UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA - II

Ruban Nielson's follow-up recordings as UMO do not disappoint, similarly sequenced to his debut with a mix of bouncy breakbeat funk-pop and psych/garage detours (with the latter approach nearing Chrome-finished menace both tonally and lyrically on surfy sci-fi chugger "No Need For A Leader"), strong vocal performances (especially, for this writer, on his most soulful take to date, second advance single "So Good At Being In Trouble"), and inventive guitar playing with a near-classical intervallic flair that befits the last part of that goofy band name surprisingly well.

"...[T]here’s the rickety strut of lead single 'Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark),' with its gentle wish to 'swim and sleep like a shark does,' a line whose childish syntax neatly decorates Neilson’s yen for emotional lobotomy. For a New Zealander who crossed the Pacific to prosper in Portland, Neilson has a remarkable grasp on the nature of stasis. All this is delivered, refreshingly, without irony or self-awareness: UMO opt for nifty and direct lyrics that charm with morbid honesty while eschewing self-loathing. Beneath the isolation blues, II is buoyant and visceral enough to suffuse its existential cloud with a redemptive joie de vivre by way of the playful talent inherent in its creation." - Drowned In Sound

"...II feels more complete in its ambition; it's a warmer record that, instrumentally at least, heads more in the direction of The Beatles ('The Opposite Of Afternoon') than the mind-expanding riffs that their debut was slathered in... Unknown Mortal Orchestra's focus on a lazier psychedelia ('So Good at Being in Trouble') that better suits Nielson's androgynous voice is what allows this record to stand out in what is fast becoming a crowded field." - Altsounds

CHRIS DARROW - Artist Proof

Thankfully, the well of fantastic reissue finds is unlikely to dry up anytime soon; while we were somewhat familiar with the name Chris Darrow (if mainly through having once stocked Everlasting's 2009 deluxe LP boxset compiling his 1973 self-titled album and '74's Under My Own Disguise), this Drag City release of 1972's Artist Proof is a worthy official (and far less limited) introduction to the man's work—we're glad to have finally fully made its/his acquaintance!

"The history of rock and roll in the 1960s is filled with side trips and familiar names mixed together with more trips involving even more names, sometimes less known. One of those names still owed a piece of your mind is California picker, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Chris Darrow. Already a veteran of several bands and scenes on the L.A. landscape, Chris was a founding member of the west coast Kaleidoscope. He went his own way after the recording of their second album A Beacon From Mars to pursue music on his own terms...Chris' solo debut is a rich and powerful dose of California country rock, written almost entirely by Chris and played with grit and precision by a cast of great players." - Groove Attack Records

"Artist Proof is a coming together of young people testing their formative influences in the light of a new day, creating something different in the process, which is likely why the album feels so fresh! Back in print for the first time in 40 years and finally ushered into the digital realm, Artist Proof's debossed LP jacket has been carefully reproduced along with photos from Chris Darrow's archive, bringing back the time of a new feeling in American music in all its melodic, singular glory." - Drag City

FOXYGEN - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic

Not to be overly reductive about this, but anyone into the likes of MGMT (their main contemporary/fellow rearview-glancing American rascal-pop competition, it would seem) and/or Richard Swift (entrusted here with production duties on this official first full-length, following the duo's debut 12", Take The Kids Off Broadway) is urged to give these guys a listen pronto.

"The sooner you fumble your way through the unruly title of Foxygen’s latest LP, We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic, the sooner you can get to the music, which is quite the opposite—immediately familiar and relatively easy to navigate. That’s not to say Foxygen’s generous winks and nods to The Beatles and The Zombies and Bob Dylan and Lou Reed and David Bowie (… and I can go on) don’t make for an engaging spin on the past. Members Jonathan Rado and Sam France do so with the necessary confidence and personality, and the right amount of TLC. They’re not far off from artists like Thee Oh Sees and Ariel Pink, who wear their influences like a red cape flapping in the wind without simply aping them." - Paste

"No one will accuse Foxygen’s We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic of being a concept album. It’s as stylistically diverse, maddening and confident as the Take The Kids Off Broadway EP, yet feels ready to enter the primetime—a band confident that their set of skills will be accepted, or at least tolerated. This is in part thanks to the deft production of Richard Swift, whose hand truly feels like a contribution rather than a contraption. Sonically, the music is still confounding, still prone to fits of vibing followed by un-fettered freakouts. And with Foxygen there always seems to be a nod and a wink with every riff and turn." - Aquarium Drunkard

TORO Y MOI - Anything In Return

On Anything In Return, Chaz Bundick brushes aside the Stereolab- and Caribou-like qualities of Underneath The Pine, upping the boyish R&B-pop pastiche element that's been audible in his songs (if occasionally previously couched in compression/filtering) ever since his 2010 debut, Causers Of This.

"In the first three tracks alone, you can find hints of trance and house, R&B and funk, pop and rock. Later, "Studies" mixes a rhythm straight out of '90s-era hip-hop with a melodic structure that recalls pre-Hissing Fauna of Montreal. And "Grown Up Calls" is a fractured pop gem that recalls both Kanye West and WHY?. Bundick is an artist of synthesis, and his music operates best when the stitches don’t show, like on the sub-zero groove of "Say That" or sub-frequency flow of the appropriately liquid "Cola." It’s moments like these that are the most enjoyable, because they’re the songs that fully demonstrate Bundick’s complete skill set." - Consequence of Sound

"I promise not to keep bringing up Pharrell, but the way Bundick's built these elaborate tracks around his own decidedly unspectacular voice reminds me of the way Skateboard P interrupted Jay-Z's godly party-flow on "I Just Wanna Love U" so that he could bust out his terrible Curtis Mayfield impression and somehow sound badass doing it. (Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor is also a good comparison point here; there’s a level of suave/dweeby intersection at work that we mere mortals will probably never figure out.) Bundick’s voice shouldn’t work for these expertly-assembled pleasure-machine tracks, but it does, and the ballsiness of putting that voice front and center only makes the entire thing cooler." - Stereogum

MOUNTAINS - Centralia

Brooklyn duo Mountains earn their name once again with this set of unmoving beauties. Seven slo-fi improvisations stretch over a luxurious 67 minutes populated by Mountains' characteristic blend of acoustic and electronic sounds perfect for the long-haul listener.

