Pulp - reunion

whatever

Best Old People Coming Out of Retirement Party: the Pulp reunion! all the true fans know. Blur was just the British version of blink-182. Oasis tried and failed to become a Generic American Rock Band (what a sorry aspiration, btw). Elastica ripped off the Fall so badly, Mark E. Smith joined the band. meanwhile, the greatest band to be labeled "Brit-Pop" never became a joke because they quietly slunk out of the limelight after it all became too much. well, after almost a decade apart, Jarvis Cocker and his sexy scalawags from Sheffield are reuniting. So what if they've only played a couple dates in Europe so far, they're sure to come here, right?

Thee Oh Sees - Castlemania

In The Red

Best Children's Album That Wasn't Made for Children: this IS a children's album, right? no, really. i'm asking a serious question. i'm not having a kid, but a bunch of my friends are, or have, and i really wanna get 'em (their kids) something cool, but i don't wanna be that creepy uncle that never gets invited back 'cuz he's always handing out presents that are a little too "advanced." and i thought it'd be cool to get the kids some hip kid's music. um, yeah.

tip: Don't feed the rats on Telegraph.  Buy comics at Comic Relief.

Sims - Bad Time Zoo

Doomtree

Doomtree's latest offering is an album years in the making, conceived in the heart of Minnesota and carefully honed over the course of several nationwide tours. Originally titled The Veldt when it was first announced in 2008, the album loosely follows the concept of observing people’s behaviors in society, documenting them and drawing comparisons to those of animals. Sims (or "see-ims," as Dessa jokingly pronounced it at her last SF show) really distinguishes himself as an MC on this full-length, stepping up his rap game in a major way with a refined soulful flow that reminds me of Brother Ali at times. His lyrics are socially conscious without being haughty, political without being preachy, and personal without being overly narcissistic. Lazerbeak handles the entirety of the album's production, and lives up to the "King of the Lavabangers" title that SF Weekly crowned him with in May. The beats throughout the album are nothing but pure speaker-melting heat, veering from the bass-booming layered insanity of "Radio Opaque" to the epic slow burn of "In My Sleep." Nothing short of the best production that underground hip hop has to offer, reminiscent of El-P in his prime. Welcome to the jungle. It’s a Bad Time Zoo.

Blueprint - Adventures in Counter-Culture

Rhymesayers

This new album from Printnificent is destined to alienate as many listeners as it converts, but it’s Blueprint’s most daring and cohesive album to date and is well worth listening to many times over in great detail. Rather than rehashing the same old rap formulas that he used on his Rhymesayers debut 1988 or on his Soul Position albums with RJD2, Blueprint steps outside of his comfort zone and branches into a diverse palette of musical genres. Soulful electronic tunes are paired with pop rock radio anthems, which give ‘Print’s honest and powerful rap verses more room to breathe. This approach could have easily resulted in a disjointed mess of an album, but instead the songs feel wholly unified under Blueprint’s excellent '80s-inspired electronic production. Combine this with some of the best rap verses of Blueprint’s long and illustrious career (peep “The Clouds” or “Radio-Inactive”) and you’ve got one hell of a counter-cultural adventure on your hands. Heck, even the uses of auto-tune made me smile.

Void Pedal - Omni Colour

Fieldwerk

Several years ago, before Bully Records went under and prior to Mush switching gears into more electronic territory, there were so many dope instrumental hip hop releases that it was hard to keep track of them all. Nowadays, the scene has mostly been gathering dust, abandoned in the wake of LA’s far more prolific electronic beat movement. Enter Fieldwerk Recordings, a Chicago-based label doing its best to fill this empty void of extra dope hip hop beats. Their releases thus far have included contributions from Zavala, PNS, Meaty Ogre, Maker and Joe Beats, but their first full-length solo project comes courtesy of Void Pedal, who has succeeded in tapping into what sparked my love for the genre with his incredible debut. Hip hop break-beats are painted in a variety of lively colors through Void Pedal’s meticulous touch, with carefully crafted layers of synth and basslines weaving through the tracks in a way that never feels static. These are beats that convey moods and emotions. “Choke You” is all menace and anger while “Baldwin" evokes a brilliant sense of adventure and exploration. If you’ve been disenchanted with instrumental hip hop in recent years, you ought to give Omni Colour a listen.

