dennis Brown, the Heptones - Satisfaction Feeling / Version (LBE) 1974 Eek A Mouse - Wicked Shall Not Reign / Version (Eek A Mouse) 1977 Errol Dunkley - Running Child / Tropical Shadows - Anniversary (Sunshot) 1973 Ethiopians - Promises (Wind) 1972 Fabienne Miranda - Prophecy / Version (Fox) 1975 Gregory Isaacs - Lonely Soldier (African Museum) 1974 Heptones - Everyday Life / Version (Observer) 1977 Horace Andy - Rock to Sleep / Augustus Pablo - Dub to Sleep (Rockers) 1976 Jo Jo Bennett - Cantelope Rock / Going Home (Moodisc) Wicked orig. rock steady cut. Johnny Osbourne - Ice Cream Love / Roots Radics - Version (Jah Guidance) 1980 Little Roy - Prophecy (Morwell Esq) 1972 Lord Creator - I'm Holding On / Big Bamboo (Randys) 1964 Meditations - Stranger in Love / Version (Wambesi) 1982 Sylford Walker - Jah Golden Pen (Joe Gibbs) 1975 Super T - West Bound Train / Jah Batta, Skatee - Style & Fashion (Wackie's) 1983 10" (great moody re-make of the Dennis Brown classic) Keith Hudson - Nuh Skin U (With Soul Syndicate) (1979) Pressure Sounds 1979 LP/CD Gladiators - Studio One Singles (2 LP/ CD) (Heartbeat/Studio One) Various - When Rhythm Was King (2 LP/CD) (Heartbeat/Studio One) Various - Summer Records Anthology (Dualdisc CD + DVD or 2LPs) (Light in the Attic) Vintage `70s vibes outta Canada! Sound Dimension - Mojo Rocksteady Beat (2 LP / CD) (Soul Jazz/Studio One) tip: If you're in L.A., visit the ROCK STEADY LOUNGE at AKBAR, 4356 Sunset Blvd. in Silverlake, every Monday night. Old school Reggae, Ska and Rocksteady with yours truly & special guest DJs on the decks. No cover, cheap drinks, cozy vibes. myspace.com/therocksteadylounge. 73 COURTNEY Graveyard - self-titled A multi-dimensional, musically charged rock band. If you like those 70s heavy rock sounds, you'll dig it. Death Breath - Let it Stink Truly unique, old school style death metal. Turbonegro - Apocalypse Dudes What can I say about Turbonegro? They make me laugh, and they rock hard. Dollhouse - Royal Rendez-Vous A slightly new sound for this Swedish band. If you like the Seger System, you'll probably like Dollhouse. Witchcraft - Alchemist I chose these guys because I think they're doing that Swedish, heavy '70s, Sabbath- thing well. Although this is not their best album, I still like it. Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris I'm a fan, so this album would have had to really suck for me to hate it. The fi rst two or three songs don't do justice to the rest of the album. It's one of those albums that grow on you the more you listen, and I think it rocks. Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous Import DVD It's about time. See how real musicians rock. Twin Peaks - Defi nitive Gold Box Edition DVDs Tweaks!! If you were a fan before, watch it again, and I guarantee it won't be the same - it'll be better!! The picture quality is great and the music is beefi er. CHRIS MATTHEWS 12" and LP prices. Beowlf - Westminster & 5th This new album by the O.G. Venice band is straight forward hardcore just the way I like it. Well written songs with no funk to be found anywhere. Stormtroopers of Death - Rise of the Infi dels I like this disc for the live tracks. Dirty, nasty and chaotic, wish I was at that show. DJ Food & DK - Now, Listen Again Another classic mix CD by the master at Ninja Tune. From Hip Hop to Rock and Jungle, to new wave; this disc is a party starter. DJ Craze - Bass Session Hands down the best Miami Bass mix CD I have ever heard. Obscure and classic tracks are mixed, blended and cut-up to perfection. Lateef & Z-Trip - Ahead of the Curve I always look forward to new music from Z-Trip and this doesn't disappoint. This disc is more of a mix than an album and Chubb Rock deliver some of the best lyrics ever spit into a mic. tip: Punk and hardcore shows at the Knitting Factory are always fun. Don't miss 'em. 74 IRENE CHAVIRA "I'm never going to be famous. I don't do anything, not one single thing. I used to bite my nails, but I don't even do that any more." - Dorothy Parker "Wit has truth in it; wisecracking is simply calisthenics with words." - Dorothy Parker Magnetic Fields - Distortion El da en que yo tuve la oportunidad de eschucar, por primera vez, la msica de los Magnetic Fields fue un regalo maravilloso para mi. La cancin era "Grand Canyon" y mi respuesta era instantania, fantica! Desde entonces ese da, todo lo que era Magnetic Fields, yo me propuse escuchar. 'Distortion' es una mezcla de sonidos, 60s pop, ruido atmsfera que rodea alrededor de la mente como lo que el productor Phil Spector hizo famoso, su "wall of sound" "pared de sonido". No es slo las palabras de las canciones que me captivan, tambien es la voz de Stephin Merit que me pone en un lugar tranquilo, en un lugar donde yo puedo ir para relajar me. Stephin es un escritor excepcional, inteligente, y prolfi co y sus palabras resuenan con sarcasmo y tranquilidad. Caf Tacva - Si No Lo admito, la ltima vez que escuch un lbum "nuevo" de Caf Tacvba fue en 1994 con el lanzamiento de su segundo album, RE. Bueno, escuch, le di una opotunided y goc en los sonidos de sta msica mexicana folklore con combine un equilibrio agradable de guitarrazos. Hay mucho que todava necesito aprender sobre el rock en espaol, y este lbum es un gran comienzo. Flight of the Conchords - The Distant Future Estos camaradas de Nueva Zelandia me hicieron los viajes al trabajo agradable y llenos de sonrizas y carcajadas. "These aren't tears of sadness because you're leaving me, I've just been cutting onions I'm making a lasagnafor one," escuchen ahora, antes de que cierren "your mother- fucking-board systems down." Siousxie - Mantaray Un album ms personal, y una visin ntima. Sola o con sus Banshees, nunca falla. Joy Division - All of their re-issues Bellos reencuentros. Una mencin honorable: Annie Lennox - Songs of Mass Destruction Stevie Nicks - Crystal Visions Sharon Jones - 100 Days 100 Nights Evil Woman Blues - various artists Morrissey - Greatest Hits Deluxe Version tip: "Nothing separates the generations more than music. By the time a child is eight or nine, he has developed a passion for his own music that is even stronger than his passions for procrastination and weird clothes." - Bill Cosby J. MARK BEAVER Celebrating 10 years of retail heaven with AMOEBA Music. White Rainbow - Prism of Eternal Now (Kranky) Can't........stop........listening..... Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog (Sub Pop) I have always had a hard time getting into Iron & Wine. Sam Beam's voice neither pooped nor got off the pot. But here... here's a whole 'nuther thing: I swear he's 75 been listening to Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk". The spirit of Lindsay Buckingham worms its way thru the whole album and it's all the better for it. A great, great listen! Dawn McCarthy & Bonny Prince Billy - Wai Notes (Drag City) These lo-fi working tapes are like the ghost of the album ("The Letting Go") that they eventually lead to. Their scratchy, distant, fl awed textures are thrilling and in many ways a more perfect setting for some of these fragile songs. I get chills! Chills, I tell ya!!!! Liars - self-titled (Mute) Ain't nobody making post-whatever like these nutjobs. I have no idea what they're doing, but I'm confi dent that they do. Possibly even better than "Drum's Not Dead." Warlocks - Heavy Deavy Skull Lover (Tee Pee) BERNIE Short dark presence in the darkest corner of your mind Gorillaz - D-Sides (Deluxe Edition) A simpler, stripped down approach to the unclassifi able enigmatic music that is the cartoon quartet. It's a wonder why these didn't make the cut! Check out disc 2, where the remixes are awesome renditions on Demon Days tracks that'll get your head nodding without even knowing. Takashi Murakami's video for Kanye West's "Good Morning" Murakami's artistic vision for Kanye's "Graduation" is completed with his animated video. Just imagine the album cover coming to life all around you. Easiest said this video got the song stuck in my head. G'morning! Jesu - Lifeline Death drone has a found a voice in Justin K Broadrick! Actually, it found a voice in his wall of sound that emanates from every chord. M.I.A. - Kala Maya came back with a vengeance and a world of producers (literally!) to make her sophomore effort a hard hitting, beat thumping club smash that the scenesters never knew what hit them. Rivers Cuomo - Alone: The Home Recordings A peek inside the ever-elusive Rivers' head and a glimpse of his talent with a guitar and a sequencer. Follow him as he traverses from simple acoustic songs about his dreams and aspirations later to become reality to forays into hip-hop inspired beats and maybe a day-trip into electronica. tip: www.pandora.com - a great way to discover music you didn't now you liked. RAFF HALL'S iPod Selection MUSIC> REPLICAS REDUX (Expanded 2008 2 CD edition) Gary Numan & Tubeway Army Watch Us Work It Devo Cathode Mamma Krisma (AKA: Chrisma) Distortion The Magnetic Fields VIDEOS> A ZED AND TWO NOUGHTS Peter Greenaway 76 Blade Runner (Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition) Ridley Scott Series 1 Shameless LARS AND THE REAL GIRL Ryan Gosling Season 3 Battlestar Galactica Curb Your Enthusiasm - Sixth Season Larry David JUNO Jason Reitman JIZZ PARTY girlswillbegirlsonline.com KYLE KYTE Amoeba Hollywood (dungeon) Musician, artist, producer, engineer Ricky Ropesack & DJ Once-a-Month - "Meat Number 5" Lo-fi , morose, instrumental dowtempo from Chicago's prodigal stoner, with cuts from one of the wyndy cities' most talented (and booked) scratch DJs. An excellent release from the Anodyne Electric Company, one of their fi nest to date. Little Dragon - self-titled From Sweden. Finally a female led electronic act that actually matters. As good as Postal Service without all the pussy footing. Radiohead - In Rainbows The modern age of the music industry has offi cially begun. "'In Rainbows' is, at least in our opinion, our classic album. Our Lou Reed's 'Transformer,' The Beatles' 'Revolver,' our David Bowie's 'Hunky Dory.'" - Thom Yorke Blonde Redhead - 23 Another fi ne electronic art rock album from the Brooklyn trio, thier seventh in an empressive 14 year career. You can call it 'no wave' but i just call it quality. The Fountain DVD Aronofsky's nearly cgi-free, sci-fi masterpiece. From the team that made 'Pi' & 'Requiem For a Dream.' Award winning soundtrack by Clint Mansell, Kronos Quartet, and Mogwai. Tekkonkinkreet DVD "One day people will talk about this movie like they talk about akira." The deuce. Adapted from Black and White, a one- volume manga series by Taiy Matsumoto. Soundtrack by Plaid. tip: To all my fellow record collectors: just keep diggiing, it's down there somewhere. BRAD Back to Hollywood. Again! Jack Penate - Matinee Brilliant and catchy songwriting make this my favorite album of the year so far. I seriously love this guy and I get more obsessed with the album after every time I listen to it. Sort of a Billy Bragg type mixed with Mike Skinner from the Streets. Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel I love this already more than his other band Deerhunter. The songs are all ambient and sort of shoegazey. It is all worth it just for the ghost story at the beginning of the album and the second to last song. Ambient pop brilliance. But everything else in 77 between is also worth the listen. Just trust me, this album will grow on you and only get better. Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off the Lavender Bridge I fell in love with Dev Hynes and his songwriting back when the Lightspeed Champion EP came out last year. I thought I never wanted to hear the Xanadu song again, but his version is nothing short of brilliant. The songs are catchy and heart wrenching and beatifully crafted little pop songs. Imagine Bright Eyes combined with Heavenly or Velocity Girl. It seriously works. I love it. Xiu Xiu - Women as Lovers I have been following the brilliant career of Jamie Stewart and Xiu Xiu since I lived in Hollywood the fi rst time. He always impresses me more each time he puts out an album. This new album includes the same sort of angsty totured beautiful songs I have come to expect from him. He is our new Morrissey. The album will get you through the tough days and make you glad you made it. Baby Dee - Safe Inside the Day I am a recent convert to the cult of Baby Dee. I am now in love with the harp and am thinking of getting my very own. This album is beautiful and weird and funny and tragic and sweet. A bit of everything. A magical little journey through a world that no longer really exists. And Bonnie Prince Billy is on the record. This is reason enough for the millions of Bonnie Prince Billy fans to pick up this great little secret album. It is helping to tide me over until the new Antony & the Johnsons record comes out. REBECCA M. Doctor Who: Season 3 DVD Which made "Ten" become my favorite Doctor. The "New Who" is as simultaneously silly and profound (with more sex appeal and somewhat improved effects) as the old Who. 3:10 to Yuma DVD Which made me ask the question: why has Christian Bale not at least been nominated for an Oscar when he never fails to deliver the most perfectly understated performances in make-you-think movies? Helvetica DVD Which makes my obsession with fonts seem almost normal. Torchwood: Season One DVD Which is like the X-fi les meets something only the British can do, with lots of snogging. TIFFANY FRANCES Coldhearted, passionate, dramatic, emotional, intense Mogwai - Mr. Beast ... Wins the "I want to walk in the rain by myself" gold metal. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - F#A# (infi nity) Innocently dangerous, hauntingly beautiful, cynically reverent, awkwardly fi nesse, minimally complicated The Books - Lost and Safe When collaging becomes a contemplative sound, all my senses are mesmerized and captured. 78 Stevie Nicks - Crystal Visions "Landslide" live has never had fi ner moments. Oasis DVD Korean director Chang-Dong Lee imparts a tragic tale of a social misfi t who falls in love with a cerebral palsy infl icted girl. The emotion is raw, the characters unique, the impact hits layers and layers of profound insight. tip: There is music for dancing, music for making love, music for clapping, music for empowerment, music for thinking, music for rebelling, music for creating, music for calming, music for all of the above and so much more... we owe musicians all the support we can give. CAROL Marketing Dept "Reading about music is like dancing about art! Buy and listen often!" Wanda Jackson - Town Hall Party '58 10" Vinyl Ike & Tina Turner - Live, Raw & Funky CD Various Artists - Evil Woman Blues CD Patti Smith & Lenny Kaye - February 10th 1971 CD Roky Erickson & Various Artists - You're Gonna Miss Me CD & DVD each sold separately! RACHAEL MCGOVERN rachie, rachaella, ray ray, mcgovi, mcgovernator, mcgovs, McG...i answer to them all Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators - Keep Reachin' Up This album sounds like it could have been recorded in the 1960s for Motown. Instead it comes from a group of Finnish musicians and was released in Finland in 2005 and in 2007 in the US. It is part of the retro soul sound that Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings are also known for - contemporary soul musicians creating music that sounds authentically old, groovy, and funky. This record is a real gem. I am partial to the tracks that showcase Nicole's voice like "If This Ain't Love (Don't Know What Is)" or "Keep Reachin' Up" but one of my coworkers prefers the instrumental tracks. So there's something for everyone! Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings This is their 3rd (and, in my opinion, best) studio album. These are funky, soulful, hip-stirring songs with attitude! "I ain't nobody's baby. I ain't nobody's fool. I ain't nobody's soldier. I'm a bonafi de captain!" Unlike the other two albums, there aren't any covers here and they don't need it. Their original songs perfectly capture the spirit of 60s Motown while still sounding fresh and powerful. If you have never seen Ms. Sharon Jones and her amazing band perform live you are doing yourself a disservice. She is a mesmerizing performer! The band is incredibly tight and so, so good. By the end of the night, you will be in awe of the power that is Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings. I would see them ten times in a row if I could. Intramural - This is a Landslide Intramural is a series of collaborations between Denver Dalley (from Desaparecidos), producer Sam Shacklock, and 10 different vocalists. Recorded in much the same way as the Postal Service 79 did when creating their album - by sending tracks across the country for each vocalist to write the lyrics - this electronic record is rich, textured, and as varied as each of the guest vocalists. The songs range from haunting ("This Is a Landslide" featuring Greg Dulli from the Twilight Singers) to rocking ("My, My Tennessee" featuring Matt Friction of the Pink Spiders) to beautiful trip-hop ("Spy" featuring Tricia Kane of Minipop). Morcheeba - Dive Deep Morcheeba returns with their 6th record (and their 2nd without lead singer Skye Edwards). With her absence, they feature guest vocalists and the result this time around is a more cohesive album than "Charango." It's a beautiful trip hop album, but here there's more emphasis on the "trip" than on the "hop." This record sounds like it should be listened to by a body of water...even the title ("Dive Deep") and the artwork suggest water and fl uidity. I like this album more and more every time I listen to it. Roisin Murphy - Overpowered This is the second solo album from the former singer of Moloko. It is a dancey, electro-pop-disco record designed to make you MOVE. From the fi rst track, I'm up dancing around my kitchen (which, for me, is the ultimate sign of a great dance record). I have this on repeat, repeat, repeat right now and I love it. If you like the dancier side of Goldfrapp, this record is for you! My favorite recent (and not so recent) singles: MIA "Paper Planes," Kanye West "Stronger," Kula Shaker "Out On the Highway," Rihanna "Don't Stop the Music," Eddie Vedder "Hard Sun," and Simian Mobile Disco "Hustler." SENORITA AIMEE (I M I) Aw man, it's always so diffi cult to pick the 'still in print' items... but I had a good time choosing available material for those that are interested. Mostly ' 70s tunes and a lil' list of a few CDs I stumbled upon that you can indulge in. Carolina Funk - First In Funk 1968-1977 (Now Again/Jazzman) Holy mackerel! A fl oorin' favorite fanny shaker! Just when you thought all this stuff wasn't easy to get anymore! Kon and Amir - Off Track Vol. 1. The Bronx (Bbe) If it weren't for these guys... from on track mixtapes to bouncy body rockin' disco re- edits... to being the kings of diggin', these east coast folk still reign the crown for the almighty collection that y'all go berserk for. They make it possible for us to still enjoy amazin tunes!!!!! This one is a scorcher for the boogie in you! Supremes - This Is the Story: The '70s Albums. Vol.1 (1970-1973) The Jean Terrell years. Aww man, I cried. I cried. Then I cried some more. Most of these albums I own only on LP, but now I have them in my walkman. Right on, fl oy joy, touch - you know, it's not often a box set of this sort comes out, it's limited. I took it home, I cried again and I held my pillow close to my heart and prayed someone out there could feel the same tremendous amounts of joy. Other Goodies: Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings (all), Blu And Exile, Zap Pow, Rod Taylor (where is your love mankind), D.I.T.C. rare and unreleased, Bachata Roja, Horace Silver, Wax Poetics, Eccentric Soul Series (all), and the underground oldies series. digg 'em? e.mail me please! iluvamoeba@gmail.com Love.imi. 80 NATHAN LAMBERT "BUTTERTOOTH"!! Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve B-Music - Cross Continental Record Raid Road Trip The Flying Nun 25th Anniversary Box Set Rubble 10 CD Box Set CD86: 48 Tracks from the birth of Indie Pop 6 - BUTTERTOOTH box set tip: Disc Jockey's don't use Serato CHANNING HANSEN Resident computer geek Juno - soundtrack Kimya loves you! Philipp Weigl - Monsters Radiohead - In Rainbows Not just a great album, an important album! Sweeny Todd - soundtrack (Tim Burton) I own every Sweeny Todd recording. Doctor Who series 3 The 10th doctor is the best since Tom Baker. Torchwood, Season 1 DVD Torchwood is an anagram for Doctor Who. Lots of yummy crossovers. Doctor Who for adults, not your usual family fare. Deals with issues of existentialism, sexuality and gender. 4400: Season 3 DVD Finally something to fi ll the X-Files hole. MARQUES NEWSON AKA DJ Doleak Talib Kweli - Eardrum Eardrum is a great album. This is an album you must have. Wu-Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams A lot of people don't like this album, but you have to listen to it. RZA is ahead of his time. Termanalogy - Hood Politics V This dude can fl ow. Watch out for Termanalogy. Bishop Lamont - Caltroit Ray Ricky Rivera - Neighborhood Fame This dude is serious. KRISTEN FREDERICK Band of Horses - Cease to Begin National - Boxer Iron & Wine - Shepherd's Dog Black Book - Dir. Paul Verhoeven DVD Wind That Shakes the Barley - Dir. Ken Loach DVD 81 NATE COLE Growing - Lateral Amir El Saffar - Two Rivers Sun Ra - Disco 3000 Fog - Ditherer Melt - Banana - Bambi's Dilemma Talibam! - Ordination of the Globetrotting Conscripts Roots of Chicha - Psychedelic Cumbias from Peru There Will Be Blood - Soundtrack Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath - Eclipse at Dawn Clark - Body Riddle Godfather Don - The Nineties Sessions Bachata Roja - Acoustic Bachata from the Cabaret Era The Work - Slow Crime, Live in Japan, Rubber Cage (Reissues) Henry Kaiser / Charles K. Noyes / Sang -Won Park - Invite the Spirit of 1983 African Pearls 2: Guine - Cultural Revolution ACE YOUNGBLOOD Check this sh*t out! PJ Harvey - White Chalk This album is pared back to piano and fragile vocals. I really like this direction. PJ always maintains strength in her uniqueness. Truly one-of-a-kind. Julia Kent - Delay I would play this on repeat. Julia creates a soundtrack using fi eld recordings from airports and treated cello. Very sophisticated. Dawn + Dusk Entwined - Septentrion Dark ambient project dedicated to the Nordic