"If the likes of Pontiak and Barn Owl conjure scorched plains and endless prairies then labelmates Mountains—the chillaxed twosome of Koen Holtkamp and Brendon Anderegg—are charting boundless ocean depths. Centralia, their third full-length for Thrill Jockey, could easily soundtrack a deepwater Herzog-ian journey in some sort of chuntering submersible. The voyager will be greeted by shoals of goggle-eyed fish, waving fronds, elegant fan-like structures that breathe and eat through tubes and strange, lonely creatures clad in shimmering bioluminescence." - BBC

"Ears still virgin to the inspiring neo-psychedelia of Mountains will find a perfect place to begin exploring their discography with Centralia. While so much ambient- and drone-based experimental music is essentially meaningless, forgettable work that roughly replicates the same sonic recipe popularized by Brian Eno in the '70s, the distinctive melodies and forward-thinking-yet-beautiful experimentalism heard in Mountains' music put them in a league of their own." - Exclaim!

ALASDAIR ROBERTS & FRIENDS - A Wonder Working Stone

A Wonder Working Stone marks Alasdair Roberts' first full-length of original tunes since 2009's brilliant Spoils, and carries well the influence of his two albums of traditional music made along the way. A generous helping of borrowed melodies find his charmingly morbid songs in more varied settings than ever before, albeit still anchored by Roberts' unique fingerpicking and a sympathetic band.

"Alasdair Roberts' musical foundations extend deep into the bedrock of the traditional folk of Scotland and the British Isles. Fuelled by restless curiosity and a scholar's attention to detail, Roberts has long split his attentions between interpretations of traditional material and his own original songs, while often leaving blurry the distinction between the two. On A Wonder Working Stone, his first collection of all original material since 2009's Spoils, the line separating the traditional from the personal is purposefully left fuzzier than ever. Stray bits and pieces from old fiddle tunes and Scottish bagpipe marches are woven tightly with Roberts' thorny lyrics to create elaborate, raucous medleys that can seem almost like a tin-can-and-string phone connection between the past and the present." - Pitchfork

"A master of mesmeric laments, Roberts can conjure dusky cemetery air in a twitching of his fingers or sombre exhalation, yet A Wonder Working Stone offers high spirits in the gloaming as well as low. I suspect only he could rhyme abracadabra with 'intact cadaver'—but embracing life and the living requires toleration of misdeed and acceptance of mortality, appreciation that love survives time. All days will end, and it must be hoped they’ll end in joy." - The Line of Best Fit

YO LA TENGO - Fade

One of my favourite memories surrounding an album involves the end of a spell in Amsterdam. After a lengthy evening-that-turned-into-morning wander through the city, one of our group found himself on the wrong side of the night's ingestions. He got spontaneously and spectacularly sick outside a bar. He was one of the youngest members of our group, a really sweet kid who just kind of got a little carried away—now green in both metaphorical senses of the word. 

We had a long ride ahead of us, so we carefully helped him back to his feet and loaded him into our van. Though it was very early in the morning, no one was especially tired and this poor kid was just kind of dazed—catatonic, but fully conscious. We started driving and put on a record. It was already a favourite of myself and a friend of mine, but the kid hadn't heard it yet. "You'll love it," we assured him. "It'll help you feel better."

Over the next hour plus, no one said anything. As the Netherlands spread its low-lying beauty out before our eyes and the first spark of morning was lit, we just sat and listened—still, but fully attenuated to every note. The look on the kid's face gently moved from pained to a placid awe. As the record ended, he kind of softly managed a stunned, "That was awesome." Then he fell asleep cured, having been just a little changed by what he had heard.

The record was Yo La Tengo's eighth, I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One, still one of my absolute favourite albums to this day. Listening to Fade, now the Hoboken, N.J. trio's thirteenth record, I was reminded of the restorative moment Heart Beating brought to the virgin ears of this kid and what it said about Yo La Tengo's music in general. 

You can have a great experience with any number of albums under any number of situations. It can be the first time you hear it, or the hundredth. But I believe what made Yo La Tengo the ideal balm for that moment is the warming, welcoming nature of the music they make. For no matter what mood they find themselves in—and over their career, they've covered everything from 10-minute feedback freakouts to fuzzy pop nuggets and twilight ballads—there's an open-armedness to their songs. Yo La Tengo's music does not judge you on any level. It does not make demands upon your social standing or even musical knowledge. You can pick upon the many hidden references and homages laid throughout the seemingly endless catalogue of these highly erudite students of music. Or you can just as easily enjoy them as though each idea, each chord change, each expression never existed before they recorded it.

They are a band for the most ardent and obnoxious of music geeks, yet they are one of the first bands of such an ilk that I would recommend to a person who only bought their music at Wal-Mart. In this respect, it almost doesn't matter how great Fade is. It's yet another album by one of the most quietly enduring bands of their age. Its worth has been made by decades of already great music. It is an event.

However, it is a great album, and is one that finds the band in a moment where their warm, welcoming qualities are at a most autumnal, late-age bloom. Like many of their best records, you'll love it. It'll help you feel better.

SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN (DVD/Blu-ray)

A must-see documentary for music fans, Searching For Sugar Man is the story of Sixto Rodriguez, a singer from the early '70s little known in his native USA who became a musical folk hero in South Africa. After seeing this film, you'll want to buy his music which accounts for why the soundtrack was our #7 Top Selling release of 2012. We also stock his albums Cold Fact and Coming From Reality both reissued by Light In The Attic records a few years ago.

"Music documentaries have come thick and fast in 2012, but this one’s the best and easily the most successful...It’s a heartening, uplifting film, touched by the shy, sweet-natured spirit of Rodriguez; you find yourself willing him to succeed. Director Malik Bendjelloul structures his story skilfully, and in a 30-minute ‘making of’ extra, engagingly relates how he came close to abandoning Searching for Sugarman because he had ran out of money. He emerges every bit as much of an underdog as Rodriguez himself." - The Telegraph

VA - Diablos Del Ritmo: The Colombian Melting Pot 1960-1985

While it's unlikely that they've exhausted the funk mines of their namesake continent, Analog Africa has certainly hit paydirt in South America, as evidenced by this supremely groovy compilation of Columbian bangers.