Noah23 - Fry Cook on Venus

Fake Four

Noah Raymond Brickley has released a considerable number of full-length projects over the years, but Fry Cook on Venus is the album where his quirky and creative personality rockets to new heights. The Guelph, Ontario-based weirdo-rapper has molded this album into a psychedelic folk-hop masterpiece, worthy of a fanbase greater than his typical cult following. There’s a child-like imagination at play in the way that Noah approaches each song and strings strange words together, with several tracks about dreaming and lots of galactic imagery sprinkled throughout. Noah23 has a strong sense of off-kilter melody and can pen a great poppy hook, but also holds his own chopping it up with the likes of Myka 9 and Ceschi on “Sea of the Infinite Wave.” And speaking of guest features, this album succeeds in the way that it showcases the abundance of phenomenal talent that Fake Four Inc. has to offer. Production duties are handled by a variety of awesome producers on the Fake Four roster, including Factor, Skyrider, Ceschi, Cars & Trains and Gregory Pepper. Equally impressive are the guest verses, which include an awe-inspiring verse from Sole that registers as one of his best in years. Fry Cook in Venus will make your stereo glow.

Iame - Lame

Taxidermy

Oldominion is at it again, this time in the form of Iame’s new long-player, Lame. Named after the way that many promoters have misprinted his name on flyers, the title of the album acts as a source of inspiration for Iame, who examines his life as a “lame” minimum-wage earning indie rap type. Whether touching upon his religious views on “Thy Will” or comparing his life to that of his house cat on “Ninja Defense,” Iame stays 100% true to himself and delivers his strongest and most conceptual work to date. Iame raps very well over the course of the album, but the real star of the show is Oldominion’s central producer Smoke M2D6, who handles all of the beats on the project and delivers what might be described as a “classic Seattle hip hop” sound. The atmosphere of the music is as dark and murky as the overcast weather of the Northwest, but with a strong soulful undercurrent that at times takes on a church choir-like quality. This is the sound that Oldominion is known best for, and the level of quality that Smoke brings to the beats here makes this album a perfect example of what this talented crew has to offer. In short, Iame’s Lame is anything but.

Neila - Only This One Counts

Grimm Image

Chances are that you will never hear a piece of music like this from Neila again. Only This One Counts is an album recorded during a very bleak period of Neila’s life, and it’s her most heartbreaking and personal full-length to date. From a technical stand-point, these songs do not represent Neila’s best work, as they were recorded during a time when she was dealing with voice issues and lack the regular polish that fans may have come to expect from her. But there’s something very real about these recordings, something genuine and painful. If music is a form of therapy, then the songs here amount to Neila and her producer Rezult trying to cope with the hands that life had dealt them. On the track “Thirsty Dream,” Neila spits: “I’m attaching beach buckets onto the lobes of my ears/ to catch each tear drop dripping, drowning out years/ to keep moving, to shift gears.” Neila has kept moving in spite of everything, and has triumphantly emerged from the dark clouds that surrounded her life. Buying this album is helping her shift those gears a tiny bit further in the right direction. Strictly available on limited edition pink vinyl, no CDs or digital downloads for this one. Be on the lookout for Neila’s upcoming children’s book starring the Yeti as well.

tip: Shouts to D$G fam, Understudies, Rec League, Ear Peace, and all the music artists I've the pleasure of meeting or promoting over the course of the last year.  If you wanna read even more endless indie rap ramblings from yours truly, the spot is www.mybackpackisbiggerthanyours.blogspot.com 

THE DEADBEATS - KILL THE HIPPIES

ARTIFIX

PJ HARVEY - LET ENGLAND SHAKE

VAGRANT

punk!

STEVE IGNORANT - LAST SUPPER LIVE IN S.F.

