page43.html

Khalik Hena (LP)

Warda Al-Jazairia
We got all kindsa problems in this world, all kindsa unprecedented and terrifying problems, but to live in the re-issue renaissance, the golden archive era, has some really incredible benefits. Like this LP originally recorded in 1973. I feel legitimately grateful I ever got to hear it. Read more

Free Repetition (CD)

Scalpy
This is my piping hot brand new album. Is this kosher? I dig it, i'm proud of it, i think it's fresh and interesting. Perhaps you'll dig it as well. Read more

A Ghost Waits (BLU)

An immensely likable flick about a likable guy falling in love with a likable ghost, it's easy to see why this received almost unanimous praise from critics. A Ghost Waits begins as a horror-comedy, incorporates an effective romantic angle, and concludes on a sincere, poignant note. That ending might have proven fatal in the hands of lesser artists. It was a bold move, and they pulled it off. Shot in B&W on a shoestring budget, the film possesses so much heart, from a DIY-filmmaking perspective and a basic human one. Funny, entertaining, unexpectedly touching stuff. I want to hug this movie. Read more

The Scarlet Letter (BLU)

No one asked for it, no one wanted it, but Kino-Lorber released Roland Joffe's 90's adaptation of The Scarlet Letter. Personally, I'm grateful. Hilariously wrongheaded in every way, it offers up more laughs than your average comedy - many of them thanks to Robert Duvall, looking, sounding, and behaving exactly like Lord Farquaad. I like when Demi gives birth to a baby that's, like, at least ten months old. A "so-bad-it's-good" gem. Read more

Wild Beasts (BLU)

Absolutely insane Italian movie (from one of the guys behind Mondo Cane) about a bunch of zoo animals going on citywide rampage after drinking water laced with PCP. Just as nutty as it sounds, an exploitation flick with a beautifully bonkers premise that delivers everything it promises. Polar bears attacking children in a gymnasium, a chase between a cheetah and a Volkswagen, tigers on the subway, elephants on an airplane runway - it's a total trip, and the film teaches valuable life lessons. For example, you do not want to be trapped in a car surrounded by drugged-out elephants. Avoid that as best you can. Read more

Greener Grass (BLU)

Absurdist black comedy, one of the oddest and most otherworldly films I've watched in a while, is a twisted dissection of suburban ennui that feels kinda like Lisa Frank's Eraserhead. Upper class American life viewed as a candy-coated, dread-soaked bizarro world. Weird doesn't even begin to describe it. There's a lot of funny stuff in here. The flick has a strong look, mixes the mundane and the menacing to great effect. Greener Grass is a bright, colorful movie with an undercurrent of doom, like death is lurking on the edge of every frame. An erratic ride but one worth taking, as unsettling as it is amusing. Read more

City of Fear (LP)

FM
Hard to find, but worth tracking down for one song - "Lost and Found". That song... is a beast. Copies float through the store fairly often, and it's usually very cheap. Read more

Blue Steel (BLU)

Slick, engrossing thriller often straddles the line of plausibility but it's so well done in every respect - especially on a technical level - that it doesn't matter much. Kathryn Bigelow (working off a script she wrote with Eric Red) directed the shit out of this urban nightmare tale about a rookie cop crossing paths with a crazed, trigger happy commodities trader working on Wall Street. Jamie Lee Curtis is fantastic in the lead role and Ron Silver goes 100% bananas as the villain. It's very fun watching him lose his mind. He's a great antagonist. The bloody climax finds Silver stalking Curtis through the streets in broad daylight like pistol-packing Michael Myers. If this weren't so silly in places, it would be damn near brilliant. As it stands, Blue Steel is a highly enjoyable piece of stylish pulp, mainly worth seeing for the aesthetics and Silver's frantic, bug-eyed performance. Brad Fiedel's electronic score is great (GREAT). Read more

Ulaan (CD)

Enji
Mongolian jazz singer whose mellow and full vocals perfectly complement the sparse instrumentation of clarinet and bass throughout the release. Just beautiful! Read more

Two Sisters (LP)

Sarah Davachi
I've been getting into modern organ these days and Sarah Davachi is a staple of the genre. In this release, she weaves minimalist melodies, alternate tunings, and experimental timbres together in a way that is both elegant and otherworldly. Read more

Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? (LP)

Kara Jackson
Kara Jackson's debut is an impressive one, boasting an authenticity and existentialism many artists take years to stumble into. Her warm voice cradles you through a story of love that will leave you full of grief and tenderness. Read more

Coin Coin Chapter Five: In The Garden (CD)

Matana Roberts
Excellent addition to the Coin Coin universe composer, poet, improviser, and artist Matana Roberts has been building for the past thirteen years. This release challenged how I listen and taught me so much about storytelling, experimental jazz, and modern composition. Read more

I Killed Your Dog (LP)

L'Rain
I've been fascinated with L'Rain ever since I discovered her sophomore release Fatigue in 2021. On this newest record, she remains uncategorizable, incorporating snippets of jazz, folk, R&B, pop, and more, painting a sonic picture of shapes and sounds that I find uniquely playful. Read more

If looks could kill (LP)

Destroy lonely
Look…listen…. This is about as good as it gets Read more

Ilion (LP)

Slift
Slift coming back with an even more massive album than the last. Truly got me going into a spree… Read more

V (LP)

Follakzoid
Follakzoid comes back as hypnotic as ever with this masterpiece. Read more

Meets scientist in a midnight (LP)

King tubby
Classic reggae dub, truly the best in the game doing it right now for real. Read more

Rock i’m park (LP)

Limp biskit
This is peak… truly put me into a stupor… a trance if you will… by accidentally ate some dry wall… didn’t mind…. Read more

Foxy (CD)

Sparkle Division
A collaboration between modern tape loop genius William Basinski and sound engineer, Preston Wendel. Instead of hauntingly soothing ambient, the duo makes a fun hybrid of swanky lounge and chill downtempo. The end result... foxy B) Read more

In The Throes (LP)

Buddy & Julie Miller
Buddy and Julie have a unique harmonizing vocal sound that's sweet and sticky like molasses. It helps that they write endearing songs mostly about relationships. Also Buddy is a master guitar player and producer who strips a song down to it's essentials. A couple of songs that I think are gorgeous are "The Last Bridge" and "I Love You." Read more