6th Borough Project - One Night in the Borough

Delusions of Grandeur

Jesus. Where do I start? This record, written and produced Craig Smith and Graeme Clark (aka The Revenge), is probably the best record of the year. How's that for a start? Now I'd be lying if I said this album is for everybody, due to the fact there exists a particular breed of people who don't like to have fun. That breed won't like this album. Why not? Well, probably for a number of reasons, the main one being that this is essentially a modern disco record. Now hold on just a minute- I know I just wrote the word "disco," but bear with me. If you're willing to just let that bitter, jaded, cool-kid persona (which we all have) take a rest for a while, and allow yourself to sink into the grooves of this album, you'll remember that music can be, above all things, fun. 

tip: My friend and I have a podcast where we put other peoples' music online and then take credit for it. If you're into that kind of thing, visit http://physicsengine.podomatic.com, or iTunes search Physics Engine.

Tower of Power - 40th Anniversary

Top Records

Frankly, I haven't even listened to the CD of this CD/DVD combo yet, because the DVD by itself is pretty damn exciting.  The highlights of this October 2008 show at the Fillmore — which I heard was three to four hours long! — were boiled down to this set, featuring past and present members on the band's best stuff, giving the songs extra juice they don't often get.  A great band on a special night.

Kurt Elling - The Gate

Concord Records

He's earned the reputation as one of jazz's most capable and thoughtful vocalists, but this CD is a left turn for Elling as he adapts songs by King Crimson, Joe Jackson, Earth Wind & Fire... and even the jazz selections boast some unusual sources (Marc Johnson, Don Grolnick, Herbie Handcock's pop albums?).  The great thing is, it doesn't feel like slumming; he really does give these songs fresh, shiny treatments that are fun to listen to.

Weather Report - Live in Berlin 1975

Ais

The vault mining continues with this CD/DVD set from a rarely-documented era of the band's history, with Chester Thompson on drums.  Touring off of the Tale Spinnin' album and propelled by Alphonso Johnson's bass grooves, Weather Report was well into redefining themselves as a funk-driven, song oriented band that could still be ferocious on stage.  It's fun to watch Zawinul wrestle futuristic sounds out of those old analog synthesizers, too. 

The Black Belles - What Can I Do?

Third Man

This debut 7" from Jack White's "discovery," The Black Belles, features "What Can I Do?," which is also currently being used as the theme song for Elvira's Movie Macabre TV show. "What Can I Do?" is a down right minor-chord rocker in the vein of Drusalee & The Dead, The Jesters of Newport, and other darker denizens of the original wave of '60s garage rock. Listening to this all-gal group makes me think this may be the band I've been looking for all of my life. The flipside is their witchy re-interpretation of The Knickerbockers' "Lies." Well done. 

Peter Murphy - Ninth

Nettwerk

He's still got it. With a vengeance. 

Dengue Fever - Cannibal Courtship

Concord

P.J. Harvey - Let England Shake

Vagrant

Venture Bros. Season 4

Season four is by far the most complicated and insanely weird season yet. Say, what is a "Rusty Venture" anyway?

Sherlock: Season One

I'm a little late in discovering this BBC show but, thanks to R.W., I'm all about it now! Yes, it's Sherlock Holmes, but you've never seen him like this before. He and Watson are in modern-day London, technology-obsessed and full of contemporary neuroses. 

Loudon Wainwright III - 40 Odd Years

Shout Factory

This guy is a national treasure, and his writing is as strong now, if not stronger than at any point.  My only complaint — no songs from last years' 10 Songs for the New Depression, one of my faves of his...

Jimi Hendrix - Moonbeams & Fairytales

Rock of Ages

A valient attempt to cover the first 15 months of the Experience, from fall of 1966 to December 1967.  A wealth of studio outtakes and ultra-rare live performances. Not for beginners.

Grateful Dead - Europe ’72 - The Complete Collection

Dead.net

Arguably the zenith of this band's long and storied career.  Hippies might have to turn their nuggets to gold to afford this, but paradise waits...

Sandy Denny - Sandy Denny

UMC

Few artists are worthy of such an expansive set, but Sandy Denny is one.  Her songwriting is sometimes overlooked when compared to her voice, but not here. Nothing is overlooked here. Cheers!

The Firesign Theater - Duke of Madness Motors

Eighty hours of their radio shows from 1970-1972. A goldmine of the gestalt of the era, with much riffing on current events of the day, along with the surreal brilliance we know and love from these comedic geniuses.

tip: If you can't find these in the store, check Amoeba.com!

The Rosebuds - Loud Planes Fly Low

Merge

Melancholy sophisti-pop.

Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi Present - Rome

Capitol

Italian soundtracky twang, strings, and pointy bass.

Chad VanGaalen - Diaper Island

Sub Pop

One-man psych-pop action.

Crystal Stilts - In Love With Oblivion

Slumberland

Dark pop slathered in reverb.

Girls Names - Dead To Me

Slumberland

C86 revivalism from Belfast.

Candi Staton - Evidence: The Complete Fame Records Masters

Kent

48 tracks of genius southern soul from '69-'74.

Mickey Newbury - An American Trilogy

Drag City

Three albums and a disc of rarities from under-appreciated Nashville singer/songwriter, '69-'73 or so.

Grouper - A I A: Alien Observer / A I A: Dream Loss

Yellowelectric

Heartbreaking, breathtakingly gorgeous psych music. The ghostly, dreamy brilliance of these albums have been haunting my world nonstop. Timeless music.

