Maria Schneider Orchestra - Sky Blue
The term “big band” usually triggers audio images of riffing saxes and horns over swing beats for ballroom dancers, which might be the reason for Schneider’s new nomenclature for her group. Instead of drawing on older blues and swing traditions, she goes for more impressionistic tone paintings that suggest exotic latin rhythms, intimate memories from her mid-western upbringing and sounds from nature. It sounds a bit new-agey on paper, but Schneider knows how to coax fresh and meaty textures and solos from her players, incorporating unusual instrumentation (accordion, cajon, Luciana Souza’s voice) to spice things up. The result is a thoroughly modernized approach for large jazz ensemble writing for the 21st century, with perhaps more in common with a European aesthetic than, say, Count Basie. Still sounds American to me, though, and that’s a good thing. (www. mariaschneider.com)

Popeye the Sailor, 1933-1938 DVD
Not quite E.C. Segar, but thanks to the Fleischer Brothers, something just as wonderful on its own terms. If you watch Popeye scattin’, fightin’ and mumblin’ his way through these cartoons, you can understand why he was a star in his own right in the pre-war days. The transfers are excellent; I’ve never seen or heard a clearer copy of “PopeyeThe Sailor Meets Sinbad The Sailor” in my life.

Jazz Icons DVD set II
The first disc has Coltrane in three settings: 1960, with Miles Davis’s rhythm section; 1961, starting out as a leader, with his quartet plus Eric Dolphy; and 1965, as the quartet winds down while reaching for the sky. How much more can you take on the other six discs, with Ella, Duke, Mingus, Dexter Gordon, Wes Montgomery, etc.? I’ll let you know when I resurface.

Pamela Kurstin - Thinking Out Loud

Brian Eno - 77 Million Paintings DVD ROM

Carlos Saura’s Flamenco Trilogy DVD

Oxbow - Narcotic Story

Wildildlife - Six

Caribou - Andorra
This album completely took me by surprise. I’d heard of them but never gave their records much time, until this one, which blew me away and became my favorite of the year.

Kelley Stoltz – Circular Sounds
Another great record by my man Kelley. An excellent psychedelic pop record that should put him in great company and break him to a larger audience. (Take note, local media!) I’m proud of ya, Kelley!

Dungen - Tio Bitar
More psychedelic fuzz bliss from Sweden. it doesn’t matter to me that these guys sound exactly like some lost Psych/Prog band from 1971.

Grinderman - self-titled
Nick Cave’s stripped down and sounding like a lascivious, caged, dirty old man.

Panda Bear - Person Pitch
If Brian Wilson grew up going to raves and was fried on ecstasy, he would have possibly made this record.

Tip: If you have a chance to see a living legend like Ravi Shankar perform in person, do not hesitate! You will not regret it. P.S. You have to watch “The Mighty Boosh”. Try YouTube if you don’t have an all region DVD player.

Kylie Minogue - X

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

B-52’s - Funplex

Dolly Parton - Backwoods Barbie

Diving Bell & The Butterfly DVD

Gallows - Orchestra of Wolves

Jonah Matranga – And Taking Back Sunday - Notes From the Past

Weakerthans - Reunion Tour

Youth Group - Casino Twilight Dogs

Random Picks:
Filthies - Your Turn/
Celtic Frost/Rudimentary Peni/
Sparta/Smoke or Fire/Beltones/
Eskapo/Christian Death/Antisect

Music tip: New Brunswick, New Jersey, Goodbye - Book by Ronen Kauffman. Films: This is England and Factotum

Jack Peñate - Matinée
Reminds me of some of the stuff I so dug in the ‘80s-your Housemartins, your Aztec Cameras, etc.

Dog Day - Night Group
Bite-sized chunks of Martsch-esque goodness.

Sons & Daughters -This Gift
At first I was taken aback by their new slickness, but it didn’t take long to be won over...

Rocky Votolato - The Brag & Cuss
High quality hickrock tales of liquor and woe.

Oakley Hall - I’ll Follow You
Ramshackle indie band informed by country-rock and ‘60s British folk. I think.

Getachew Mekuria & the Ex - Moa Anbessa
Amazing African saxophonist (See Ethiopiques Vol. 14) travels to Holland to play with long-running Dutch Anarcho collective. The Ex, who bring their own horn-playing friends along. The Ethiopian tunes are adapted faithfully and the resulting combination of Getachew’s roar and the Ex’s raucous, jangly stomp make what was. For me, the most uplifting set of the year!

Miles Davis - Complete On the Corner Sessions
1972-1974 Studio Miles. Guitars, sitars, electric bass. Echoes of Jimi, Sly, Stockhausen. Funk, Rock and even some Jazz. Probably contains the geneses of a few electronic genres as well.

Aretha Franklin - Rare and Unreleased Recordings (1966-1973)
Remarkable set of previously unheard songs and alternate versions that shows that, in her prime, even her demos and throwaways were amazing.

Roots of Chicha Psychedelic Cumbias from Peru- various artists
What? Yes!

Colombia! The Golden Age of Discos Fuentes - The Powerhouse of Colombian Music 1960-1976 – various artists

Super Rail Band - Allo Bamako

Tabuley Rochereau - Voice of Lightness: Congo Classics 1961-1977

Steven Bernstein - Diaspora Suite
Electric Miles meets Meshuggah at Temple.

Hadley Caliman - Gratitude
Former Bay Area resident’s first album as a leader. It’s beautiful!

A Place to Bury Strangers - self-titled
Walls of sound shot through hand-made pedal. At worst you could say they sound a bit too reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine or The Jesus and Mary Chain…Then again, that isn’t a bad thing at all. The Shoegaze gods are smiling.

Thee More Shallows - Book of Bad Breaks
This group deserves WAY more attention than they’ve received! If there was any justice in the world I would see ten times more of their albums being rung up. Amazingly melodic, noisy pop songs that grow on each consecutive listen.

The National - Boxer
Yeah, yeah. This one made a lot of lists a while back, but with good reason – catchy and melodic enough to throw on the table when folks are over, but dark and solemn enough to listen to by your lonesome with a whiskey and water.

Elliott Smith - XO and Figure 8 vinyl reissues
He was (still is) the greatest. If you’re ever in that desert island scenario, then Either/Or is the one album you need. But before your plane goes down you should pick up these gems.

Inland Empire DVD
I used to think that the word “genius” was some word people threw around with no understanding of foundation for use (you know, like “love” or something). A “genius” had to be a fictional person. Then Mr. Lynch came along and blew that theory out of the water. You’ll need to watch this movie more than a couple times.

Tip: Stop listening to your music with those silly little white MP3 earbuds or through your laptop speakers. You’re missing all the good stuff!