"This is a fabulous album, chock-full of melds and clashes, flowerings and fruits, and more rhythmic grooves than a roomful of guacharacas. If you’ve no idea what Colombia can offer the musically jaded, then this is a timely tonic. Waft some of these cuts under the noses of the musically malnourished and this Afro-Colombian dose of smelling salts will have them on their feet and ready to dance till dawn.

But equally, this is one for the serious collector and connoisseur of Colombian music—or indeed any tropical music, whether from Africa or the Caribbean or anywhere between Cancer and Capricorn. Great notes, great music. This is another one that works both on your library shelf and on the dancefloor." - Worldmusic.co.uk

SOUNDSCAPES STAFF BEST OF 2012

These are the 25 favourite new releases and reissues of 2012 as chosen by the staff of Soundscapes. 12 staff members chose their own 15 most loved albums in each category. Each album was then weighted by points (i.e. 15 points for a #1 pick, 14 for #2, and so on) and the totals were added for this list. Please visit each staff member's own page to see the individual lists.

Top 25 New Releases of 2012

 1. FRANK OCEAN – channel ORANGE
"Above all, it's the ways that moments of genius mingle with the not-quite-there-yet on channel ORANGE that make it special. Like the rather tired channel-surfing trope that loosely connects the transitions between songs, there's bound to be some filler in there. But Ocean's mental receiver is locked into some inspired transmissions nonetheless. He's restless, gifted, and brave." (originally published on July 20, 2012)

2. CATE LE BON – Cyrk
"Bringing to mind such great singers as Bridget St. John and the late Trish Keenan of Broadcast, Cate Le Bon's second disc has the vocals, the tunes, and the production smarts to have endeared itself to plenty of our staff. Very recommended!" (originally published on March 29, 2012)

3. DIRTY PROJECTORS – Swing Lo Magellan
"Dave Longstreth and co. retain Bitte Orca's sudden synth bends, R&B proclivities, inhumanly heavenly harmonizing and guitar wizardry while slightly paring back/stripping down (with handclaps and programmed rhythmic hiccups often replacing a drum kit, and more space generally left in the mix) and getting bucolic and folky with the early-'70s production and earnest lyrics of the title track, 'Impregnable Question' and 'Impossible Tune'." (originally published on July 10, 2012)

4. CHROMATICS – Kill For Love
Wearing his post-punk influences on his sleeve (maybe moreso than ever), Johnny Jewel and his Chromatics offer their most mature, cinematic experience to date. Even with songs sounding like they could have easily been on Disintegration or Script of the Bridge, there is something undeniably modern-sounding about this record. With a balanced mix of tension and overall catchiness, Kill For Love shows this group's ascension to a new level of creativity.

5. LIGHTSHIPS – Electric Cables
Gerard Love of Teenage Fanclub has fashioned a beautifully laidback album with airy vocals, introspective lyrics, and sweet melodies galore.

6. FIELD MUSIC – Plumb
"The funny thing about Field Music is that for all of their restlessness and the rapidity with which they apply and then dispense with their ideas, they're a very beautifully nuanced and classic British pop band. From XTC and The Jam to The Stranglers and Orange Juice (and more than a little bit of Yes), the UK's tuneful musical DNA is always with these guys. Underneath all of Plumb's constant shapeshifting, there is a songcraft that rewards one's trust." (originally published on March 1, 2012)

7. MICHAEL KIWANUKA – Home Again
"Like its title suggests, this is an album that is humble and grounded. But while this comforting, genial exterior is a fair representation of the album's manner, it is deeply misleading in terms of its rarer qualities. This is an album that reaches for the same heights of spiritually resonant folk R&B that greats like Bill Withers and Van Morrison (and few others) have scaled—and it very nearly pulls it off. I only really say 'nearly' to avoid having this sound like too much empty critic hyperbole. I suppose I could see how someone could put on Home Again and say, 'Meh...just another laidback, retro-y R&B platter...' But for me, this is definitely the first great record I've heard this year." (originally published on April 4, 2012)

8. HOSPITALITY – S/T
"From the Anglo edges of singer/songwriter Amber Papini's pronunciation (an aspect of their sound which could draw comparisions to Merge labelmates Camera Obscura and The Clientele, as well as such other Brit bands past and present as Belle and Sebastian, The Sundays, and Life Without Buildings) to creative production touches (additional saxes/synths/etc. as required) somewhat reminiscent of a range of contemporaries as varied as Deerhoof, St. Vincent and Spoon, there's a gentle subversiveness throughout this record that drew this writer in, ever more helpless to resist with each repeat listen." (originally published on February 7, 2012)

8. KING TUFF – S/T
"The multi-talented Kyle Thomas has played everything from stoner metal to freak-folk. He's equally adept at garage rock, as his second album under the King Tuff name shows. With a hint of glam-slam thrown into the mix, the results are royally infectious!" (originally published on September 5, 2012)

10. HOW TO DRESS WELL - Total Loss
Modern R&B has undergone quite an evolution in the past couple of years—it seems as though solo indie singer/producers like How To Dress Well and James Blake have had an influence (consciously or not) on such artists as The Weeknd, The-Dream and Frank Ocean. This album has melodies and hooks that could rival any chart-topper, but from a somewhat outside perspective on what contemporary soul music is. From the club to the bedroom studio to the club.

11. MAC DEMARCO – Rock And Roll Night Club
"With slack, smart-aleck moves that wouldn't be out of place on a playlist with Ariel Pink, Ween, Atlas Sound and White Fence, former Makeout Videotape member DeMarco's pitch-bent and breezy approach to home-fi solo swagger soothes as much as it unsettles." (originally published on June 7, 2012)

12. SONNY AND THE SUNSETS – Longtime Companion
"For his third full-length leading the Sunsets, Sonny Smith (mostly) tries his hand at writing heartbreaking country songs, and succeeds wildly, resulting in maybe his best album yet, with occasional touches of flute and pedal steel that add an ornate yet unshowy elegance to these recordings." (originally published on July 9, 2012)

12. WILD NOTHING – Nocturne
At first I was a little unsure about the new Wild Nothing album, thinking that the extra money spent on production may have reduced the charm of the band's simple blend of pop hooks and jangle, but have only found their sound to have been enriched by the addition of strings and the overall cleaner sound. It has been on repeat in my house the last few months, where it has been known to inspire kitchen dance parties.