world. Martial beats and neoclassical beauty. Very strong album. Carter Tutti - Feral Vapours of the Silver Ether The title says it all. One of the very best electronic duos. The combination of the Chris Carters pulsating rhythms and Cosey Fanni Tutti's seductive vocals tickle me pink. Death in June - Brown Book 20th Anniversary Edition This is an exquisite release housed in a hand - carved soapstone box. Half the fun was drooling over this with my fellow co- workers. So when your loneliness closes in, pour yourself a glass of German wine, and loose yourself in the majestic Brown Book! VIVIAN Music: The Joey Heatherton Album Frank Zappa's Hot Rats The Carl Stalling Project - Music from Warner Bros. Cartoons 1936-1958 Movies: Jorge Fons' El Callejon De Los Milagros (Midaq Alley) based on the novel by 82 Naguib Mahfouz Rene Laloux's Fantastic Planet Dominique Deruddere's Crazy Love based on the novel by Charles Bukowski tip: Check out Groundwork's new Vegan Menu made with lots of love by me they now have 6 locations BILLY JAM Amoeba Music compilation series, Amoeblog, etc. on amoeba.com Bloodysnowman - Bloodybuddies Bloodysnowman is bloody great. Shawn Porter (AKA Oakland's Bloodysnowman) serves up brand new and remixed tracks on his latest "Bloodybuddies" on the Bay Area's most exciting and consistently innovative & prolifi c label - Daly City Records. The label's main man, David Wang (AKA Mochipet), as well as Xiu Xiu, Yoko Solo, and others are among the remixers on this collection of twisted electronic bliss. Dopestyle - The Little Happy/Fools Pool Another great release from the Bay Area label that can do no wrong, Daly City Reords. 30-track, 2 CD set from SF emcee Dopestyle with his equally gifted producer DJ 4AM (AKA Jason Chavez) whose adventurous soundscapes perfectly compliment Dopestyle's unique, run-on- erratic, stream-of-consciousness, delivery that lyrically ventures into new terrain. Ill Insanity - Ground Xero Rescuing turntablism from the clutches of its creative lull of the past few years ex X-ecutioners Rob Swift and Total Eclipse along with newcomer DJ Precision have formed the triple-threat skratch group Ill Insanity and delivered a truly great instrumental hip-hop album (with one emcee track) on Fat Beats. Roc Raida, Qbert, and Excess are among the guests. Del the Funky Homosapien - 11th Hour Hooked up with Def Jux for his latest solo outing, 11th Hour, founding member of the Hieroglyphics crew, and veteran Bay Area emcee with a rich & varied career displays the secret to his longevity as he serves up a very satisfying funk fueled hip-hop collection including such winning joints as "Workin It" and "Naked Fonk." YMD - Excuse Me; This Is the Yah Mos Def Effortlessly channeling early Beastie Boys (circa when they fi rst found rap) is what the duo YMD do so well on their punk-energy, raw rap assault 'This is the Yah Mos Def" (My Pal God) that you don't even think of accusing them of being rip off artists. Instead you thank them for bringing back that classic Beasties sound that the originators themselves abandoned so long ago. RICK FRYSTAK Bau - Silencio (Lusafrica) Beachy bon-bons from off the coast of Africa where Cesaria's nest lies. Non-stop groove of multiple string strech-outs by the Rufi no and group. Lots of big and small acoustic stringed stickplay for joy! A bell- ringer. Joe Zawinul - Zawinul (Mosaic Remaster) All time classic back in action re-masterstroked. Joe's oft-forgotten chamber-fusion template with delicious dual-Rhodes (Herbie) dialog, double-drums and Miroslav,Woody and Wayne to boot. I can see Joe's head bobbing 83 and ducking thinking "is this THE shit or what?" See where Miles got it? Emerson, Lake, & Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery (Shout Factory Remaster) Searing prog gemstones re-aroused by Factory du' Shout. The boys make haste to blow out any clogged neo-classical-rock arteries in this scorching testament to squelching Moogs , sword-snapped snares: the power... the glory. Lake's pre-nasal drip propels the sensitive oblique lyricism past Yes' territory in this archetype never equaled. Hector Zazou - Quadri & Cromie (Materiali Sonori) The man. Favorite "electronica" in years. Deeply interesting structures of telematic kisses, elusively elaborate tones, clicks, phrases, un-loopage, sonic framework, composition, focus. With a DVD of digital painting by Bernard Caillaud. Wow. Mark Isham - Film Scores: In the Valley of Elah, Reservation Road (Focus,Varese) Reverb-drenched atmospheric backgrounds that say what they mean. Harmonic fl owers fi ll out the narrative of drony strings, bubbling bass, and trumpet time-travel. Brooding and mischievous decorative art. Denis Smalley - Sources/Scenes (Empreintes Digitales) Fascinating blend of organic electroacoustic tones and manipulated natural sounds, rubbed the right way. Syn- symphonic chronicle in effect. Massage your cones with these woofs of wow and swell tweets aplenty. Chris Herbert - Mezzotint (Kranky) Moody drone beds and washes that ebb and fl ow with great reposing and instinctive introspection. Harmonies come and go in the otherworldly home base of safe and stoic. Could be way-good. Alan Pasqua - My New Old Friend (Cryptogramophone) Masterful piano trio jazz of the highest order, with ol' Derek Oles and everlovin' Pete Erskine. Must be one of the all- time great trios. I now trumpet the regal rewards that I reap with each listening. Bill Evans' seed-pods have matured and taken over the world. Daphne Oram - Oramics (Paradigm) Nutty and nice early BBC radiophonic maternal royalty. Great micro-euphonious electro-library thematic nutmeats composed with her own "Oramics" tools and techniques. Innovations like none before. Christopher Willits/Ryuichi Sakamoto - Ocean Fire (Avex) Piano/Guitar thrum/Laptop jewel of many layers, like staring into the candle. Sodium brominates for the brain and ticker. Ten- strike. Bennie Maupin - Jewel in the Lotus (ECM reissue) Reissue of one of the best neo-chamber jazz nougats of the 70's or ever. Blended beauty of winds, pianos and percussion dialed into the third eye. Subtle sophistication satiates our whimsy to fl y on the ground. Glenn Gould - Brahms : Piano Intermezzi (Columbia/Sony) Gorgeous Brahms piano puffs by master Gould. Takes me deep into thought while letting me be free of it. Luscious, pensive studies of some staid science. A monument. 