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

TAME IMPALA - Lonerism

Have you ever walked around with a song in your head? What a stupid question, right? Of course you have—a nagging earworm that (for better or worse) simply refuses to vacate your brain until, like those billboard monsters in that one Simpsons episode, you manage to stop fixating on its presence. Have I ever got songs in my head, you say.

OK, that's not quite what I mean, so let me rephrase. Have you ever had a complete song stuck in your head? We're talking intro, verse, chorus, bridge, solos: the whole thing in order. It's possible, but that tends to not be how we remember songs. Instead, we carry with us sequences—frames pulled from the larger entity that range from the obviously memorable (such as a chorus or a big riff) to the oddly compelling (perhaps a funny turn of phrase or a peculiarly isolated bar of music). Songs are made whole by their musicians and writers, but they exist within us as distortions of their 'real' selves; they are subconsciously edited into portions for ease of mental transport and even enjoyment.

Who cares? Well, Tame Impala leader Kevin Parker seems to, for one. Whether intentionally so or not, his band's newest LP, the very excellent 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.

It doesn't hurt that Parker's Lennonesque voice and the band's fixation on '60s and '70s sonics means that much of Lonerism sounds very familiar already. But where so many other acts treat their retro fetishes too reverently (and interpret them too literally—fellow Aussies Jet would be a good example), Tame Impala feel entirely modern and in-the-now in this particular realm. In addition, the melodies themselves are very strong. When Parker slips into the opening chorus of "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards," it seems like a song you've known all your life.

Really, that's all that Tame Impala are doing here: taking moments that you've lived with all your life and presenting them in new contexts and configurations. Where their debut, Innerspeaker, announced them as a pretty damn good new psych-rock band, Lonerism expresses confidently and playfully that these guys are interested in a lot more than just aping their predecessors. Because if tracking the sources material is fairly easy, the act of actually building a record this lovely and listenable is an entirely different task. It's a challenge, but one that Tame Impala pull off brilliantly. Now it's up to us and our subconscious to pull it back apart again.

METZ - S/T

Jesus, noise rock...is that you? You do something to your hair? Working out now? I mean, damn, you look amazing!

Sorry, where was I?

There was a time when every second band I listened to sounded something like local trio METZ. From Jawbox to Helmet to The Jesus Lizard to Hammerhead to Quicksand to June of 44 to Shallow ND to...

It was a seemingly neverending armada of young musicians seeking to bend the sounds of aggression pioneered by punk and metal into something new. Some were dizzyingly technical; others pushed their rage into oddly neat staccato spaces that marched with lock-step precision. But for me, the best records were those that utilized a nervous, feral simplicity. Records like Kittens' Bazooka and the Hustler, or Drive Like Jehu's Yank Crime worked because they managed to make the most chaos out of the least parts. Even at the latter album's most labyrinthine points—when each player's contribution twisted around its counterparts like a nest of (hot?) snakes—the pieces themselves were quite direct. It was the way that they danced with (and against) each other that set off a unhinged and brutal ballet of power as real and primal as a glob of glottal spit.

The thing is, aside from actual participants in those halcyon days (such as John Reis and Rick Froberg's various bands), that scene had sort of played itself out. (Or I just grew away from it, unable to be compelled back by what I was hearing.) So it's unexpected and thrilling how successfully METZ have delivered a half-hour worthy of mention in the same breath as some of my favourite records, albums whose worth endures far past any awkwardly-named underground rock movement. It's hectic, heady, and absolutely heavy, but at all times remains plainspoken and, well, relatable. You get it instantly. There's real magic in the way that these three guys push and pull at simple shapes to form such compelling energy. METZ is the bottled-up sound of frustration, and that emotion does not take kindly to being contained. So track after track—"Get Off," "Knife in the Water," "Wasted," "Negative Space" all brilliant examples of this trio's stunning way with aural bile—songs rip at their surroundings as the musicians struggle to control them. Often, their instruments do punch in vicious, kinetic unison, but they're always threatening to slip off into minute bursts of feedback, drumroll-laden instability. That tension is played on masterfully throughout the record, making their 29-minute debut worth playing over and over.

Of course, in addition to the bands already mentioned, one other comparison from a couple of decades ago hangs imposingly over this album: Sub Pop alums Nirvana. Whether these guys have the pop instincts in them to grow in such a manner is not really suggested here, and is also kind of inconsequential. In fact, at first I was kind of getting annoyed with how much Cobain and company had been brought up in relation to METZ. It felt unfair and too easy. But in the end, I can think of no greater compliment than to say that moments on this album are as exciting as what Nirvana conjured at their most antagonistic and howling. And seeing as those were often my favourite moments of that band anyway, I'd say METZ have got a home in my heart for a while to come.

So I guess what I'm saying is: noise rock, I'm totally free this weekend. Or whenever. Weeknights are wide open, too. So hawt...