14. RUFUS WAINWRIGHT – Out Of The Game
"If this album is meant to in some way pass the torch to a new parade of younger, prettier, and generally ill-fated dreamers, Wainwright intends to teach them a thing or do while doing so. Hitching up with producer Mark Ronson (a man who only knows hits) has led to what is easily Rufus' most amicable, consistent, and fun record since 2001's Poses." (originally published on May 3, 2012)

15. TY SEGALL – Twins
The third in a trio of 2012 releases, Twins confirms Ty Segall’s unique place in contemporary rock'n'roll as a saviour of the form who keeps it fresh and exciting by bashing out music at an alarming rate and with a high level of quality control. This is the poppiest of the bunch, but it's still feral and totally sexy. Man of the year.

16. ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI – Mature Themes
As infuriating as even those among us who love his music may find the man himself to be, who else but Ariel Rosenberg can combine such disparate styles and eras as Byrds-y jangle-pop, skinny-tie new wave, mopey goth-rock, robotik electro-synth and Zappa-esque sarcastic prog (to name just a few of the corpses this magpie feeds on)?

16. MIKE O'NEILL – Wild Lines
Former Inbreds frontman returns after eight years of radio silence with his best batch of songs since Kombinator. Older and somewhat wiser, Wild Lines retains all the memorable melodies and witty lyrics of past work while still offering enough new twists and turns to keep old fans excited. Better than Rumours, Damn The Torpedoes and Harvest; almost as good as Comes A Time.

18. SYMMETRY – Themes For An Imaginary Film
The specifics of why this music was passed aside for Cliff Martinez's score for Drive aren't really important, but boy does this release beat it out of the water! Johnny Jewel and Nat Walker walk a line between sounding like their Italo-disco influences and a John Carpenter soundtrack with this involved and fully fitting two-hour score. It's cold, it's bleak—Italians do do it better.

18. THE MEN – Open Your Heart
The Men seem to be a band that could care less what you or anyone else thinks—they're making music for themselves, and if you’re interested, then come along for the ride. This album flows like a mix tape you would make by raiding your older brother's record collection, from Motor City riffing into Sticky Fingers drinking. A working-man Fogerty cottage vibe is audible, with the '90s also making an appearance as well, as instrumental post-rock rubs up against Dinosaur Jr-style outtakes, blending into NYC noise. (When I saw them live earlier this year, they only played one song from this record; the rest of the set was new tunes!)

20. ERIC CHENAUX – Guitar & Voice
"Eric's first truly solo record for Constellation alternates between woozily interwoven nylon-string/fuzz/wah songbook balladeering and equally-affecting hardanger-style bowed instrumentals, making for maybe his best set yet." (originally published on March 28, 2012)

20. TAME IMPALA - Lonerism
"Lonerism sounds like a preedited mental representation of a collection of songs. This is not to be confused with a comment on how the record sounds (although as a sublime execution of psychedelic pop/rock music, it certainly does sound dreamy, trippy, and so forth). Rather, it's about how it's been written. Time and again, the group avoids standard structures by rotating a series of tricks: perhaps omitting choruses, hanging on verses, forgetting to sing all together, obsessing over a particular riff or drum pattern for several bars in a row to see where it goes... All of it sounds much like how 'proper' songs themselves are repositioned by our head. We all know that this is the best part of the song, so I'm just gonna keep playing it." (originally published on October 12, 2012)

22. DIVINE FITS - A Thing Called Divine Fits
"Divine Fits combines Spoon mainman Britt Daniel and Handsome Furs/Wolf Parade belter Dan Boeckner. Both gentlemen specialize in a brand of pop/rock that is heavy on wiry grit, sexual tension, and rock'n'roll tropes that have existed since the days of Berry and Lewis. Neither of these gentlemen have ever been especially afraid of saying less when they could say more. Even so, Divine Fits finds the pair refining their voices even further, as though the newly established presence of another in the room (something Daniel is far less used to than Boeckner) has led them to choose their words and moments with the greatest of care and confidence." (originally published on September 20, 2012)

23. MERIDIAN BROTHERS – Desesperanza
Sole Brother number one Eblis Alvarez is one of the leading lights of the Colombian avant-garde, eschewing current trends that want to modernize his country's musical forms with predicable electronics. In contrast, Alvarez plays his rhythms straight-faced and swinging, which makes the vari-sped voices, tremoloed effects, and Pram-like surrealism all the more bizarre.

24. WOODS – Bend Beyond
So here are three things about Woods: they are prolific, they love to jam and they're known for being a pretty lo-fi outfit. Okay, now take away the outright jams and clean up the production and whatdya get? Phew! A concise jangly pop album that highlights principal songwriter Jeremy Earl's distinctive vocals and melodies, without betraying their earthier roots.

25. HERE WE GO MAGIC – A Different Ship
"Both previous full-band Here We Go Magic albums (Pigeons, The January EP) proved themselves to be real growers, and this new Nigel Godrich-produced effort is no, well, different. A Different Ship refines their manic/mellow mix of modes with atmospheric textures that, as usual for this group, are always in service of the song, deservedly putting the most focus on Luke Temple's versatile and understated vocals." (originally published on May 21, 2012)

25. MAX RICHTER – Recomposed By Max Richter: Vivaldi - The Four Seasons
"With autumn in full swing, now's the perfect time to listen to the musical evocation of the season in this latest entry in Deutsche Grammophon's Recomposed series. Subtly incorporating ambient elements similar to his own work, Max Richter tastefully reinvents this classic for the modern age with the assistance of violinist Daniel Hope." (originally published on November 19, 2012)