CHALK CIRCLE - REFLECTION

MISSISSIPPI

THE COATHANGERS - LARCENY & OLD LACE

SUICIDE SQUEEZE

KEITH RICHARDS - LIFE

LITTLE BROWN AND COMPANY

JOHN ROBB - PUNK ROCK: AN ORAL HISTORY

EBURY PRESS

VIC GODARD & THE SUBWAY SECT - STOP THAT GIRL/INSTRUMENTALLY SCARED/VERTICAL INTEGRATION

ROUGH TRADE 68

THESE IMMORTAL SOULS - MARRY ME (LIE! LIE!)/OPEN UP AND BLEED/"BLOOD AND SAND" SHE SAID

MUTE

WRECKLESS ERIC

STIFF

AGGROVATORS - REGGAE STONES DUB

ABRAHAM

BATTALION OF SAINTS - SECOND COMING

NUTRONS

HIGHS IN THE MID-SIXTIES - PEBBLES VOL.16 ORIGINAL PUNK

ARCHIVE INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTIONS

THE LEWD - AMERICAN WINO

Killed By Death

FUNGUS BRAINS - RON PISTO'S REAL WORLD

tip: TIP:  EAT AT SOULEY VEGAN & DRINK AT BEER REVOLUTION IN DOWNTOWN OAKLAND.
GET YR  SCREEN PRINTING DONE BY BAD SKULLS.
CHECK OUT "HEADS IN HANDS".BLOGSPOT & NARWHALSHOPPE.BLOGSPOT & REBEL TILES.
SEND FREE RECORDS TO: PO BOX 11273 OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA 94611.

Ben Waters - Boogie 4 Stu

eagle records

Loving tribute to the original sixth Rolling Stone by a some of England's best trad players as well as his old bandmates. Most of the album's 11 tracks are the sort of rollicking boogie-woogie piano music that was Stewart's first love and Waters and company, including drummer Charlie Watts on six of the tracks, do some fine renderings of these classics. Guitarists Richards & Woods trade vocals on Big Maceo's "Worried Life Blues," while the entirety of the Stones circa '75 - '92 do a cover of Dylan's "Watching the River Flow," supposedly the only Dylan song that Stewart liked. The album closes out with Stewart himself pounding out a version of Sam Cooke's "Bring it on Home to Me" that gives a taste of the bluesy piano that he added to some of the better Stones tracks before his passing in 1985.

Various Artists - R&B HipSHAKERS Vol.2 SCRATCH THAT ITCH

Vampi Soul

R&B HipSHAKERS Vol.2 unearths some of the most upbeat and irresistible soul and R&B tracks from the legendary King and Federal record labels. As with the first volume, this 20-track collection focuses on some of the labels lesser known output from the late-'50s to the mid-'60s by some classic artist including Rudy Rae Moore, Amos Milburn, Hank Ballard and Johnny Watson among others. Also featured are ultra cool instrumentals from the likes of Hank Marr, Freddy King and Mickey Baker as well as rare tracks from Willie Dixon and Otis Redding(!) Hopefully these guys have just scratched the surface and more volumes are on the way.

Baseball Project - Volume 2: High and Inside

yepROC Records

As with this ad hoc group's 2008 self-titled debut, Volume 2:High and Inside finds the Baseball Project offering up another 13 tracks that combine a baseball fan's love of a good yarn with the deft turn of a phrase and more than a few memorable hooks. Co-leaders Steve Wynn and Scott McCaughey show an infectious enthusiasm for some of the game's more colorful characters along with a nod or two to the joys and frustrations of being a fan. Anchored by Linda Pitmon on drums and R.E.M.'s Peter Buck on bass along with a few guests from the likes of Yo La Tengo, Los Lobos, the Decemberists and more should make High and Inside something you'll remember long after the boys of summer are gone.

Spectacle Season Two

On this second and unfortunately final season of Spectacle, host Elvis Costello chats, strums and sings along with an amazing collection of musicians. Part talk show, part musical performance, Spectacle was unique in that guests were actually able to have an intelligent conversation about their music with a host—Costello—who was just as knowledgeable and enthusiastic as any fan. Musically the show was also different in that it allowed the guests to do something besides rote versions of their latest songs. A great example was the "build-a-band" episode that pieced together a one-time group with Allen Toussaint (piano), Richard Thompson (guitar), Nick Lowe (bass) and Levon Helm (drums) who then proceeded to reel off songs by Toussaint, The Band and the Grateful Dead. Other guests for Season Two included Bruce Springsteen, Bono and the Edge, Lyle Lovett, Jesse Winchester and Neko Case. Spectacle demonstrated that rock and talk can go together given the right host and guests.

North Mississippi Allstars - Keys to the Kingdom

Songs of the South Records

Less a tribute than celebration of the life and influence of pianist, producer, songwriter and recording artist Jim Dickinson, the North Mississippi Allstars Keys to the Kingdom is steeped in the rootsy hill country blues style that has been the band's forte for the last decade. Fronted by Dickinson's sons—Luther on guitar and vocals and Cody on drums—the NMA have fleshed out their sound this time around with help from pianist Spooner Oldham and Alvin Youngblood Hart on harmonica and vocals, along with guests spots by Ry Cooder and Mavis Staples among others. The album finishes with a short 50 seconds of solo piano that sounds like Jim Dickinson himself. Maybe it is or maybe not, but it's certainly a reminder of the elder Dickinson's oft quoted phrase "World Boogie is Coming!"