84 TERRY SMITH Security, Big Daddy Three daughters, all of them almost grown now! One is going to Cosmetology school, one is at USC, & one is a sophomore at King Drew! The Shield DVDs Start with season 1 and don't stop until you're all the way through season 6. I love Vick Macky. Departed DVD Action drama thriller & a lot of violence. Jack is back again! Rambo DVD Lots of action and violence! I think it was the best of John Rambo. He doesn't get old, he just gets better! Rocky Balboa DVD The Rock proves you can still do what you want to do even when you get oldif you have the heart and desire to do it! No Country for Old Men DVD It's a really good movie! I enjoyed this movie a lot, but I don't think it was the movie of the year. Tip: Music, sports, cold beer, & hot girls. Big Wangs & the New Spot! Happy Endings where the pizza is great! BROOKE BACK Rock-n-roll mama, cashier manager, head banger, massage therapist Airbourne - Runnin' Wild Check out these Aussies! AC/ DC junior. Fun, beer drinkin', ass kickin', good time rock! Flower Traveling Band - Sartori reissue Amazing early '70s Japanese band. Take the best elements of psych, acid, prog & hard rock, add some wasabi and the result is this epic masterpiece. There is nothing wilting about these fl owers! Sucking the '70s: Back in the Saddle Again - various artists Small Stone Record's compilation of amazing bands doing 70's covers. Check out: Sasquatch doing "Are You Ready?" (Grand Funk), Puny Human rocking "Crazy Horses" (Donny Osmand - honest!), and Valis tearing-up "Dreamweaver" (Gary Wright). JASON FRIESEN Angry, tall, skinny, Canadian, drinks New Castle, Edmonton Oilers Hockey. Kaiser Records Presents: Real Boss Hoss International Stomp-o-Lation - various artists A compilation of some of the greastest garage rock and roll from the past and the present. Goes well with steak and Newcastle. Featuring the Downliners Sect, the Flakes, Memphis Morticians, the Wilde Beasts, the Masonics, the Boars, and Mondo Topless. Put together by the geniuses at Kaiser Records and the king of L.A. garage rock shows "Real Boss Hoss". Cosmic Voodoo - Vertigo The pioneers of So-Cal psychobilly blast a nasty album of psycho punk-o-billy a decade too late. Featuring ex-Tiger Army bassist Jeff Roffredo on bass and vocals by Mike Hansen. Early year "Doll- Hut" residents will tell you scary tales of this band. 85 The Memphis Morticians - Primitive Trashman and 13 Other Love Songs A throw back, Lo Fi garage and roll must have. Memories of the Mummies, come fl ooding back when the New York 4 combine one of my favorite albums of all time. Kaiser Records Presents: Soundtrack to Oblivion - various artist 21 cuts of psychobilly mayhem. From Barnyard Ballers, Evil Devil, Asmodeus, Gutter Demons, and the legends themselves Batmobile. Keep Yer ears open for the caravans and Willie Vanilli tracks you will be reborn. Bamboula - Guilty Pleasures 14 tracks of the new kings of California psychobilly. The Miller brothers tear this albu a new hole. If you've ever hit yourself in the shin with a hammer, this record's is for youit hurts people!!! tip: Real Boss Hoss & the Eye Booking Shows, Kaiser Records, and Edmonton Oilers hockey. LORI WILLIAMS "No No - NoLorious" Burial - Untrue If the heart makes a sound when it breaks, this is it. The hauntingly tender tweaked- out vocals, massive basslines and stark two-step beats & clicks stick in my mind forever The album is best listened to as a whole from beginning to end. This is the soundtrack to a rainy day in London, spent staring out the window & wondering why she's gone. M.I.A. - Kala This album is the perfect example of how any setback should be seen as a possible blessing in disguise. M.I.A. was supposed to make this entire album with Timbaland, but since our moronic government deemed her some sort of terrorist threat and wouldn't let her in the country, instead she took her advance money and used it to travel, collaborating with different artists all over the world on each track. Although I normally love Timbo's production, the lone track she made with him is the least interesting song on this album. The rest of the tracks are so fresh and different, incorporating so many world sounds, from Bollywood with a crazy bird squawk to Africa with an AK to Australia with a freakin' didjereedoo. And yet it still sounds like M.I.A., it's still bangin, on every track she's still the booty-shakin revolutionary, talkin bout third world democracy, still pullin' up the people. If you love M.I.A., also check out Rye Rye (myspace.com/tharealryerye) and Santogold (myspace.com/santogold) The Hood Internet (www. thehoodinternet.com) - The Mixtape Volume One When my friend Jessy told me to try eating fruit with hot sauce all over it, I was like, "Girl, you CRAZY." But then I tried it and it's great. You can get it from street vendors here in L.A. The Hood Internet is kind of like that it sounds crazy at fi rst, but: ghetto gangsta hip hop + indie rock = DELICIOUS. How they do that? Some favorite tracks: "Some Cut Like a Knife" (Trillville feat. Cutty vs. The Knife) "That's That Whirlwind" (Snoop Dogg feat. R. Kelly vs. Architecture in Helsinki) "its E.S.P. Bitches" (Swizz Beats vs. Deerhoof) Girl Talk - Night Ripper I know this is so last year but it's still killing me. I call him DJ ADD: The undisputed heavyweight champion of Mashup. He 86 takes mashup to another level not just combining two songs together, but blending ten different pieces of songs all together to form one. And he never loses the fl ow of the beat. I've heard other artists try to do this and it sounds disjointed & dissonant. But Girl Talk fl ows from beginning to end. This is the disc you want if you have a jello shots party & no DJ. Press play, Get Crunk!! Last.fm and Pandora I TOLD y'all about www.last.fm and www. pandora.com, but you keep sleepin. Stop doubting me and get on it!! Not only have I discovered all kinds of great music I never heard before, I've also made friends in six different countries. Did I mention it's free and there's no frickin commercials? What you waiting for? Dubstep !!! Although it's been around in the UK for years, I just discovered this music, & it's killing me!!! Crazy modulated SUPER- MASSIVE BLACK HOLE BASS lines, 2-step & stutter-step beats, dubby synths, glitchy bits, Sci-Fi samples I think I died and went to heaven!! It sounds like the future like Robot War!!! Darth Vader on your ass! Ask me for a mix CD! Some favorite compilations: "1O Tons Heavy", "Dubstep Allstars Vol.05", "FabricLive.32: Tayo", "The World's Heaviest Dubstep, Grime & Bass". Dubstep links: www.smogla.com, myspace. com/purefi lthdubstep, myspace.com/ goldensoundz, www.last.fm/group/DubStep Documentaries Documentaries have become my favorite form of fi lm. You can fi nd so much information in documentaries that is not reported anywhere else. These fi lmmakers are going out there and covering the stories the corporate controlled "mainstream media" is failing us on. If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself... Of course you already know about "Sicko" and "An Inconvenient Truth." But there's more: watch these now: The Corporation Loose Change (2nd Edition) Favela Rising Maxed Out Life+Debt The Future of Food Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room Who Killed The Electric Car? Control Room Why We Fight The Big Buy: Tom DeLay's Stolen Congress Born Into Brothels Iraq for Sale: The War Profi teers Wal Mart: The High Cost of Low Price tip: Are you registered to vote yet? Are you registered at your current address? Do It NOW!!! Pick up the form here at Amoeba, we'll mail it for you!! MAHSSA (B-Music/Finders Keepers multi-lingual communicator/head janitor and still the "new girl" after record store clerking for 11 years) There Will Be Blood DVD and soundtrack by Jonny Greenwood I had an 'adequate' context in prepping myself to enjoy the fi lm, despite my hesitations regarding PT Anderson's fi lmography. Daniel Day Lewis being the main attraction, for one, and then there was my new-found obsession with all things California, having recently transplanted myself here from New York-via-the- Midwest. Then, as a sidenote, there was the existential crisis I was experiencing in the actual space of the theater, having braved seeing the movie all by my lonesome. It was just me and the empty rows surrounding, which had quite an interesting impact in the dialogue of experiencing the fi lm. Ha! Anyway. Anderson's past work has honestly 87 been a drag to me, with the exception of Boogie Nights, really. But