25. REDD KROSS – Researching The Blues
"For their first album in fifteen years, L.A.'s Redd Kross pick up where they left off: stomping out tough glitter-punk leavened by instantly memorable bubblegum melodies." (originally published on September 6, 2012)

Top 25 Reissues of 2012

1. VA – Personal Space: Electronic Soul 1974-1984
"Mandatory listening for anyone with a soft spot for the rhythm-box workouts of Sly Stone, Timmy Thomas and Shuggie Otis, Personal Space is a private-press soul/funk excavation of the highest order, and a solid front-to-back listen that has graced our store's P.A. on many a sunny afternoon so far." (originally published on May 24, 2012)

2. PAUL & LINDA McCARTNEY – RAM
"Not to be outdone by such other recent 'Archive Collection' Macca reissues as McCartney, McCartney II and Band On The Run, RAM is now available as a single-disc remaster; a limited-pressing mono LP; a 2CD (or 2LP) set with bonus material; or a 4CD/DVD/book Deluxe Edition boxset, filled with reproductions of notes, lyrics, photo prints and other McCartney family ephemera (which is by far this reissue series' most lavish box to date." (originally published on May 30, 2012)

3. TIA BLAKE AND HER FOLK GROUP – Folksongs & Ballads
"After a spell of dormancy, Water is back with this gem of a reissue, one that's right up there with other such past finds from this label as Ruthann Friedman's Constant Companion, Anne Briggs' self-titled set, and the songs of Judee Sill." (originally published on April 25, 2012)

4. MAGGIE & TERRE ROCHE – Seductive Reasoning
"Though it does not feature younger sis Suzzy Roche, this earlier album (recorded four years before The Roches) still shines brightly. In fact, it's actually become my preferred album of the two that I've heard. There are so many moments on this album that make me stop dead in my tracks." (originally published on April 19, 2012)

 5. MY BLOODY VALENTINE - EPs 1988-1991/Isn't Anything/Loveless
"Yes, they're finally out after years of delays, sounding great and looking sharp in spartan, stylishly oversized digipacks. Collecting so many long-unavailable tracks, the EPs collection has understandably been the strongest seller here so far, and Loveless of course remains an untouchable, era-defining piece of avant-pop, but fresh listens to Isn't Anything reveal it to have been equally influential in its own earlier way." (originally published on June 14, 2012)

6. LAURIE SPIEGEL - The Expanding Universe
With liner notes consisting of a whimsically straight-faced self-interview from the time of the original album's release followed by a contemporary look back by Spiegel at the mid-to-late-'70s era in which she made The Expanding Universe (including the technological innovations devised by both her and Max Mathews at NYC's Bell Labs), this set's remarkable electronic pieces, from alien ambient driftscapes to more grid-locked arpeggiated passages, are perfectly contextualized for optimal enjoyment.

6. VA – WTNG 89.9FM: Solid Bronze
As a kid I listened to CKEY 590AM religiously. I was always fascinated by the tunes from the '70s; I couldn’t tell if it was the writing, the playing, or the sound of those tunes, but they have stuck with me 'til this day. This comp puts together songs of the breezy yacht-rock/AOR radio variety that you've never heard. All these tracks are from private press records, yet all of them are hits in their own right. I have been waiting for years for a soft-rock rarities comp—there is no such thing as a guilty pleasure.

8. CAN – The Lost Tapes
"A successor/sequel in many ways to 1976's Unlimited Edition, The Lost Tapes exhumes thirty more tracks from the archives, from live excerpts to 'ethnological forgeries' and such revelatory works-in-progress as 'Dead Pigeon Suite' and 'A Swan Is Born,' respective early takes of Ege Bamyasi's 'Vitamin C' and 'Sing Swan Song.'" (originally published on July 2, 2012)

9. DONNIE & JOE EMERSON – Dreamin' Wild
"Originally self-released in 1979, Dreamin' Wild is about as obscure as records get. After a chance discovery in a rural antique store more than 25 years after its release, a network of excited music bloggers finally helped bring this lost masterpiece to a wider audience. Now Light in the Attic has treated us to a deluxe CD and vinyl reissue, bringing everything full circle. Even without the back-story this is one hot album!" (originally published on July 23, 2012)

10. GEORGE JACKSON – Let The Best Man Win: The Fame Recordings Vol. 2
From the first track on Ace's previous George Jackson compilation In Memphis 1972-77, I knew that I was discovering an artist who would join the ranks of my all-time favourite soul singers. These two Fame singles comps are packed with song after song that should have become southern soul classics.

11. WILLIAM SHELLER – Lux Aeterna
"Imagine a David Axelrod/Serge Gainsbourg/Jean-Claude Vannier dream-team collaboration (one which presciently narrowly predates the latter two Frenchmen's collaborations, even!), replete with lysergic Catholic mass choir. Including 11 bonus tracks focusing on Sheller's poppier (but still fairly freaky) 45s, this is the very first time this rarity has ever been widely available." (originally published on November 4, 2012)

12. LEE HAZLEWOOD – The LHI Years: Singles, Nudes & Backsides (1968-71)
"Light In The Attic (responsible for releasing our number-one reissue of 2011, Jim Sullivan's U.F.O.) scores again with this collection of late-'60s/early-'70s gems by the brilliant Lee Hazlewood. This is the first in a series of releases delving deeply into the Hazlewood vaults that LITA plans to put out—we can't wait for more!" (originally published on April 29, 2012)

13. SMALL FACES – S/T (Immediate)
There were a wealth of Small Faces remasters to choose from this year, and their self-titled 1967 LP stands out, partly due to its transitional nature. It's the bridge between their R&B beginnings and the psychedelic classic Ogden's Nut Gone Flake, and it sounds like precisely that—Steve Marriott's soulful vocals overtop concise pop songs with a little dose of harpsichord and some sentimental music hall whimsy. Perfect!