Chancha Via Circuito - Rio Arriba

ZZK

Electro Cumbia from Argentine Pedro Canales AKA Chancha Via Circuito... A dreamy meeting of future sounds with the traditional...I think you may enjoy this one...

Mountains - Air Museum

Thrill Jockey

The usual delightful ambient electronic affair from the Brooklyn-based duo, Mountains... If you have appreciated their other albums, you will enjoy this one too... And if you have never heard them, but have an affinity for pretty/drone/ambient type musical expression, then you may find joy in listening to their album...

Poirier - Running High

Ninja Tune

Rough and tumble Electro-Dancehall from Montreal's Poirier—think you may dig this one if you are a fan of artists such as Major Lazer, Ward 21, Diplo, Buraka Som Sistema... Go ahead, give it a listen!

Carlos Niño & Miguel Atwood Ferguson - Suite For Ma Dukes

Mochilla

This one is a couple of years old, but it gets honorable mention because it has been on my turntable quite a bit lately... Lush orchestral renditions of J Dilla beats in a tribute to the very same man after he passed away... If you are a fan of JDee, this will be a whole new way to hear his music and an example of why the producer/musician was beyond relevant and a huge boon for the world of music...

Maximum Balloon - Maximum Balloon

DGC

Side project from TV On The Radio member, David Sitek...This record contains lot of enjoyable '80s inspired pop rock/dance musicplenty of synthesizers and programmed drums for your delight. Also features all kinds of guest spots, such as Little Dragon and David Byrne... Give it a Listen...

El Guincho - Pop Negro

Young Turks

Project from Spain's Pablo Diaz-Riexa (a.k.a. El Guincho)... Lush whole world/latin/'80s-synth influenced record... This one has been on regular rotation in my house and is an ideal soundtrack for your summer debaucheries...

tip: IMPORTANT QUOTE FOR TROUBLING TIMES:

Remember that those who lead themselves on the path of the righteous shall also be bled in Gomor, Peoria, and Rajasthan, for it is within the divine that all shall know the true meaning of LingumYoni.   The trinity and the birth of a saviour shall prove that languishing in  the dome or arched structure of truth is truly illuminating and the voice chant of Guruji Tim is absolutely mellifluous.  Henceforth this teaching shall be known as the boody bop beedy bum boopy...

- Sri Najar Rick Laksmar Muhammad Omar Tenjin Smith, Architect, 1905, Spokane, Washington -

Boris - Attention Please

Sargent House

Two full-length releases on the same day, and pretty wildly different from each other. This is the Wata focused album, and it's a pleasing change of direction for the mighty and mightily erratic Boris. Definitely "song-oriented," some may say "poppy," but I'm thinking that this is in the same league of My Bloody Valentine's better moments, which is no small compliment. Of course that's tweaked through the unique Nippon-Vision of Boris, and that's a good thing too. And now a cursory mention of the companion release "Heavy Rocks (Purple)," but only to say that it pales and fails in comparison to the "Heavy Rocks (Orange)" of years gone by. The HEAVY may be not as grand as before, but this new direction of post-shoegaze loveliness is divine.

Chrome - Half Machine Lip Moves

Lilith

This and all the other vinyl reissues by Lilith of SF's damaged demi-gods Chrome are all worth the price of admission, especially with some of the added bonus singles tracks. Kudos to Lilith for doing a proper job. If you know these LPs already, and your copies are about as worn out as my old ones, these are a godsend. If you for some unholy reason have never been turned onto the late '70s/early '80s magnificently aggressive Chrome, then your excuses have just been rendered pointless.

PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

Island

Yep, I love the crazy lady. Near falsetto vocals on this release, little if any guitar, and the theme of warfare and aftermath running throughout make this an odd addition to her catalog, but I'm sold. Wherever she goes, I'm willing to chance following.