FLYING LOTUS - Until The Quiet Comes

Steven Ellison's last full-length, 2010's Cosmogramma, was an unanticipated favourite of that year—and would go on to be one of my most-played records of the following year as well. (I was uninitiated to his earlier works, although I've since come to revere 2008's Los Angeles with nearly equal fervour.) But despite catching me by surprise, Cosmogramma announced itself to me anything but loudly. It was a good four or five months of owning the record before I truly began to understand the complexity, craft, and sheer joy that lay within it. That's no accident, and, as its title suggests, Until The Quiet Comes is no different.

As Flying Lotus, Ellison builds his music—a simultaneously limping and striding brand of post-hip hop instrumental psychedelia that's peppered tenderly with guest vocals—with incredible care and subtlety. It's not that it isn't loud, vibrant, or throbbing. It manages its share of trunk-rattling boom and colour-inducing sheets of sound. But FlyLo isn't nearly as interested in direct statements as he is in fragments, half-thoughts, open propositions, and the space between the notes (whether that be notes on a scale or, as is often the case in his rhythms, notes between the meter).

That last phrase, of course, is oft used (both seriously and derisively) about jazz, and its inclusion here isn't accidental. Not only is Ellison the great-nephew of the legendary Alice Coltrane (a jazz artist notable for much more than just her marriage to saxophonist John Coltrane), but he is really a musician who represents one of the best ways forward for jazz in the new millennium. More so than many of his contemporaries, Ellison innately understands how to take the central tenets of jazz—the improvisational building in spontaneous directions upon a musical theme—and to then translate it to, for lack of a better phrase, modern music.

(I realize that this is a statement that would no doubt make purists wince. Perhaps it is better applied to the role of Flying Lotus as a listener/beatmaker/producer than his actual playing...but anyway, do with that suggestion what you will.) 

It's not that there aren't great current jazz players (far too many to name here, but Rob Mazurek, Jason Moran, Arve Henriksen to start, maybe...), or that those artists are not doing progressive contemporary things with their music. Nor am I sure that Ellison would like what he does to be called 'jazz.' But I would suggest that there's no better way to approach his music than how one ideally embraces jazz: open to all possible structures and interpretations. Open to endless growth of a performance, even a permanently recorded and captured one.

True to this idea, as great as Until The Quiet Comes sounded at first listen, that's just a hint of how great it has sounded on the tenth. And so I expect it to continue, almost exponentially so.

As with any year, there have been a number of highly anticipated albums in 2012. Some have fallen short, others have ably met the challenge, still more have done adequately. Unlike two years ago, however, I had Flying Lotus on my radar as one of those albums for which I could not wait. Maybe THE album for which I could not wait. But no matter how high the bar was that I set, this record has easily fulfilled its expected promise.

I can't wait to hear how wonderful it sounds to me come the new year. And if there's anyone left who still doesn't believe in the beauty of what computers can bring to music, sit with this album, please. It's magnificent.

THE SEA AND CAKE - Runner

Who likes insurance salesman, am I right? Sticklers. Wet blankets. Grey-suited dullards. Premium hiking nogoodniks. Aside from that last one there, I have no doubt this is kind of how a lot of people see The Sea and Cake. Even though they've tasted the good (bad?) favour of being a 'band of the moment,' that was a long, long time ago. Since that time, the band have soldiered onward reliably, producing a ten-song album's worth of tastefully crafted music about once every two or three years (you can throw an EP or two in there as well). And minus the addition of electronics to their DNA on 1997's high point The Fawn, they've changed as little as possible in their approach. If other bands exist to stir up trouble, break conventions, or incite you to hedonistic flights of sexual and drunken abandon, this pleasant Chicago quartet merely show up with the dry, clockwork regularity of a census bureau: "Good day. Just checking to make sure that the dimensions of your home that we have on file remain up-to-date. Any new additions to the family? Is that a new car?"

But if the sheer grid-like consistency with which The Sea and Cake make music is an easy target for ridicule, it's also, like a census, an inaccurate representation of its actual value. I'm somewhat half-seriously reminded of Ed Helms' character Ted Lippy's speech in the film Cedar Rapids, wherein he naively but passionately describes his childhood admiration for local insurance agents working to help his family after his father's death. In his mind, the insurance salesman is a guardian of the people, fighting an unglamourous and lovingly unrequited battle on behalf of the general public to make certain that their stability and wealth is well-protected. Which, in a perverse (but entirely heartfelt) way is how I see The Sea and Cake in my life.

At times, the dogged determination with which this band refuses to change one iota of their music is frustrating and even confusing. But then, I stop and think about how many times their music has provided a safe harbour for my ears—a haven wherein their impeccable tastes for jazz/soul/pop amalgams, gorgeously realized musicianship, and subtle invocations of the heart and mind have never put a single foot wrong. Ever.

How, when other bands have foolishly pursued flights of greedy ambition and self-indulgence, these gentlemen have understood their duty to the public and delivered on their initial promise to them, over and over again.

And how, despite it sounding an awful lot like all of their other albums, I sure am playing the hell out of Runner. Again and again.