14. FRANCIS BEBEY – African Electronic Music 1975-1982
"Long revered by African music aficionados, the late Francis Bebey was Cameroon's renaissance man, a journalist, novelist and musicologist whose zest for life and studied playfulness with language and instrumentation is apparent from the moment opener 'New Track' bubbles into being." (originally published on May 20, 2012)

15. DAN PENN – The Fame Recordings
"Finally! An entire compilation devoted to the masterful songs of Dan Penn as performed by the man himself. These aren't the definitive versions of these songs, but they're still great and any fan of soul music needs this set in their collection." (originally published on November 22, 2012)

16. TIM MAIA – Nobody Can Live Forever: The Existential Soul Of Tim Maia
A compilation ten years in the making, Luaka Bop finally provides this hefty slice of cosmic '70s soul. While not the first to incorporate American influences into Brazilian music, Tim Maia set himself apart from his pop and tropicalia contemporaries by flipping the script and giving us American soul with Brazilian flair. Aside from the lyrics about being in the cult of rational energy, this collection documents one man's discovery of love, spirituality, and 'The Good Path.'

16. TRONICS – Love Backed By Force
"Full of simply-strummed songs and aggressively apathetic vocals that prefigure mid-'80s acts like Beat Happening and The Vaselines, Ziro Baby and Gaby de Vivienne's 1981 LP's hand in the secret history of indie-rock is made clear with this reissue, stumbling and swaggering along with enough behind-the-beat bongo tapping to either drive you nuts or charm you senseless." (originally published on May 23, 2012)

16. VA – Holy Spirit: Spiritual Soul & Gospel Funk
Gospel music has rarely sound as soulful and funky as it does on this double CD's forty-one tracks. Truly inspirational and hip-shakin'!

19. THE CRITTERS – Younger Girl: The Complete Kapp & Musicor Recordings
"Hot on the heels of the reissue of their second and third albums comes the eagerly anticipated appearance of the Critters' debut LP from 1966, with a slew of bonus cuts on the side. If you're a fan of The Beach Boys or The Lovin' Spoonful, you'll love this talented New Jersey quintet of harmony poppers!" (originally published on June 10, 2012)

20. VA - The Best of Perception & Today Records
Picking from two underground imprints, this comp offers a look at 1970s NYC through the grey areas of jazz, funk and R&B. Patrick Adams' production on many tracks brings these genres together, giving the labels a unified sound. Unknowns rub elbows with known names like Dizzy Gillespie, the Fatback Band and Astrud Gilberto, who all cut records for them. Standouts include the epic "You and I" by Black Ivory, and "Looking For A Brand New Game" by the Jackson-inspired family band The Eight Minutes.

21. VA – Street Corner Symphonies: The Complete Story Of Doo-Wop, Vols. 1-10
There are a ridiculous number of doo-wop comps that have been available over the years, but none have tackled the genre with as much care and attention as Bear Family does with this proposed 15-CD set (the final five are to be released in 2013). Starting with vocal group classics that precede the birth of rock'n'roll (my favourite in the series) and going right up to the birth of soul music, there's a wealth of essential listening here.

21. VA – Zendooni: Funk, Psychedelia And Pop From The Iranian Pre-Revolution Generation
This compilation from the newly-launched Pharaway Sounds label chronicles the incredibly eclectic sounds of the culturally Westernized pre-revolution Iran of the 1970s. You'll hear funk, soul, bossa nova and more blending with traditional Persian scales to create an Iranian pop sound that was swiftly halted by the cultural constraints of the Iranian Revolution of 1979.

23. VA – Buttons: From Champaign To Chicago
"Vintage power-pop from the Midwest is the name of the game for this brand spankin' new Numero Group anthology. Expect more hooks than a tackle box on each and every track herein!" (originally published on September 9, 2012)

23. WENDY RENE – After Laughter Comes Tears: Complete Stax & Volt Singles + Rarities 1964-1965
"Light In The Attic has been on a tear (ha) this past year, with recent reissues and archival finds from the likes of Charles "Packy" Axton, Jim Ford, the Louvin Brothers, Shin Joong Hyun, the Mowest imprint, and Michael Chapman, but we were especially excited and surprised to see this anthology on the label's release schedule!" (originally published on February 8, 2012)

25. EPIC SOUNDTRACKS – Wild Smile: An Anthology
"Epic Soundtracks' albums went out of print years ago and I've been wishin' and hopin' some enterprising label would see right to get his overlooked material back into the world again. Thankfully, Easy Action sub-label Troubadour has stepped up with a top notch presentation of highlights from his career along with a bonus disc of live tracks and rarities for the faithful. His is a sad story but he will live forever in the minds of his fans who connect with his tales of heartbreak, struggle and sometimes hope. He sings from the depths of his soul." (originally published on June 29, 2012)

25. ILAIYARAAJA – Fire Star: Synth-Pop & Electro-Funk from Tamil Films 1985-1989
Who said the internet killed the blind buy? I picked this up based on the album cover alone, and it did not disappoint. Who would have guessed such a withdrawn and religious musician could compose such quality material for the most commercial films of his day? Complete with liner notes not only about the time period, but also on each movie from which this Bombay Connection compilation takes its selections, this is a fine collection of funky and poppy electro music by 'The Maestro.'

25. ROCKIN' HORSE – Yes It Is (LP-only reissue)
Liverpool's Rockin' Horse were former Merseybeat-ers Billy Kinsley and Jimmy Campbell (one of the 20th century's greatest unsung songwriters, in this writer's opinion), and Yes It Is, their one release from 1971, is a fascinating amalgam of genres. Allegedly the group were aiming for a return to their Merseybeat roots, but they ended up somewhere between late-era Beatles, late-'60s rural rock and proto-power-pop. Campbell's fragile vocals and painful lyrical honesty bring the same gripping emotional melancholy that colours his solo work and elevates the songs here.

25. VA – Qat, Coffee & Qambus: Raw 45s From Yemen
This release from Dust-To-Digital's phonographic arm presents songs of life and love from '60s and '70s Yemen, courtesy of some rare 45s. Beautiful oud stylings are accompanied by sparse but driving rhythmic accompaniment—a copper plate never sounded so good!

NAOMI PUNK - The Feeling

Previously little-known outside of their native Olympia/Seattle area, fans of such bands as WA's Gun Outfit and Talbot Tagora, LA's No Age and Abe Vigoda, Calgary's late/lamented Women, and to a certain extent SF's Ty Segall/Mikal Cronin/Oh Sees axis might have just found their new favourite band.