NF Orchest / Jerry Smith - Oxidant

pmalmusic

If you think I'm biased, well...yeah. NF Orchest is an East Bay experimental "junk-noise" group comprised of three current or ex-Amoebites, recorded live in performance at the Lab in SF in early 2010, bringing their "leaden electronics and acoustic dinscraping" to the world with an added video element by artist Jerry Smith. It's a 3" DVD, and roughly 30 minutes of darkly aggressive audio attack and bleeding submerged images borrowed from the Prelinger Archives of vintage 8mm home movies. I'm damn proud of this one, and pleased as punchiness that the NF Orchest has not called it a day yet.

MerzPEEP - Harmony of the New Species

not on label

Ah, this past springtime brought the return of sugary fluff. Well, the Berkeley Amoeba got its hands on several extremely limited editions of the PEEP phenomenon this year, and fluff they are certainly not! The MerzPEEP, another in the long tradition of Masami Akita's weird Merzbow related products has to be comparable in exclusivity to the infamous MerzBenz, a brand new Mercedes Benz with a limited edition of ONE Merzbow cd LOCKED INTO its CD player. God only knows what's inside the MerzPEEP! It could be filled with tiny unicorns, and they poop tinier rainbows! Also keep a lookout for the equally limited S.PEEP.K. release "Malformations," and the Current Ninety PEEP "Aleph's Hallucinatory Dream." Word has it that a few very out of print DVDs have appeared in the Cult section at the Berkeley store as well, so shop with care and concern. Do not under any circumstance try to take these limited editions for granted. They may have potential shelf lives of decades, but their rarity and immense collectibility will make them treasures for the lucky ones that grab them!

tip: L@TE at the BAM-PFA for your Friday pm art-house entertainment if in Berkeley.

Galena - Grave News For You

Sanity Muffin

Cloudy nighttime waveforms swell within subterranean corridors... a maze of labyrinthine layers and sculptured sonics creates bionic tonic for open heads. Previously only available as a limited edition cassette, now sounding even better on LP!!!

Jozef Van Wissem - The Joy That Never Ends

Important

A fantastic album of captivating pieces for both 10 and 13 course lute featuring masterful playing from this Dutch experimentalist. Truly beautiful and deeply affecting, especially in a live setting.

Barn Owl - Ancestral Star

Thrill Jockey

Deep chasms of desert soundscapes, echoes of a prehistoric past. From dark shadows, occasional hafts of blinding light emerge, then drift off again into vistas of mythic mystery.

Gkfoes Vjgoaf - The Joy of Awakening

Inner Islands

Meditative atmospheres and peaceful vibrations from this California-born free spirit who currently resides in Melbourne, Australia. A lovely way to start your day or just infuse it with a little extra sonic love.

Mountains - Air Museum

Thrill Jockey

Another fine record of ambient bliss from this Brooklyn duo. More synth-centric than previous albums, yet still organic and warm in every way.

Date Palms - Of Psalms

Root Strata

Cosmic ambient drone epics built on a basis of electronic tamboura and glacial basslines, with various textures including synths and bits of violin layered on top. Slow, deliberate music that allows the listener to sink into a state of stasis with it...

Amon Tobin - Isam

Ninja Tune

Another truly massive statement from this Brazilian-born sound artist who now resides in Canada... I'm always blown away by the amount of sonic detail in his work, and this LP is no exception. It seems like there's an even greater focus on texture this time around, and the dark, cinematic vibes of past work are refined to perfection without sacrificing his unique rhythmic sensibilities or superior programming skills. Apparently, he'll be touring with a full audio-visual interface to create an immersive multimedia experience. Can't wait to see that!

Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact

4AD

Another fine album from these NYC retro-futurists. As much as I would still love for them to make God's Money Part 2, their continued path toward a more accessible sound continues with this album that transcends their influences and is uniquely them. For heavily rhythmic and occasionally ethereal post-modern rock music with a dark, experimental edge, it doesn't get much better than this.

Akron/Family - <bmbz>

Dead Oceans

The companion piece to their fine full-length 2011 studio LP (S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT, also on Dead Oceans), this is, on the surface at least, a remix album of sorts. At the core, it is a collaborative effort between the band and several friends who have radically reworked elements from the proper album to create a sprawling double LP of tracks that stretch way beyond the usual A/F fare and into some far out abstract sound-art weirdness. On this level, it's pretty great. It was also an experiment in regards to the way listeners perceive an album in the age of the internet, with many of these tracks purposefully leaked by the band in advance of the real LP in an effort to create a sense of confusion and mystery in eager fans. On this other level, it's nothing short of brilliant. And they're still amazing live... if you haven't seen them yet, you're missing out.

