RECENT FAVES FROM THE RECORD LIBRARY- MAY 1999


As compiled by WFMU's Music Director Brian Turner


VARIOUS/Doob Doob O-Rama (QDK Media)
German import collection of utterly magnificent Bollywood soundtrack music from India, a perfect plunge-in point if you missed the Golden Voices series (or were disappointed by the Bombay the Hard Way disc on Motel). Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosole, and the classic Mohamed Rafi cit "Jan Pahechan Ho" featured on WFMU-TV way back when.

VARIOUS/Ho! #1/Roady Music Fromm Vietnam (Trikont)
Yet another German label presenting exotic sounds: an almost voyeuristic overview on Vietnamese street musicians, strange pop concoctions from the studio, funeral bands with fuzz pedals, and much more you won't find in your avergae World Music collection. An equally puzzling booklet as well; some FMU Djs have been playing half the disc at a time on air. Artists include the mysterious "Santana V" and "VC Hooker".

PSYCHEDELICA: Nodding to these nightly: Far out indeed: Tony Maimone (Pere Ubu) joined by friends on DRUMHEAD (Perishable), psychedelic percussion journey via strange effects, recorded partly in NYC studio and partly in apartments. For those following what the Polish Popol Vuh is up to, ATMAN's "Tradition" (Drunken Fish) is their best yet, an acoustic-based trance-out, GHOST's two new records "Snuffbox Immanence" and "Tune In, Turn On, Free Tibet" (both Drag City) continue to amaze, even though this Japanese band's live performances are the real apex of experiencing them. "Tune In's" amazing 30 minute jam at the discs' end is pretty heavy as well. We've all also be enjoying the ALPANE MOON disc "Echoing Grave" on Camera Obscura, culled from a Welsh musician whose cassette recordings were legend in the Ptolemaic Terrascope circles. This full legth disc is full of whooshy, beautiful rural psychedelia that Flying Saucer attack only hinted at. Finally, glad to see a CDR pop up as predule to a new LP-only release from somr real rural spaceheads from California, the SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE ("Dust and Chimes", Pavillion). Like NYC's Tower Recordings and Hall of Fame, their Kraut/Incredible String Band/general ethnic roots are well evident, yet inhabit their own dark corner. Really nice.

NINIAN HAWICK/Steep Steps (Grimsey)
An out-of-left-field pop surprise from a member of the Jim Ruiz Group, animated, layered flirting with electronic but rooted firmly in Prolapse-style rock with especially neat female vox on "Scottish Temple Stomp".

VARIOUS/Across Uneven Terrain (Fat Cat)
This relatively new UK label covers some of the bases that US labels like Bubble Core work (experimental electronic ambient) but with a roster that includes Bjork and AMM/Merzbow, there's a really interesting ethic happening in general for furturistic sounds. Especially great here is Fonn's "Outpost", Transient Waves' "Paradise" and Process' "Calene".

BRAN FLAKES/Hey Won't Somebody Come Out and Play? (Ovenguard)
Looks like the big FMU hit of the month from the adventurous and always entertaining Ovenguard CD-R label from California, whose two compilations were heavily played here last fall. The Flakes are the duo of Rev. Otis M. Fodder and Sir Mildred Pitt, utilizing loopy breaks and samples from kids/exercise/sex-ed/general instructional records. Gotta love "I Am a Groupie", "Strawberry Simmons" (as in Richard) and "I Am So Very Glad That You Are My Friend."

VOMIT LUNCHS/Violent Clash Between Killer Bastards of Eardot Remix (Vinyl Communication We think they're Japanese, but with ties to Stock, Hausen, and Walkman (who did an earlier record of theirs) you never know. Stylistically akin to SH&W's gabby electronic chop-ups, Vomit Lunchs shove it all into a compactor and spray it out zig zagging speakers and your earholes.

BOGDAN RACZYNSKI/Boku Ma Wakaran (Rephlex)
Bogdan's a 21-year old Polish guy who arrived to the UK via Japan with just a PC laptop and a whole lot of strange electronic music composed therein. He denied all knowldege of Aphex Twin and other folks who have crossed paths with the Rephlex folks, but there is a common thread therein. Fractured melodies, hyperkinetic rhythms unlike other things the WIRE is yappin' about.

THE CAUSEY WAY/WWCD (Put It On a Cracker)
Extremely kooky and fun Devo-derived punk rock from a Florida band who have seemed to have built some kind of weird camp around themselves and have names like "The Button" and "Cousin Baby". Seemingly perfect tourmates for Man or Astroman these days.

TEODORO ANZELLOTTI/Compositeur de Musique/Erik Satie (Winter and Winter)
Beautifully recorded (and packaged) accordian takes on Satie compositions.

MEKONS/I Have Been to Heaven and Back (Quarterstick)
Even their self-professed "songs and verbal nonsense" aka outtakes are gems after all these years. The Mekons have actually included a snippet from a drunken fest on Hova's show as well.

BRAINBOMBS/Urge To Kill (Load)
Pummeling, throbbing guitar overload, 2 chords or less, is the order of business from this band of Swedish brutes whose singer is usually going on about hitting somebody. OK, He's ALWAYS singing about that. This is a heavy heavy rock record.

OWEN HAND/Something New/I Loved a Lass (Pier)
Another stellar British folk reissue from David Tibet of Nurse With Wound/Current 93; Hand was a premier Scottish troubadour whose first two LPs (1964, 1966) combined on this CD are stellar. Indeed, if you've seen "the Wicker Man" may of these conjured images will resonate during the listening, each song is a story of some kind of treachery. Beautiful versions of Cyril Tawney's "Sally Free and Easy", and the traditional "Barley Bree".

PIERRE SCHAEFFER/Oevre Musicale (EMF)
A 3CD reissue from the 4CD InaGrm set from years ago (a spoken word disc was withheld) from the founder of musique concrete. Schaeffer's establishment of the Inagrm studios brought folks like Pierre Henry into prominence and layed the foundation for experimental electronic music in general.

Other big faves:

  • new Olivia Tremor Control,
  • Speedy West/Jimmy Bryant Anthology Volume 2,
  • Lee Hazlewood reissues,
  • New Orleans Klezmer All Stars "Fresh out of the Past",
  • the new Blood and Fire compilation and King Tubby "Dub Like Dirt" compilation,
  • a new Bomp! set of Swell Maps singles tracks,
  • Charles Earland's amazing "Dynamite Brothers" soundtrack reissue, Pierre Bastien's turntable-happy "Musiques Paralloidres",
  • Old Hat country regional reissues, especially the 1927-31 NC collection "Music From Lost Provinces",
  • Add N to X's "Avant Hard",
  • Raphe Malik on Eremite,
  • and the amazing Houndog record (another Los Lobos offshoot) on Sony Legacy.


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