he succeeded in lending to the fact that an artists' past work has little to no relevance in the weight and outcome of a new endeavor. As a movie director more so than any other genre of art I feel that that's a bit more complex to accomplish. Everything about the fi lm is so primitive and minimal - yet truly exquisite - from the raw acting to the aesthetics of the historical period detailing. Almost shocking next to something like Punch Drunk Love... which was indeed stylistically eccentric and unique but kinda silly for my taste. But if anything, seeing BLOOD has actually moved me to appreciate his other fi lms in a roundabout way.... not in content, but in concept. Anderson's mania with California the Concept and his highly abstracted metaphor of the age-old gesture of 'going West' is truly remarkable and rather downplayed in the critics' world in my humble opinion. Lewis' Plainview character embodies American ambition and this 'manifest destiny' in its symbolic relation to death and decay, recalling many epic legends in which, mythically speaking, the sun "descends westward into a country of the dead from whence there is no return." Anderson's movies are the Cult of California visualized in all its overblown chimercial glory. Destinal promise which has yet to come. Kafka's penal colony in which the oil derrick is the torture device. Donner dinner parties with Tom Cruise at the head of the table. Chaplin's Gold Rush without the Humanity. Like Mark Twain's 'Californian's Tale', which is about pioneers hanging on to their dreams after the gold rush. Twain writes that "Round about California in that day were scattered a host of these living dead men-- pride-smitten poor fellows, grizzled and old at forty, whose secret thoughts were made all of regrets and longings--regrets for their wasted lives, and longings to be out of the struggle and done with it all." Also, existential matters of integrity (stance against corporate monopoly), sincerity (questioning matters of religion) and authenticity (disdain for a man who claims to be Plainview's brother) drives Lewis' character into the inevitable mental and physical violence that the fi lm leaves us with - which leaves us not only wondering if this grizzly old Daniel Daniel Lewis is actually a BAD man despite his morally frowned upon behaviour.... but also the lingering question to whether these values matter and actually transcend into truth, in face of an inability to love...... it is in this light that Anderson has truly rendered a new fi lm classic. And Jonny Greenwood's sonic accompaniment. A masterful sense of composition. Disciplined-yet- avant modern classical soundtrack masterpiece. With all the looping and the obsessive dissonant strings, one could imagine Madlib if his preoccupation was integral serialism, continuous repetition modes, and fi bonacci sequences as opposed to...uh.... an MPC. Ambient and industrial is the sonic order of the day, also, with the mimicking of machinery and oil drilling. Inspired modern fi gures like Stockhausen and Gyorgi Ligeti come to mind, channeling the occasional dark and dissonant vibes of the likes of Polish composer Henryk Gorecki. An accomplished soundtrack for an accomplished fi lm. Voice of the Seven Woods - self-titled (B-Music/Finders Keepers) For those of you who want to hear the heart-wrenched ramblings of another bearded fi nger picking twat you might as well move along. But if the heaviness of 88 Six Organs of Admittance, beer drenched vintage ramblings of Welsh crooner Meic Stevens, veracity of Turkish psych-fuzz queen Selda, musical accompaniment of Sergei Paradjanov's visual masterpieces, and superiority of the likes of Os Mutantes and Ash Ra Tempel appeal to you, all fi ltered and regurgitated into something totally new and splendid.... then this is certainly the ultimate album you've been waiting for. Heliocentrics - Out There (Now Again) Malcolm Catto is the brains behind DJ Shadow's live shows with a backing band (drummer extraordinaire), and many of the Jazzman Records funk compilations. His latest output as Heliocentrics takes those experiences along with the kindred relations of 90s favs Brand New Heavies and UNKLE, melded with Middle Eastern ethnic grooves (a la Salah Ragab) and futuristic Sun Ra-isms. Given this may sound like a recipe to backfi re...... but look, just because something aint original it doesn't mean it aint valid. With that in mind, it makes it A LOT easier to let go and enjoy. Erykah Badu - Honey 12" (Universal Motown) Ive two words... she's back. And Im defi nitely singing along. Heavy play and here to stay: INTERPOL : Our Love to Admire (Capitol) and DJ SHADOW + CUT CHEMIST doing the HARD SELL live Feb 2008 in Los Angeles. JOYANN TROUTMAN Future Canadian Great Lake Swimmers - Ongiara Almost every day since its release I awake to the fi rst track "Your Rocky Spine" whispering out of my CD alarm clock. It begins with a haunting banjo line and the words: "I was lost in the lakes and the shapes that your body makes," ...and I wonder 'Where am I'? It's that guy again with the intimate vocals and a love song to the wilds of a northern Canadian landscape, (Tony Dekker, i.e. the band, is based in Toronto). The CD as a whole is sublime, but this track is the one under my skin and in my imagination. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog Finally, a pulse is discovered and it's perfect for open roads with stunning scenery. The Sadies - New Seasons Think of it as a box of assorted chocolates where some are indescribably delicious. Stephen Stills - Just Roll Tape Sparse and soulful. Band of Bees - Octopus Completely fun. The Trailer Park Boys - DVD series Six volumes of insidious comedy. Either you'll love it or feel you've stepped in something... SCOTT FEEMSTER Buyer, amateur writer, amateur gardener, amateur amateur, husband, runner, dog-owner, general lover of art and music and everything good in life, annoyingly upbeat even when I'm down, and maybe I'll pick up that bass that's been gathering dust in the corner... Grinderman - Grinderman Just when we thought that Nick Cave was on track to easing further into middle age becoming the Australian Scott Walker, he throws down the Grinderman 89 album, reminding us once again that he used to be NICK CAVE of THE BIRTHDAY PARTY, the hellion front man of a group that threw together scraps of blues, garage rock, soundtrack jazz and industrial scunge to fashion a sound that continues to reverberate through music. Grinderman are the Bad Seeds broken down to the shock troops of Warren Ellis, Jim Sclavunos and Martyn Casey, and along with Mr. Cave they've fashioned a stripped back, fuzzed- out sound that blasts out of the speakers with the force of a monster truck driven by meth-addled art school dropouts. Find it, listen to it, and get right with it. The Good, the Bad and the Queen - self-titled Yet another project from Blur's Damon Albarn, but on this one he brings in the fl uid, electric backbeat of Fela's skins man Tony Allen and the crucial depth-charge bass of Paul Simonon from the Clash. The result is an album of darkly hypnotic pop that resonates somewhere between later Blur, Portishead and the Specials second album. Blonde Redhead - 23 I've been a fan of Blonde Redhead since their skronky beginnings as Sonic Youth's more Euro offspring, and I feel on this album they have really come in to their own with a newer sound that mixes both their older, more aggressive side with a more polished sound they've been working with on their two previous albums. The production is wide screen and the songs are some of the best they've ever written. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped OK, a band that is over 25 year's old still putting out vital music this far down the road? They're back down to a 4-piece after the departure of Jim O'Roarke and seem to have taken stock of their sound and boiled it down to what they know they sound like, while still moving forward and writing songs that still make your head twirl. Just as good is the solo album Thurston Moore put out this past year, Trees Outside the Academy. I love how he has brought acoustic instruments into his soundworld, especially the cello. Savage Republic -1938 A return of the L.A. Post-punk art-rock band that time seemed to have forgotten. SR's weird amalgam of metal percussion, detuned guitars, Morricone drama and screamed vocals should have been more infl uential, (their fi rst album Tragic Figures should be in everyone's collection), and this album may go towards setting things right. It wanders a little on a couple of songs, but when it hits, it hits hard and is good as anything in their catalog. Just to hear the Savage Republic "sound" back on an album is reason enough to be hopeful about the future. I can't wait to hear what they do next. tip: No matter if its vinyl, a CD, a digital fi le or seeing someone perform live, keep music around you and inside of you. We can only bring more love and beauty to this world that desperately needs it. FRANKIE "I may no longer be here, but it's as if I never left..." TOP 10 BRITISH COMEDIES OF RECENT YEARS: Brasseye Jam I'm Alan Partridge Nathan Barley The 'It' Crowd Garth Merenghi's Dark Place Man To Man With Dean Learner Extras Saxondale The Offi ce Also....The Mighty Boosh, AD/BC, Spaced, Black Books, The Day Today, 90 The League Of Gentlemen, The Armando Lanucci Show, Nighty Night. I cannot honestly explain any of these to you. They are just brilliant, awesome, cutting edge and completely hilarious. Please explore. WHAT I'M LISTENING TO AT THE MOMENT: The Chills - Kaleidoscope World Black Flag - My War Pete & The Pirates - Little Death Ya Ho Wa 13 - Golden Sunrise Tom Rush - Wrong End Of The Rain- bow The Shadows - S/T Bobby Fuller Four - I Fought The Law Les Baxter - The Ritual Of The Savage Cleaners From Venus - Midnight Cleaners Bobb Trimble - Iron Curtain Innocence Be good to yourself! ANDORKAPPEN Greetings to all! Universal Consciousness! Well, I guess (some) '80s rock doesn't suck all that bad after all... This past year I've jammed a healthy(?) dose of D.A.F. and Killing Joke. The early '80s era is highly recommended from these two revolutionary 'industrial' units. Do your research and DIG IN! ... Essential for fans of cold, rhythmic heaviness. Start with the collection "Laugh? - I Nearly Bought One!" for K.J. and the self titled 'best of' CD "Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft" from D.A.F. Hell, anything before 1984 will do for both. O.K.? Okay... Death in June - Brown Book (20th Anniversary Reissue) Best packaging ever. Must see it (and hold it in your hands) yourself. And a very very good, timeless album inspired by beauty and war. More '80s rock that don't suck balls... Guaranteed. Bastard Noise - No Skulls Left Unturned A phenomenally cohesive collection of varied sonic/visual artifacts from pioneering So-Cal noise sculptors. An awesome treat for the already initiated and great introduction for future SKULL SERVANTS. Necro - Death Rap Many people hate on/ignore/avoid this gore'n'porn-obsessed NYC rapper/ producer/fi lmmaker, but they're DEAD wrong. In my opinion this self-proclaimed scumbag is THE BEST rapper in the world and a beyond decent producer, busting out dark & heavy hitting late 90's style hardcore RAP. This album is his magnum opus, thus far... No it's NOT real hip hop, it is DEATH RAP. Seriously though... If 'Mutilate The Beat' is not the bangingest 2 minutes with the most mercillessly rapid- fi re lyrical delivery out there, then I really don't know what is... It's knuckle-headed, macho, vile, sexist, anti-human and anti-life. AND it's fucking genius. Sure it's hit & miss, but when it hits it's positively deadly. Hacavitz - Katon Mexican based horde of blackened death metal maniacs. Ungodly/inhuman musical urgency & intensity. Unholy/posessed vocal delivery. Unusually raw, murky, almost dungeonlike 'production'. Not very friendly stuff. Not very pretty. Antihuman ultrabrutality at its fi nest. Props & devilhorns. 91 Darkthrone - F.O.A.D. The album title itself (as in Fuck Off And Die) is worthy of worship. These Norwegian veterans just don't give a damn what anyone might think or expect of them. From the 'grimmest band on earth' to garage metal riffmeisters - both an evolution AND devolution. I take it AS IS, no questions asked. Geronimo - S/T Well, I must admit I appear on this for like 20 seconds. Regardless of that setback, this is a peerless desolate-space-noise-dirge- core masterwork that should be digested in contemplative solitary confi nement. David Yow goes off on a psychogenius tangent towards the end... - now that's one vokilliholic outburst to behold. Gescom - A1-D1 Shame shame shame. No AUTECHRE record this year. That's just SO WRONG. Well... Ookay, I'll shut up for now. We got some new GESCOM jams to help misdisintegrate/ reorganizize our misdismalfunctioneering cranial circuitry. Thank lordy. Or, whothehelleverelse is responsible. Allerseelen - Hallstatt An Austrian group that's categorized as goth/industrial but does not sound like anybody else out there. Lot's of deliberately militaristic repetition, mournfully desolate atmospheres and obsessively introspective gazing into the inevitable spiritual void. There you go. Look 'em up on myspace or whatever. I also really enjoy their 2001 album 'Venezia'... I forgot many others. Save some for next time, ehh? Other / P.S. I love you stuff: Love thyself like there's no tomorrow. 'Cuz there ain't. TREVOR AKA: smiley eyes Hollywood Zodiac - Directors Cut DVD By far the best movie of the year. The academy was too scared to let this one in race. The King DVD great movie. Michael Clayton DVD Dirtbombs - We Have You Surrounded ILENE Pulp Fusion: Africa Funk various An amazing 2-CD collection featuring the best of African Funk and Jazz. Tracks from Manu Dibango, Oneness of Ju Ju, Tony Allen, Lafayette Afro Rock Band and loads more. Burnt Friedman - First Night Forever Latin percussion, strings, accordion, synthesizers weld to create something between calm and chaos, matte black and gloss white, dubbed- fuzed jazz and orchestral electronic. I fi nd myself coming back again and again. His Name is Alive - Sweet Earth Flower: A Tribute to Marion Brown On this release, His Name is Alive honor the music of Marion Brown, free jazz saxophonist, composer, and one of the great innovators of New Music. Something altogether unexpected and wonderfully received. 