Young Montana? - Limerence

Alpha Pup

Debut album from this 20-year old UK producer. A surprisingly mature, eclectic fusion of varied electronic rhythms and textures. Recommended for fans of Prefuse 73 and Flying Lotus, though I actually like this much more than anything I've heard from FlyLo... expect big things from this cat in the near future.

tUnE-yArDs - Whokill

4AD

After her charming lo-fi debut Bird Brains a few years ago, this new album is a big step forward in terms of both songwriting and production, and a really great off-kilter pop record. She's got an amazing voice and excellent control over it... even sounds a bit like African pygmy singing at times, which is a huge plus in my book. Live, she masterfully loops herself playing ukulele and singing and drumming... definitely catch her if you get the chance.

Panabrite - several releases on various labels

Panabrite is the project of one Norm Chambers, a Seattle resident and synthesizer specialist. His music is beautiful and futuristic, a warm cocoon of effervescent melodies and cascading cyclical rhythms. I bliss out to his tapes all the time and never get bored with them, and I've probably listened to his music more than anyone else's during the first half of 2011. Lots of his releases are available for download at his bandcamp site (http://panabrite.bandcamp.com) for either free or cheap. Highly recommended for lovers of synth based music!

Antonionian - Antonionian

Anticon

Former drummer/multi-instrumentalist from Subtle and 13 & God steps forward with his first solo offering of eclectic electronica laced with traces of soul and indie-rock. This short album of catchy tunes and excellent production has got me already looking forward to more from this talented musician.

Seven Feathers Rainwater - 15 Apple Magicians

Moondial

An excellent album of psychedelic pop music by these folks from Salt Lake City, Utah. Lots of spacy shimmer and dreamy drones make this one a fantastic auditory adventure. A little bit like Animal Collective but mellower and more overtly spaced out and trippy. Great for sunny nature walks and late-night stargazing.

tip:

Again, some of my favorite music from the first half of 2011 was made by friends of mine and performed at houses and warehouses in Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco. I am thankful for the continued inspiration I find through the many folks I meet and interact with on my musical journey, both inside and outside this wonderful record store. 

 

Please continue to support Amoeba and other local and independent businesses. We won't be here much longer if people keep downloading everything for free and ordering stuff online instead of coming in to a real store with real people. Buying music online is the equivalent of sending US jobs overseas. Sure it's cheaper initially, but what about the long-term implications on our economy and the hole it leaves culturally in a community when a record store closes.

Also, please stand up to corporations who seek to control the corrupt political and economic systems in this country and beyond. Get involved, fight the injustices you see in the world, and strive to have a positive impact on the world each and every day. Live your dreams, share your gifts, and treat everyone with love and kindness.  

Sims - Bad Time Zoo

Doomtree Records

From the outset, Bad Time Zoo hits you with its meaning or “theme” with the back-to-back songs "Future Shock" and "Burn It Down." "…Is this what we’re working for?/Feeling that hole with goods, what’s good/But the chokehold ain’t local no more/It’s global and closing its doors.” (FS) and “Everyone stepping sideways, to the cheapest sleight of hand/play to your weakness, see the darkest side of man/and it’s up to you, supply those hallowed dreams/or make your own Halloween, so how ‘bout that?” (BID) His lyrics, filled with thoughtful questions and comments about us as people and the reality in which we live, are laced with frustration and anger, as well as hope and promise. The light at the end of the tunnel, if you’ll allow some cheese please. All this without seeming preachy. Of course, the accompaniment of completely banging production from the unassailable Lazerbeak certainly helps in this regard. In fact, every beat is so damn ridiculous. “Lavabanger” after Lavabanger as they have recently been dubbed. From the title track to the anthemic "Too Much" featuring P.O.S. to my favorite hype-track "Radio Opaque," the music is both hard hitting and refreshing. The CD is a beautifully packaged digipak with really cool artwork and great ink, paper and print quality. And if you like-a-the-wax like I do, it’s a 2xLP in a gatefold and comes with some cool inserts and a digital download code. It’s a one time pressing and limited to 500 copies. Amoeba Berkeley was lucky enough to get a handful in the store and most went pretty fast. As I write this it looks like there are still a few out there. Seek it out… and fill your hole with goods. So what’s good? Highest Recommendation!

