Big Business - Mind The Drift

Epic new rock wrapped in the most cherishable packaging I've seen so far this year. "Lads."

Omar Souleyman - Highway to Hassake

New hero. If only emcees here worked clubs the way Souleyman and his crew do weddings in Syria....I could dance to this for hours and it'd feel like five minutes. Check out "Leh Jani," it's the jam.

Thin Lizzy - Still Dangerous: Live at Tower Theatre Philadelphia 1977

Oh, is Thin Lizzy dangerous again? No, because they're STILL dangerous!

Caroline Weeks - Songs For Edna

Minimal folk comprised of sparse guitars, haunting vocals and rich lyrical vignettes (the songs are of and devoted to the words of American poetess Edna St. Vincent Millay.) Like a Pre-Raphealite rendering of Grey Gardens for your creaky, bleak tea room.

The Fresh & Onlys - The Fresh & Onlys

Local band, good times. Ninja turtle rock for street sports and surf shorts.

Koenjihyakkei - Nivraym

Progopera beyond the rainbow.

Alela Diane - To Be Still

Folk, folker, folkest. Whether you're into Carole King or Joanna Newsom, Harry Nilsson or Bonnie "Prince" Billy, I can guarantee you'll love this dreamweaving songstress from Nevada City. Definitely one of the best voices in folk today --- like early Joni Mitchell meets Beth Orton, but better!

Grass Widow - Grass Widow

Another local band, the party don't stop. Girls making GCF like Marine Girls meets Descendents.

Truth and Janey - No Rest For The Wicked (Reissue)

Heavy '70s stoner rock and riffage so good it'll bring you back from the dead (as implied by the cover art --- a hand reaching up from the ground for a Marshall stack that I presume is acting as a headstone thus adding a puntastic punch line to the image. Get it? Head-stone? Nevermind.)

Bat For Lashes - Daniel 7"

Get it for the Karate Kid-inspired artwork, keep it for the single and The Cure cover on the B-side.

Mi Ami - Echonoecho

Local band, holy crap! Dub waves over rhythmic freakouts, funky bass, and jangly guitars = intense new sounds for your tired punk rockers. Ex-members of Black Eyes.

Tommy Heavenly6 - Gothic Melting Ice Cream's Darkness Nightmare

Good girls and bad girls get together right now. Best of Tommy Heavenly6, a 21st century J-Pop dichotomy. Can you handle it? "Let's get sugar high baby."

tip: Make a season-inspired mixtape today. 

Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King

I am proud enough and secure enough in my musical knowledge and taste to say the the Dave Matthews Band is my all-time favorite band. From the very beginning, I have been a very loyal fan (100% Daveilow) and, no matter what changes this band makes in their sound or members, I will always be loyal. If this makes me uncool or a total nerd then so be it! Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King is the newest release from DMB and it doesn't surprise me to say that it filled my ears and heart with musical happiness. This album has a bit more of a rough and dirty sound than some of their older albums, but it also seduces your ears with a kickn' horn section and poetic lyrics. This was also the last album that LeRoi Moore (one of the original members and the saxophone player) was able to record before his early death in the summer of 2008. Who knows what the future will hold for the Dave Matthews Band, but I can't wait to find out.

Bob Dylan - Together Through Life

Bob Dylan is and will always be a god of American singer/songwriters. His lyrics and folk rock tone set a new standard for songwriters everywhere, and his poetry and political views rose up to give hope and rebellion to many Americans during the 60s and 70s. From the beginning, Bob Dylan has produced albums that changed the world and continues to raise the bar of talent and passion in the music world. Together Through Life is his 33rd studio album and just like the rest, he has produced something wonderful. Bob's older, more timely voice matches well with this more bluesy, less folky album. It's got heart and it's got soul.

Moseyhorse - Moseyhorse

Moseyhorse is an-up-and-coming jazz quartet from Arizona, who are trying to make their mark in this crazy rock 'n' roll-filled world...you all remember what JAZZ is right?!? Well, when I listened to their self-titled album, I was pleasantly surprised with their cleverly composed original songs and seductive melodies. Check them out on their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/moseyhorse and pick up a copy of their CD at Amoeba SF.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. It tells a tale of a man who ages backwards. He is born an old man and dies a baby. Brad Pitt, who plays the role of Benjamin, does an extraordinary job of showing strength and compassion for the physical and emotional elements that come with growing up with handicaps. Cate Blanchett plays the role of Daisy who grows up opposite Benjamin. These characters start out as childhood friends and end up as life-time lovers. This movie shows the compassion of man kind with all of our differences, and how life is just an endless struggle. But the struggle is always softened when you have someone you love right by your side.