92 Aretha Franklin - Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul This double CD of sultry, steamy soul is saturated with demos, outtakes, b-sides and alternative versions from Aretha's Atlantic years 1966-74. Holy Fuck - LP Come along for a wild, raw, noisy groovy, ride. Clutchy Hopkins - Walking Backwards Ubiquity debut from a very mysterious mult-instrumentalist. Worth investigating. Zealous Records Presents Soul Sides Vol. 2: The Covers - various artists A funky, soulful collection of favorites (and not so familiar tracks) covered by Spanky Wilson, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, Marcia Griffi ths, Al Green and others. Nice. Roberta Flack - First Take If you love classic soul, and you haven't heard Roberta's 1969 debut for Atlantic Records, now is the time. Timeless, smart and sexy. The Duke Spirit - Neptune Good stuff! KAREN fueled by hugs i'm just sayin'... risk is necessary. danger is relative. safety is a lie there's more than too much to choose from--keep listening 'cause you will fi nd the most amazing stuff. sometimes you just gotta dig deeper. Devotchka - a mad & faithful telling to be innovative these days is truly diffi cult. it's all been done, after all. but not this. the instrumentation and the intelligent lyrics make this one of the most refreshing records this year. sousaphone, accordion, piano, bouzouki, trumpet, percussion and a theremin!! (yeah.). it's a gypsy mariachi punk folk band with indie sensibilities. and a lead singer who brings it all together. you'll love this record. Guilty Simpson - ode to the ghetto from stone's throw records - always delivering the fl ava :) always puttin' the good shit out. detroit's "hardcore poet" spits grit and grime and won't back down. madlib produced. J DILLA protege. hold onto your muthafuckin' eardrums! Sharon Jones - one hundred days, one hundred nights sharon and the dap kings are simply a delight. all soulful spank, jitterbug raucous, playful serious, and PURE FUNK! Liam Finn - i'll be lightning i'm defi nitely a sucker for the pop hooks and the sweet voices. i love the fi nn brothers in all incarnations. and this second generation fi nn is keeping the tradition alive and well. just good pop songwriting that feels intimate without being heavy or sentimental. this record is so infectious and listenable. it is completely fun without being fl uffy. Teddy Thompson - upfront & down low i fi rst heard teddy thompson singing harmony with his pops on tour. the song that hit me was "persuasion". his sweet, sincere, crystal vocals 93 caught me offguard. his ability to resonate emotion through his voice. this record pays homage to country music in such a way that is so....pure, it is disarming. that someone so young (and from england not tennessee) can interpret these songs without simply imitating---with REALLY understanding the emotion behind them, is amazing. the warmth he brings to these classic country songs will melt you. Brett Dennan - so much more (see above reference to sweet voices and wistful songs.....). his soulful phrasing is arresting. there is deep melancholy dripping all through this record and he "sings like a girl". but i think that's a compliment. :) The Redwalls - self-titled unapologetic ROCK and ROLL! just put it on and PLAY IT LOUD. these guys may not be the most original, but they have spunk. yeah, i like their spunk. Holy Fuck - self-titled lo-fi electronic chaos. YES! crunchy good stuff. really. it's good. really. I'm Not There - soundtrack as eclectic as the movie, but a little easier to slide into. a swooping collection of bob dylan tracks done by a host of innovative and surprising interpreters--from stephen malkmus to cat power to willie nelson & calexico. a haunting rendition of "knockin' on heaven's door' by antony & the johnsons pierces right through you. Pete Rock - NY's fi nest drpping thick producer and cratedigger, pete rock has been doin' the do since the '90's. i love the jazzy smoove vibe he has on this record. features little brother and redman among others. styles p rocks and so does raekwon and masta killa. Andy Bey - ain't necessarily so one of the most underrated jazz voices, andy bey's newest live album is smooth as a breve latte. like joe williams or johnny hartman, his voice is just.....pure silk. yet he is so remarkable in his musicianship and his ability to wrap himself around a song. Steven Bernstein - diaspora suite an original and adventurous composer. this is the fourth volume in his series for john zorn's tzadik label. he has gathered some of the most talented bay area musicians together to create a work that echoes tradition as well as innovation. AND.....all my homies are on this record! :) El Barrio: Sounds From The Spanish Harlem Streets - various artists more amazing music from the fania label vaults. salsa and boogaloo from all the new york masters: ray barretto, tito puente, eddie palmieri, orchestra harlow and other gems from lesser known artists who packed just as much of a punch. Lizz Wright - the orchard sweet earthy soul/jazz chanteuse. lizz wright has more of a raw folk/blues feel to this record than her others. she co- wrote many of the songs with toshi reagon, who plays and sings also. this record gets deeper with each listen. her voice has such sophistication for someone so young. she does an amazing version of bernice johnson reagon's "hey mann". and a heartbreaking rendition of "strange" to close out the album. 94 The Chapin Sisters - lake bottom lp i don't know if they are related to harry. OR tom. or if they are even sisters. but they have the most beautifully dark and delicious harmonies. sweet and soothing--until you listen a little closer to the words. then it becomes even more intriguing. careful, don't drift off while they are singing--there is more there than sweet melodies that will seep into your psyche. Strange Breaks & Mr. Thing - various artists great collection of funk, soul, jazz songs for "modern living". defi nitely funk-aay....! The Million Dollar Orchestra - better days bringin' back the disco beat and the dance party is ON. slap it on and watch your feet MOVE. The American Boogie Down - various Eccentric Soul: The Outskirts of Deep City - various artists another gem in the numero uno label group's amazing collection of rare and undiscovered music. Ashford & Simpson - hits, remixes & rarities these two totally rocked my world. more from the amazing RHINO archives coming out all the time. worth your trouble if you stumble on 'em: frankie lymon, patti austin, joe tex, and way more. the rhino vaults rule! Blind Boys of Alabama - down in new orleans features allen toussaint, the preservation hall jazz band, and plenty of down home soul-infused gospel wailing and serenading. the real deal. i also liked what everyone else liked too: Cat Power, Kelley Stoltz, She & Him, the entire Ethiopiques series (get them all. really.), Dungen, Buriel, There Will Be Blood (soundtrack). watch out for..... Jim, Son of James, The Dodos (out of SF), No Age, The Parson Red Heads, White Widow II and.... Lyrics Born - everywhere at once, Del - the eleventh hour, Ray Ricky Rivera - neighborhood fame DVDs Damages TV series season one. glenn close is SO good. creepy and engaging. Days of Heaven (Criterion Collection) DVD one of the most beautiful fi lms ever. (and i'm still in love with richard gere) The Last Emperor (Criterion Collection) DVD 95 And we're excited to introduce AMOEBA RECORDS! A place where the music that moves us can fi nd the home it so richly deserves. It's a logical extension of our stores and another way of sharing music with people who share our passion! Out now and available at Amoeba Music: Stephane Wrembel Trio w/ Special Guest David Grisman Gypsy Rumble Brandi Shearer & The Robin Nolan Trio Rendezvous at the Nightery Coming out Fall, 2006: Gram Parsons Chronicles, Vol. I: Flying Burrito Brothers, Live '69 Brandi Shearer & Jim Campilongo Electric Trio 96 </p>