P.S. – Look for the Doomtree music videos online. They are creative and well done. Also, I hear a new Doomtree album is in the works. Enter Pavlovian response.

Wiley - 100% Publishing

Big Dada Recordings

UK Grime Kingpin Wiley (a.k.a. Eskiboy) is a friggin’ genius. No hyperbole. The man has created the majority of grime riddims out there and has consistently defended his top spot from would-be bad men for years, even after "retiring." The Roll Deep veteran’s latest addition to his already massive library is nothing short of neck-breaking awesomeness. Top-notch production coupled with his effortless lyrical savvy provides an amazing energy of sound and commentary, proving that he is still the man blazing trails for the London grime scene. Completely written, produced, vocalled, and recorded (save for one guest spot) by him, it’s not hard to see why I’m gushing here. As I write this, the album is only available as a digital download and European CD/LP release. North America and Amoeba Berkeley will get both versions July 19 (or very soon thereafter). Highest Recommendation! Big up Bow E3!

Acid Reign - Diversity

Uncommon Records

Project Blowed mainstays Gajah and BeOND flexpertly display those chopping skills for which they are known. (Yes, I said flexpertly.) And dope production from a posse of dudes including EQ, Re4rm, Bornagen Baldwin, Nasa, and many others drive the listener through a “diverse” assortment of sound. The first track, "We Do It All" featuring Myk Mansun and DJ Ethos blends what sounds like an East Asian influence with the fast-paced drum break and chorus chants common to the boom bap. And that title serves as a promise to what the rest of the album has to offer. "Kiss Ass" featuring DJ Casey provides the punk punch, while "Babalu" aptly shakes with Latin flavor. One of my favorite tracks, "Fantastic 4" featuring Neila and Myka 9, has a kind of freestyle friendly beat which the F4 stretch, force, torch, and clobber in true superhero fashion. The highlight of Diversity is definitely the posse cut "Crème de la Blowed." Just the title alone should send any Blowdian fan to cop this. In addition to the acidic duo, appearances include Nga Fish, AceyAlone, Rifle Man, Olmeca, Abstract Rude, and Myka 9. Plus, the last track is a remix of "Crème." Despite being burned to CDRs and packaged in your basic cardboard slipcase, the price point is very reasonable and the music succeeds in sating that thirst for the chop. Mmmm, rhymechops…

TOKiMONSTA - Creature Dreams

Brainfeeder

Jennifer Lee a.k.a. TOKiMONSTA’s Creature Dreams is aptly named. Dreamy digital production colored with her trademark uniqueness sends the listener on a mind-trip only she can provide. This 12” EP contains seven tracks of blissful electronica with interesting cover artwork that seems to complete the package. Crushingly beautiful music by a crushingly beautiful and talented individual. Recommended!

Yelle - Safari Disco Club

V2 Records

I became an instant fan of Yelle after hearing the song "Tristesse/Joie" from her debut album Pop-Up at a house party a few years ago. There’s just something about her voice, the electro-pop production and the happy bounce most of her music has that draws you in and keeps you hooked. As a French speaker I also enjoy her lyrics—songs about life and death, relationships, drugs, but all sounding like one big happy party. So even if you don’t understand what she’s going on about, you can still bob your head to her infectious anthems. Personally, I can’t wait for the vinyl version to hit the US.

Blueprint - Adventures in Counter-Culture

Rhymesayers Entertainment

Delivering an adventurous push of sound and fury, the Columbus, OH native ain’t playin’. The album fuses Rock, Electronica, Soul, and Hip-Hop to form a colorful eargasm of social commentary and downright creative artistry. Even the CD and LP packaging gives the music a perfect visual representation of what you’ll find inside. Songs like "Go Hard or Go Home," "Automatic," and "My Culture" are great examples of this creativity. And songs like "Wanna Be Like You" and "The Rise & Fall" dress social and life commentary with a backdrop of inventive musical production. Like electric waves washing over parts of your brain. A solid album with moving compositions and intelligent lyrics, this has been one of my rotating favorites this year (especially after seeing his in-store performance at Amoeba Berkeley!). The vinyl is 2xLP picture discs with a CD booklet insert and a digital download code. They are currently on sale at Amoeba Berkeley. Go get it. Do it. Trust me. Or obey me. Either one. Highly Recommended.

Blue Sky Black Death - Noir

Fake Four Inc.