Marley & Me

Marley & Me is one of those movies that everyone who has ever owned a pet can relate to. I went to see it with my dear friend in LA and by the time we left the theater, we had to fix our makeup because it was half way down our faces. Seriously, I was balling like a baby! This movie tells a story about a family who adopts a dog as a puppy and how the dog grows with them. Cast of characters include Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, and Eric Dane. Great family movie... well, maybe not for the really little ones, for whom it might be a bit traumatizing. Great book as well.

"A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A waterlogged stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if your rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his. How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?" -- John Grogan

tip: SUPPORT MUSIC EDUCATION!!!  You don't want robots making the crappy music of the future, do you?!? 

Outrageous Cherry - Universal Malcontents

No one writes a catchier song than Matt Smith. Nobody! This latest release from Detroit's OC channels bubblegum glam pop with utter joy and morose, stood-up-on-a-Saturday-nite bummer ballads. Fall in love then break up to the sounds of Outrageous Cherry.

The Dave Kusworth Group - The Brink

Dave Kusworth could have thrown it all in after his long time collaborator in The Jacobites, Nikki Sudden, died a few years back. And gladly he didn't. The Brink is a ripped, ragged, roaring return by Kusworth and his band, possibly proving to be the component I loved so much in The Jacobites. Fans of the Stones/Faces/Johnny Thunders take serious note. Pour yourself a double and sing along very loud!

Robin Hitchcock & The Venus 3 - Goodnight Oslo

Fish and guests stink after four days. This album is ten songs long and is over way too soon. You get the point? This is Hitchcock at his best: addictive, stick-in-your-head tunes with friends in the band and famous invited players. For me, his best album in years. The man who invented himself has flown back on an acid bird.

Ramblin' Jack Elliott - A Stranger Here

Twenties and '30s blues and pre-country chestnuts comprise this haunting recording by a man who is no stranger to the American folk cannon. Teamed up with producer Joe Henry, Ramblin' Jack Elliott is heard like he has never been presented in the past; a honky tonk piano, brushed drums, the odd Salvation Army Sousaphone, hillbilly strings. A stranger here, amongst all these other musicians? An old time coast-to-coast rounder cowboy singer, a stranger here in the computer age? Like Kirk Douglas in Lonely Are the Brave watching a jet speed across the desert sky, he climbs on his horse and rides away, alone.

Vince Taylor - Jet Black Leather Machine

There are many unsung lunatic heroes in this cheap rip-off world of rock & roll, and some are finally getting the tip of the hat. It's been a long time coming for Vince Taylor, a true wild man of rock & roll. WILD, man! Yankee ex-pat in King Arthur's swingin' London, Vince Taylor is known by millions due to The Clash's famous cover of his ode to fast women and the cars they take off in,"Brand New Cadillac,"but revel and lose it to his take on Arthur Crudup's "My Baby Left Me," you'll say "Elvis who?!" Vince Taylor was an over-amped leather-clad human missile guided straight for the center of oblivion. This disc is a fitting tribute to a man crazy enough to declare "I'll Be Your Hero." OK, Vince, your hired.

Sugar Pie DeSanto - Go Go Power: The Complete Chess Singles 1961-1966

Bay Area music legend Ms. Sugar Pie DeSanto let loose a torrent of singles for Chicago's Chess records (she recorded locally, too) that are amongst the most smoldering in feminine sexual ferocity. The exotic DeSanto wore that power as a badge of honor, a mantle of her own power, and that power is clearly on display in these collected 24 tracks. Ms. DeSanto's "Soulful Dress," which kicks off this disc, has become an R&B/blues standard ever since.

Joe Hill Louis - King Of The One Man Bands: Key Postwar Cuts 1949-1954

Joe Hill Louis was one of several one man bands battling it out for top of the heap in the Memphis area. As much as a product of the Great Depression as it is was necessity being the mother of invention - or let's just say poverty - the one man band was perfect: music with a novelty, a gimmick that has but one employee and you don't have to pay the drummer. Joe Hill Louis wrenched a driving train-like drone from his "band' and was prolific as hell, as these 48 cuts will testify to. Plus, he was a right smart dresser to boot.

Little Walter - The Complete Chess Masters 1950-1967

Limited edition five-disc set that is the last word on that Crazy Mixed Up Kid, Little Walter Jacobs. Includes unreleased tracks by Little Walter and Bo Diddley together. Die hards, this is a must. Get with it!

