SPACEHEADS/Angel Station (Merge)
More greatness from Andy Diagram (trumpet/electronics) and Richard
Harrison (drums/percussion); swirling, spiraling grooves that jump from
gear to gear and continue to amaze. If This Heat decided to be a dance
band? Recently wowed the masses at a recent WFMU benefit as well.
PONGA/Ponga (Loosegroove)
Had to follow this one up after the Spaceheads as they may share a
similar vibe; this Wayne Horvitz/Bobby Previte project also throws
jazz-element instruments into a blast-off realm with whooshing
electronics and kinetic rhythms.
ENSEMBLE AL-TANBURAH/La Simsimiyya de Port Said (Institut Du Monde Arabe)
Amazing recordings of this Egyptian ensemble (ages from 20-70) under the
direction of Zakaria Ibrahim. This joyful ritual is focused on the
instrument known as the simsimiyya lyra, and each soloist takes a turn
while remaining an egoless element of the group as a whole.
BORUK GLASGOW/Blackhole Boogie (Unknown)
A recent re-discovery at snagged at the FMU record fair and being
enjoyed by the staff at large: Glasgow is a weedy-voiced, "intense" Lower
East Side poet of the 70s who intones in a Bingo Gazingo-meets-Mark E.
Smith mannerism; ranting over Santana records, whooping it up for Martha
Reeves, or just addressing such topics as "Urban Antelope" and "Youth
Poisoning". As Glasgow himself says "far F***ing out".
RAJESH MEHTA/Solos and Duos (Hatology)
Indian-born Mehta's explorations of free music and the trumpet take the
groundwork laid by Don Cherry, Leo Smith, Bill Dixon etc. into an amazing
new realm; his "hybrid trumpet" (rigged up with up to three instruments
attached via tubing) and slide trumpet allow for microtonal possibilities
and unlimited textures.
ALEJANDRA AND UNDERWOOD/Children's Record (Lucky Kitchen)
Technically yes, it is a children's record: recorded sounds of mostly
NYC-kids singing, playing, reciting mixed in with skipping electronics,
record store employees singing over store phone systems, alcoholic
stepdads, TV themes, and "Nonstop Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star in
Mandarin". A summer soundtrack of Lower East Side abstractness.
IMMORTAL/At the Heart of Winter (Osmose)
Swedish black metal titans sing lots of numbers about riding horses in
the snow and fighting.
FELA RANSOME-KUTI & THE AFRICA 70/Confusion/Gentlmen (Barclay)
This French label has just reissued some of the most incredible 70s
records by the late African-funk giant in two massive LP box sets. There
are also the stray two-one-CD reissues, one of which has landed in the
FMU new bin. These LPs (1974 and 1973 respectively) are wonderful,
joyous, psychedelic explorations into the deepest of grooves.
LIGHTNING BOLT/Lightning Bolt (Load)
Jeezus H...these guys cleared the room at the FMU benefit last week and
with good reason, they are loud as hell. Bass guitar up at 10, drummer
freaking out like Animal from the Muppets after ingesting a mountain of
coke, the 20 minute "Fleeing the Valley of the Whirling Knives" is a true
masterpiece of noise rock. Clicking into a groove about 5 minutes in,
this massive two-bass-note (adding a third about 12 minutes
later)/drum-bashing epic caused several FMU listeners to run to our table
at the Record Fair demanding it immediately.
ANTON MAIDEN/Anton Maiden (Nihilism)
Thank you to our friends at Aquarius in San Francisco for alerting us
about this masterpiece: Anton Gustaffsson is a kid who lives in Sweden
and LOVES Iron Maiden so much he sings over MIDI-composed versions of the
songs he composed. He set up a website and someone basically downloaded
the MP3's and put them on CD for us all to enjoy...
"Die With Your Boots On" has already earned heavy play on Incorrect
Music. I think it's really good myself.
ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN/How To Make a Monster (Victory)
One of the best punk rock bands from NJ are churning out record after
record, and this one is yet another good one. Twin guitars attack with
almost MC5-on-speed furvor.
VARIOUS/DJ Kicks-Thievery Corporation (Studio K7)
Another nice installment in the great DJ Kicks series (previously
releasing sets by Andrea Parker, Kemistry and Storm and more) this one
with leanings towards the duo's exotica-heavy collection.
TRALLALERI OF GENOA/Italian Treasury (Rounder)
At last, Rounder's Italian series of Alan Lomax recordings have surfaced
after the amazing teaser cuts on 1997's sampler disc. These 1954 and 1955
recordings dig into the sounds of rural Italy (a "limitless
pre-industrial and pre-national peasant world" according to
writer/director Pier Passolini), and the five-part acapella polyphonies
included herein sound like nothing else on the planet.
DR. DOOOM/First Come, First Served (Funky Ass)
This new Kool Keith project, along with the Sensational record on
Wordsound are two of the year's most bizarre hip-hop records; not since
the Bushwick Bill album has there been as much talk about cannibalism
committed to a musical project.
ACID MOTHERS' TEMPLE AND MELTING PARAISO/Pataphysical Freak Out Mu! (PSF)
Second full-length album from Osaka group which is a perfect mid-point
between two of the guitarist's other projects, Toho Sara (a trance-acid
folk outfit) and Mainliner (total nonstop distorto-guitar-jams). The
Temple builds from a base of gorgeous, repetitive jams into explosions of
psychedelic fury complete with theremin and electronics. Recently did an
incerdible session on WFMU's Stork Club.
CAPTAIN BEEFHEART AND THE MAGIC BAND/Grow Fins 1966-82 (Revenant)
Long-awaited 5 CD set of outtakes and rarities from the Beefheart camp,
complete with entire instrumental rehearsal jams for Trout Mask Replica
(according to the book, the Cap'n had locked the Magic Band up for months
in a house to rehearse, living off macaroni and cheese); you're probably
hearing this thing nonstop on FMU now. The radio sessions and live
outtakes are especially great.
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