"Much of Naomi Punk's music is slow, with big riffs and well-paced, grand-wingspan style drumming. It is loud and not rendered in the highest fidelity, so much so that you may strain to pick out what they're singing...There's a busted, tweaky synth in there somewhere, a lot of cymbal crashing, and a sick rasp of vocals that sound out in rebellious triumph, but since it's not heavy in a traditional sense, we're forced to instead focus on these things. It feels...like a Pixies record at 16 RPM, or Times New Viking imitating the Melvins." - Other Music

"Naomi Punk rides through a variety of influences on The Feeling, from its state’s pride and joy of grunge to the haunting, No Wave-inspired, synthesizer-solo instrumental tracks, as well as slight psychedelic and punk tinges. The guitar’s distorted and heavily strummed power chords insert themselves sporadically yet carry the majority of the songs by conversing back and forth with heavy cymbal crashes. Hovering over the cacophonous instrumental battles are the wailing vocals. While they emit a hazy texture that numbs your body to relaxation, the vocals contain an energetic inflection as well, giving tracks like 'Burned Body' a much-needed kick." - CMJ

DAN PENN - The Fame Recordings

Finally! An entire compilation devoted to the masterful songs of Dan Penn as performed by the man himself. These aren't the definitive versions of these songs, but they're still great and any fan of soul music needs this set in their collection.

"Dan Penn is recognised as one of the great songsmiths of the past 50 years. Music historian Peter Guralnick once described him as the 'secret hero' of 60s R&B. For many, Penn’s material defines the essence of southern soul writing, but his catalogue also retains the ability to transcend musical barriers; classics such as 'I'm Your Puppet' and'‘Do Right Woman' have scaled the pop and country charts in equal measure. With his principal collaborator Spooner Oldham, Penn lent R&B songwriting a class and eloquence that has rarely been bettered.

This much-anticipated collection, however, reveals the flowering of Dan Penn as an artist in his own right. It’s collated from the hard evidence of three amazing and educational years spent at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals as a staff writer – an apprenticeship that was as important in helping him find a voice as it was in forging the songcraft that made his name." - Ace Records

MAX RICHTER - Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi - The Four Seasons

With autumn in full swing, now's the perfect time to listen to the musical evocation of the season in this latest entry in Deutsche Grammophon's Recomposed series. Subtly incorporating ambient elements similar to his own work, Max Richter tastefully reinvents this classic for the modern age with the assistance of violinist Daniel Hope.

"[Richter's] solo work combines ambient electronica with melodic minimalism, and in his recasting of The Four Seasons, everything is up for reconsideration except the classical instrumentation. Sometimes the melody is retained while elements of the accompaniment are reconstituted into a droning or minimalist style: sometimes the rhythm is chopped up into uneven time signatures. Motifs are stretched through repetition in a way that reminds us of the similar construction of much Baroque music. Occasionally revisions practically result in a new melody, as in the opening movement of 'Summer.' [...] It would have been very easy for Richter's Four Seasons to end up a cheap gimmick. Instead it aligns the Baroque and the modern in thoroughly enjoyable and memorable ways." - eMusic

VA - Country Soul Sisters: Women in Country Music 1952-74

Another excellent Soul Jazz anthology, this time showcasing female country music pioneers whose proto-feminist songs were delivered with humour and conviction.

"Some people might buy Soul Jazz Records' most recent release thinking this is an album of country-tinged soul music; that’s not the case. For anyone looking for that type of compilation, then Kent’s Behind Closed Doors might suit their tastes. What Country Soul Sisters is, though, is a twenty-five track compilation of music from some of country music’s female pioneers. Artists including Patsy Cline, Bobbie Gentry, Tammy Wynette, Tanya Tucker, Barbara Fairchild, Nancy Sinatra, Kitty Wells and Norma Jean tackle a wide range of social subjects, some of which are radical and hard-hitting, ranging from death, sexual exploitation and bigotry to poverty and domestic violence. However, the music is celebratory and about women taking charge of their lives." - Dereksmusicblog

ALFONSO LOVO - La Gigantona

An incredible acetate find from those intrepid archivists at Numero, La Gigantona runs the gamut from frenzied desgargas to Spanish guitar, Afrobeat-ish horn charts, Echoplexed tape-delay dub-outs and stinging Santana-like leads, yet remains a stunningly coherent and cohesive listen.

"The son of a prominent Nicaraguan politician, Lovo was a choice target for the Sandinista rebels who hijacked his homeward flight from Miami in December of 1971, ultimately putting several rounds through the talented musician’s torso and hand. After several years, and as many surgeries, he would break new ground on this psychedelic swirl of Latin jazz and pan-American funk with his musical partner, percussionist Jose 'Chepito' Areas." - Numero Group

KARRIEM RIGGINS - Alone Together

The Detroit-born, multitalented drummer/beatmaker delivers a dense, dusted cratedigging expedition laced with synth squelches and MPC script-flips that sit strongly beside the sketch-sequenced instrumental work of peers/labelmates Madlib and the late J Dilla.

"Much has been written of the spiritual connections between hip-hop and jazz music over the years, and though hardly a household name even in the rap world, few could hope to embody this musical romance more effectively than Karriem Riggins." - Potholes In My Blog

"Incorporating heavy jazz elements, such as swinging bass lines, grooving drum patterns and free-flowing melodies, every song on this album is felt as live as Riggins recorded it. The feeling is strong and the vibe is all-powerful. It is obvious that Riggins really put his all into his long-awaited debut." - Hip Hop Speakeasy

MELODY'S ECHO CHAMBER - S/T

Ever wondered what could have occurred were the late Trish Keenan to have had the chance to record with Tame Impala singer/songwriter/production whiz Kevin Parker? It might have ended up something like Paris native Melody Prochet's debut solo effort, recorded with Parker and certainly bearing more than a small resemblance to both Broadcast's Tender Buttons as well as, to a lesser extent, later-era Blonde Redhead (not bad things at all in our books).

Another A&R coup for the ever-on-the-ball Fat Possum, adding yet another young, fresh-sounding signing to an already-chockful roster (Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Tennis, Yuck, Smith Westerns, Crocodiles, etc.)! 