BSBD’s back catalog is heavy. Well, it just got heavier. Fourteen beautifully named tracks of dreamy, spatial instrumentals (with singing on a couple tracks) that can fill the air with anxious suspense, dramatic storytelling, or melodic thoughtfulness. Truly another cinematic offering from Mr. Kingston and Young God. The Fake Four fam is on fire!

DJ Drez and Trae Sevn - Chapters of EZ Sevn

Say It Loud Records

Doctor EZ, another Blowdian, teams up with bassist Trae Sevn for this mellow and vibey brew of production, live drums and bass, sprinkled with guest appearances by X-Parallel, Zaire Black, Living Legends and others. Groovy and melodic but far from sleepy, the sound ranges from reggae to jazz to soul, sprinkled with many other deftly masked styles, some songs reminiscent of early Freestyle Fellowship. Still sounding like a Hip-Hop record, this album could easily be filed in the World Fusion or even Electronica sections. This is a great backdrop to summertime backyard BBQs or a chill out session in your living room or dinner with the wifey. Packaged in a nicely printed digipak with lovely artwork. Namaste.

Maker & Joe Beats - Falcon By Design

Fieldwerk Recordings

A limited edition LP on red vinyl, Maker and Joe Beats each get a side to display their deft handiwork of instrumental magic. Maker’s side feels like a love letter to classic Golden Years-era Hip-Hop, with breaks and vocal samples spread across experimental shifts in melodies. Joe Beats also shows his love for that timeline with similar styles but with an added dash of jazz and blues riffs. Each providing five tracks of their own model, the album still sounds like one package. Super nice beats for any occasion. Recommended.

Oddisee - Odd Seasons

Mello Music Group

Four previous EPs respectively representing the four seasons on one release for the first time. Mostly instrumentals with a few rhymes scattered across the calendar, the sound is as varied as the seasons. We start with beat-heavy Autumn for eight tracks then enter Spring’s playful notes and melodies. Summer serves up hot and heavy funk rhythms, while Winter brings the cool with smoky jazz samples and drum breaks. A fun foray into conceptual sound, Oddisee’s production always delivers. CD is a neatly packaged digipak with simple art references for each season. Vinyl is 2xLP with bonus 7”. Yay for extras!

Tech N9ne - All 6’s and 7’s

Strange Music

All juggalos aside (and I cannot stress that enough), the Mid-West chopper Tech N9ne has consistently put out hard hitting and very personal music for years now. Professing himself to be an unedited and painfully open book to his fans, he tends to blend an underground ethic and flow style with mainstream gangsterism (albeit a pseudo form) and theatrical displays of his views and experiences with life, love, death, sex, drugs, fans, beef, music, family, and the kitchen sink. He effortlessly switches between good and evil, seemingly playing the roles of both angel and devil on his own shoulders. This dichotomy may be too much for those who don’t know him as an artist, as the songs cover the gamut of that spectrum. "He’s A Mental Giant," "I Love Music," and "Mama Nem" project that positivity and brand of love he so often injects into his music, while "Am I Psycho?," "Cult Leader," "Pornographic," and "So Lonely" allow him to get the darkness off his chest, also common to his repertoire. Then there are chop-style heavy tracks like "Technicians," "Worldwide Choppers," and "F**k Food" that deliver what Tech is well known for. Eighteen tracks and a handful of bearable skits, with guest appearances by B.O.B., Yelawolf, Twista, Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne, Big Krizz Kaliko, Snoop Dogg, E-40, Kutt Calhoun, Big Scoob and many more, All 6’s and 7’s is just straight up KC.MO at its finest. Artistically packaged in a digipak case with a thick booklet of photos and lyrical excerpts. Don’t be Mitch Bade… get this banger! Highly Recommended.

Zavala (of Dark Time Sunshine) - Vessel Instrumentals

Fieldwerk / Fake Four

Dark Time Sunshine’s (Zavala and Cape Cowen, aka Onry Ozzborn) Vessel is a creative and inspiring album released in 2010. And 2011 brings us the instrumentals to that album on vinyl. Very dope beats on opaque white wax with a beautiful cover to match. Any vinyl or beat junkie should go out and grab a copy of this! Highly Recommended!

tip: If you "download" it and like it, please support the artist by popping into Amoeba and buying it. And oh yeah, "E-Lit, Green Hornet guy, line 3! E-Lit, line 3 is for you."