Various Artists - Toast of the Coast: 1950's R&B From Dolphin's Of Hollywood, Volume 2

Picking up where Volume One left off, more of what made Hollywood and Los Angeles jump and shout! Pee Wee Crayton, Jimmy Witherspoon, Joe Houston, and plenty more give up every pound of it before rock & roll stole the show in Tinsel Town and everywhere else. As smooth and cool as it was wild and swingin', the West Coast blues sound of the late '40s and early '50s still sounds urbane, tough, and fresh all these years later.

Sonny Boy Williamson - The Later Years 1939-1947

Four-CD set of the first Sonny Boy of Chicago. Essential. Some cool guests, too. An important view into the beginnings of the post-war Chicago blues era and the tail end of the original blues boom.

tip: www.hermeticorderofarcana.com

Orchestra Kool - Kool Heat

Tuff City subsidiary Andale Records has recently acquired the rights to at least four titles from the Fonseca Records catalog. Fonseca is a super collectible 60's New York Latin label whose records usually had a harder, rougher edge to their Fania counterparts. Orchestra Kool were essentially a group of high school students who dug boogaloo, but were a little rough around the edges and yet hungry for the spotlight. While the playing and arrangements may be sloppy and everything recorded extra hot, this adds to the charm of the music..  is clearly played with gusto and is a joy to listen to. This album was only reissued on vinyl along with other titles from Ricardo Ray and Willie Rodriguez. Hopefully, more gems from Fonseca are forthcoming.

Mulatu Astatke and the Heliocentrics - Inspiration Information Vol. 3

When I first heard about this project, I had to do a triple take. This was seemingly a match made in heaven. Ethiopian musical mastermind Mulatu Astatke needs no introduction in his native country and to fans of Ethiopian Jazz ("Ethio Jazz"), as he is one of that country's most revered and celebrated masters whose career spans five decades. In the U.S., he has semi-recently gained some popularity due to the prominent use of his music, recorded in the late 60s, on the Broken Flowers soundtrack. The Heliocentrics, a U.K. outfit, recently recorded an album for the stateside Now Again label. They take as much inspiration from the arrangements of David Axelrod and Sun Ra as from Hip-Hop. In the end, however, their collaboration falls a little short as it lacks some cohesiveness. That said, on the songs were it works, it REALLY works and the results are nothing short of stellar. Perhaps a second meeting would yield an album that is stellar throughout. Still, the one at hand is worth the price of admission and is nonetheless recommended. Also available on double vinyl.

Various Artists - Panama! 2: Latin Sounds, Cumbia Tropical and Calypso Funk on the Isthmus 1967 to 1977

Soundway's latest release is reason enough to throw a grand scale BBQ, complete with delicious tropical drinks. Compiled by local musicologist and DJ Roberto Gyemant and label head Miles Cleret, this follow-up volume is, amazingly, even better than the first. It was clearly compiled and annotated with love by people whose passion and dedication to the music benefits those wise enough to scoop up this gem. Salsa and cumbia inspired selections make way for funkier, soul flavored numbers and then back again. The sheer volume of quality songs is staggering and it is evident that this compilation is only a drop in the bucket of the phenomenal, albeit relatively unknown, musical contributions of Panama. Also available as a double vinyl release.

Lyman Woodard Organization - Saturday Night Special

...And the reissue gods smiled upon the humans and bestowed upon them one of the most beautiful and most in demand soul jazz records ever to come out of 1970's Detroit. Touches of subtle Latin and funk grace the grooves of this masterpiece, sought after for many years by fans of good music and always a tough one to find. Originally issued on the Strata label, this album is essential to every music collection. Plus, you can't beat the album cover -- the iconic photograph "The Equalizers."

Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens - What Have You Done, My Brother?

Gospel the way it used to be...raw, gritty, powerful. No watered down R&B-influenced stuff here. There's real musicians (including a real organ, thank you very much) and real singing. A few numbers have a funky edge, as would be expected from the fantastic Daptone label. It is music that will take you to Sunday service where the women wear big, wonderful hats and call you "honey." Regardless of your religious beliefs, this is simply great music and is a must for your hi-fi collection.

If Your Hands Were Metal That Would Mean Something - The People In Sync

Remember when alternative rock actually meant something. The first full-length from these San Francisco fire-bringers not only offers thoughtful (and sometimes hilarious) lyricism, but they carry the alt-rock torch with capability and gusto. Delving into sounds both acoustic and electric, If Your Hands Were Metal That Would Mean Something offer inspired tracks a la R.E.M., Nirvana, Jesus and Mary Chain, all brought with originality and inspiration. And plenty of it! Classic record? You be the judge!