"That Prochet is peddling her brand of Krautrock/dream-pop/electronica isn't exactly a unique selling point in 2012. However—thankfully, joyously—Melody's Echo Chamber is an utterly marvellous listen. Prochet has blended a myriad of sounds without ever getting engulfed by navel-gazing or disappearing up her own derrière. Melody's Echo Chamber is replete with memorable tunes—fully-realised songs—which anchor Prochet's inquisitive ear and desire to experiment." - The Quietus

"It’s easy to ferret out the Spacemen 3 simplicity and static bursts on 'Crystallized,' the bright, girl-group chorus and Bandwagonesque outro guitar shredding of opener 'I’ll Follow You,' or the Stereolab-quality vintage-organ loops of 'Quand Vas Tu Rentrer?' (Prochet sings in both English and French). But the album gets denser and weirder as it progresses, Prochet's high-pitched vocals sounding ever more little-girl-lost among the tone-bending synths of 'Mount Hopeless' and backwards-tracked 'IsThatWhatYouSaid.'" - eMusic

WILLIAM SHELLER - Lux Aeterna

This newly-unearthed Omni Recording Corp. reissue has been getting major store play here, and with good reason—imagine a David Axelrod/Serge Gainsbourg/Jean-Claude Vannier dream-team collaboration (one which presciently narrowly predates the latter two Frenchmen's collaborations, even!), replete with lysergic Catholic mass choir.

Including 11 bonus tracks focusing on Sheller's poppier (but still fairly freaky) 45s, this is the very first time this rarity has ever been widely available.

"Originally composed as a wedding gift in 1970, it's an oddly beautiful recording which combines a weirdly sinister melange of ritualistic choral chants, melancholic psychedelic orchestration, whirling electronic oscillations, meditative kosmiche groove and devout spoken word recitations. I can only think of a handful of records to compare it to, the nearest touchstones being the dark instrumental passages of Jean Claude Vannier's L'Enfant Assassin Des Mouches or the mystical psychedelic liturgical paens of Majoie Hajary's La Passion Selon Judas, or maybe a few of the immersive orchestral reverberations found on Jason Havelock's Pop Symphony. As I said, comparisons are not easy. Whatever dark chemicals they were dumping in the Seine in the late 60's and early 70's to create such weirdly uncharted musical waters we can only guess." - A Sound Awareness

CONVERGE - All We Love We Leave Behind

As I began writing this review of Converge's typically phenomenal new LP (their eighth in a very consistent 20-plus-year career), I suddenly realized that I was starting it off with the exact same quote I used when discussing 2009's Axe To Fall on this site (you can read that here). Aside from being a little embarrassing and funny, it made me wonder what it was about the Boston group's abilities that made age so much more than a number.

For sure, hardcore has always been more a young person's game. There's a certain kinship one feels in their teens with screaming and playing as fast as possible. It's as natural as seeing nothing wrong with a bag of Doritos as supper. But as you gets older, even if you still feel the desire to continue raking your vocal chords over the hot coals of angst and to fly through measures of music like a cheetah, you've gotta get serious. You need to treat your throat right and learn to scream properly night after night. You need to be in shape, or at least athletic enough to pound through 168 bpm for one hour without passing out. But even more than the physical toll, let's just call a spade a spade: you've gotta find a way to own with dignity what can essentially amount to carrying on like a petulant kid as your career.

Because hardcore doesn't really check itself or take a breath. That's why it works—it's self-righteous, brash, and unyielding. To match the fresh, inspired, but naive 20-year-olds of the genre with nothing to lose, you need to get savvy and build variety, reflection, and poignancy into your music. So that it's not only feasible to step up on yet another stage twenty years later and freak the hell out; it's easy because you know you've done something with those decades to make your music the best of its kind.

That's exactly what Converge do, and All We Love We Leave Behind is just further proof of it. In terms of breathtaking displays of pure speed and dexterity, it's all there—the opening salvo flies by and songs like "Sparrow's Fall" show the incredible force they can cram into a minute and a half. And thanks to both their physical abilities and the engineering cunning of guitarist Kurt Ballou (who as the band's resident producer has rightly made a name for himself as one of the best brains behind a soundboard in hardcore and metal), there are few bands who punch harder on record.

But above all, Converge write music with an intelligence and lyrical vulnerability that means their songs retain immense value even after the initial concussion wears off. Bannon may yell his face off, but when he shifts his voice down into his more natural register (more a call than a scream), he remains one of hardcore's most compelling voices. In this way, he really delivers on hardcore's initial promise—as much as this music is about scaring the hell out of people, it's also about camaraderie.

There will certainly come a day when these four guys can't play like this anymore. But even when it comes, be sure they could still make some phenomenal music. Through tracks like this record's "Coral Blue" (as well as past slow burners "Black Heart Grim Rose," "Cruel Bloom" or "In Her Shadow"), Converge already take the time to shine a way forward for themselves. But when you're this capable of blowing away bands half your age, why would anyone be in a hurry to throw in the towel? Still a nearly unmatched band in their field...or any other, really.

LADYHAWK - No Can Do

Ladyhawk are back. About damn time.

"Where previous Ladyhawk albums sprawled with extended guitar solos and more-than-the-sum-of-their-parts sloppy chemistry, their third full length, No Can Do, skews closer to lean power pop than to rambling classic rock. Driediger's voice is still cavernous, like he's singing from directly inside a painful moment instead of about one, but the rest of the band tightened around him. Drummer Ryan Peters offers a steady backbone to Sean Hawryluk's dense bass and Darcy Hancock, who previously was a master of down-and-out guitar solos, now chugs along at the forefront, giving Driediger's lyrics nimble freedom. No Can Do might be a thematically dark album, but it's Ladyhawk's lightest yet." - Pitchfork

"Although the bands are miles apart sonically and in subject matter, the best comparison I can make is to compare Ladyhawk’s growth on No Can Do to that of The National with the release of Boxer. Restraint. Professionalism. Crispness. These words that don’t normally lend themselves to rock ‘n roll (especially for a rough and ready rock outfit like Ladyhawk), but when executed correctly, they describe something magical." - Herohill