Simply put, I am now, as I have ever been since 1995, in good hands with The Sea and Cake. I dare say that few other bands could be so predictable and so wonderful all at once.

SNOWBLINK - Inner Classics

With their previous album Long Live, Toronto's Snowblink caught the attention of all of us here at the shop with its soaring peaks and majestic valleys propelled by singer Daniela Gesundheit. They also caught the ear of Arts & Crafts, who have just released their beautiful follow-up record Inner Classics.

"Originally from California, Snowblink’s Daniela Gesundheit has integrated herself  deeply into the music scene of her adopted Toronto. Her 2010 debut album as Snowblink, Long Live, was recorded before she moved here, but the glistening space folk fit in perfectly with Toronto’s sound and caught the ear of critics as well as fellow musicians. On her follow-up full-length, she develops her voice further while maintaining the delicate beauty that made her debut so enchanting." - NOW Magazine

"...Snowblink’s real ability to expand on the singer/songwriter genre stems from Gesundheit’s confidence. In “Goodbye Eyes,” she shows no fear as she sings nothing but music scales except for the last line of the song. “Inner Mini-Mississippi” proves the best music in this genre is led by vocals, and Gesundheit boldly leads the track through a progression of gentle guitar to intense chords to a confident a capella section. Snowblink’s understanding of the potential of the singer/songwriter music style is what ultimately makes Inner Classics a complete success." - The Gateway

"Long Live was an overlooked collection of art/folk songs, but with Inner Classics the band announces itself into the Canadian scene with class and grace." - Herohill

(Snowblink and Alex Lukashevsky release their respective new releases Inner Classics and Too Late Blues at the Music Gallery on Thu. Sep 27.)

DAVID BYRNE & ST. VINCENT - Love This Giant / DIVINE FITS - A Thing Called Divine Fits

Why do we still get excited about collaborations? Honestly, how many times have these things let us down: two or three artists that you like get together, and you're so psyched you create all manner of postulations to back why this record will be a career watermark for all parties involved. Then you press 'play' and...well, that wasn't as great as you expected.

Perhaps the biggest issue lies in that expectation. An assumption that, whether we're conscious of it or not, if the separate values of each artist are 4 and 5, then the collaboration should yield a value of 9? And our disappointment then stops us from seeing the value of a very respectable 6.

Art ain't mathematics, but collaborations' sort of rock'n'roll equation does require some form of addition and subtraction in order to work well. These two recent outings provide examples of records that, if not career highs, are certainly very strong justifications for coming together in the first place. One seeks to parse their songwriting styles down into their most basic shapes; the other exponentially builds on the collective daring of those involved to create something that is anything but basic. And it's not surprising which is which.

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—the collected works of Spoon and Handsome Furs are bursting with songs built on a single riff, a skeletal drum pattern, a lone sample.

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. The result is an album that sounds like an exact 50/50 mix of both personalities, each man politely waiting their turn to take the lead with a respectfulness that's a touch polite, even. But it also happens to yield a really solid (if not great) rock'n'roll record—an immediate, assured debut for which most new groups would kill.

The vibe surrounding the new project by David Byrne and St. Vincent (a.k.a. Annie Clark) is, not surprisingly, a very different affair. Though Clark's résumé is much shorter than that of Byrne, she's displayed cunning skill and restless ambition over her three albums that go beyond her relatively tender years (not unlike the massive leaps and bounds made by Byrne with Talking Heads' first few albums). She's also a vet of a few one-off song collaborations, making her the perfect candidate to be paired with the iconoclastic Byrne; you know she's going to be able to hold her own in a room with him and not shrink. (Of course, given Byrne's history of enthusiastic support of other artists via his excellent Luaka Bop label, you except him to be nothing but nurturing.)

Indeed, Love This Giant is an album that is at times overgrown with the fertile ideas of the pair. If Divine Fits seek to trim and groom their ultra-cool façade to the point of absolute purity, Byrne and Clark carry on like a pair of gleefully eager greenthumbs, watering every idea in sight until their songs are an overgrown thatch of vibrant shades and textures. If their sheer potency is impressive, it's also something that provides no obvious throughway—no clear path to walk into their wild forest. So you kind of stand back a few paces and take it in.

It's well worth the view, though. If the bouncing, ever-present horns feel like too many vines clogging your aural canal at first, they become increasingly enticing over time—joyous and silly, never too proud to invite you along for the ride. So too does the vocal trading of the two singers (the very opposite of the even division of the Fits) go from impulsive and unsettled to natural and instinctual after increased exposure.

Love This Giant is still, after many listens, a tough album to figure. There's certainly more depth in the lyrics to be plundered and the arrangements will likely also bear further fruit somewhere around listen number 30. But whether it's a one-off or not, these two are meant to be together in ways just as vital as Daniel and Boeckner’s. Neither records are necessarily that '9' for which one might hope when they first hear news of the pairings. But the respectable scores they both do attain on these albums is more than enough reason for any of us already interested to enthusiastically buy in.