Deathspell Omega - Paracletus

Season Of Mist

A devastatingly heavy, impossibly complex masterpiece. At this point, it's hard to believe that anyone can top these French black metal kings.

MV & EE - Country Stash

Three Lobed

A landmark album for them. This masterstroke touches on so many forms of music. Folk, blues, gospel, raga, backwoods boogie jams, kosmische...the way they infuse everything is wholly original and comes as naturally to them as breathing.

KWJAZ - KWJAZ

Brunche Groupe

Imagine finding an unlabeled mixtape that's been laying out in the sun for who-knows-how-long wherein lies the most mysterious, seductive music you've (n)ever heard. Narcotic, smeary, luxurious grooves...drugged, dubbed-out dreamtones...the thing is pure gold. This recently out-of-print cassette will be seeing a proper vinyl release this summer on Not Not Fun. Yes, please.

Hype Williams - One Nation

Hippos In Tanks

The coolest band around. Believe!

Peaking Lights - 936

Not Not Fun

Antena meets Sun Araw in Jamaica. Perfect summertime jams.

Matt "MV" Valentine - What I Became

Woodsist

A true explorer. He's made dozens of records and this surely ranks among his finest. I simply can't get enough of this guy.

Elklink - The Rise Of Elklink

Kye

Truly zonked vocal moves from Graham Lambkin (Shadow Ring) and Adris Aoyos (Harry Pussy). Closely mic'd whispers and stoned murmurs, lots of tape hiss. Genius.

Evan Caminiti - When California Falls Into The Sea

Handmade Birds

Stunning guitar devotionals from one of the fellas in Barn Owl. Kinda sounds like Loren Connors recording an album for PSF in the California desert.

Marsen Jules - Nostalgia

OKTAF

Masterful ambient bliss zones.

Kreng - Grimoire

Miasmah

Gothic, grim, grandiose imaginary soundtrack music.

MV & EE - Hick Smoke

Manhand

More way smoked-out psychedelic excess from the masters.

Various Artists - Guitar Mood 2: More Rare Instrumentals from the New and Olde Worlds

Repent

Highly addictive, essential jams. Thanks Andrew K.!

High Wolf - A Guide To Healing

Bathetic

Crystal vibrations.

Black Myth Zone Chant - Straight cassette

Winged Sun

High Wolf's Screw'd alter ego. Pitched-down French monologues over sparse electronics.

Nitty Gritty - General Penitentiary

Dug Out

Another essential dig from the always-on-point Dug Out label. Sweet vibes!

Matthewdavid - Outmind

Brainfeeder

Abstract, glitchy beats with nice stretches of sunbaked ambient haze.

Dolphins Into The Future/Floris Vanhoof - Neutral Bouyancy/Electronic Mantra

Experimedia

Dolphins creates the most drippingly hallucinatory music on the planet.

tUnE-yArDs - w h o k i l l

4AD

I can't believe how much I've listened to this thing!  The grooves are awesome; her singing is full-on; and while it's no longer a one-woman show, the un-slickness of the production is a nice respite from most dance-oriented stuff.  I'm probably listening to it right now, unless I'm listening to...

Matana Roberts - Coin Coin Chapter One: Gens de couleur libres

Constellation

Composed, improvised, cathartic, scary, (occasionally) soothing, this live performance makes me really wish I'd been there.

Stefon Harris/ David Sanchez/ Christian Scott - Ninety Miles

Concord

Ambrose Akinmusire - When the Heart Emerges Glistening

Blue Note

Group Doueh - Zayna Jumma

Sublime Frequencies

Combining the wild electric guitar sound of his earlier releases with the (slightly) more polished recording quality of his last wonderful (mostly acoustic) album, Mr. Doueh and band here give us their finest album yet. Imagine Tuareg/Malian guitar jams with Arabic flourishes and a heavy psychedelic rock guitar tone and you might be approaching what you'll hear on this great release from the ever-amazing Sublime Frequencies.

tUnE-yArDs - w h o k i l l

4AD

This amazing one-woman musical tornado releases her sophomore album and it is even better than the first. Expanding her sound with some horns, back-up singers, bass guitar, and much better production, Merrill Garbus will take you for a ride, musically speaking. With songs influenced by everything from Billie Holiday to African music to hip-hop, her stellar voice still guides the way. If you need fresh sounds in your life, get this.

Various Artists - A Orillas del Magdalena

Domino Sound

Not sure when this came out, but I just heard it. A killer collection compiled form Colombia's classic label Discos Fuentes, it focuses on some of the earliest cumbia styles from the region where cumbia originated. Featuring mostly accordions, bass, some horns, great singers, and that relentless dance-fever-inducing cumbia beat. If you like Latin dance music, you need this great compilation.

Aosoth - III

Agonia Records

French black metal is where the weirdness is. Coming on the heels of Deathspell Omega's mind crushing Paracletus, Aosoth's III is just as intense and out there. The guitar sound comes across like a doom band, but the music is all insane progressive French black metal. Great vocals too. If you like your black metal forward thinking and completely mental, you will not be disappointed by this.

Pieces de Viole Books 1-3 - Marin Marais

Jordi Savall

While this is technically a reissue, this beautiful box-set combines all five earlier releases of Marais' Pieces de Viole, all remastered to perfection and with a lovingly detailed book, fitting for an Alia Vox release. Backed by first-rate players like Ton Koopman, Hopkinson Smith and Rolf Lislevand, Savall displays his technical prowess and his wonderful command of the Baroque aesthetic to bring to life the music of the composer that made him famous for the soundtrack to Tous les Matins du Monde.

tip: See live music.