TALL TALES AND THE SILVER LINING
Tightropes
(Other Music Recording Co.)

Something to Believe In

Wade Through the Storm

Hailing from Los Angeles, Trevor Beld Jimenez and his band, Tall Tales and the Silver Lining, write and record the kind of pop-rock that was destined to turn our gears here at the shop (and our label, Other Music Recording Co.). Drawing deeply from classic songwriters like Neil Young, Court and Spark-era Joni Mitchell, and Heartbreakers-era Tom Petty, Beld Jimenez mixes tried and true instrumentation with simple words and stellar hooks; the result is a blissfully assured album from a guy whose thoughts seem born to be melodies. Tightropes is at turns joyous, accusatory or melancholy, but the overpowering vibe is sun-dappled, with Beld Jimenez walking along paths of universal concern with wry lyricism and an infectious, aw-shucks attitude.

There's twang-a-plenty throughout the record, most noticeably encased within Beld Jimenez's vocals: a kindly and engaging nasal drawl that lands squarely in the range between Ian Matthews and Ryan Adams. But while the shuffles are stately and lap steels are certainly heard to whine, this ain't no barn dance pick-a-thon. Rather, Tall Tales use country tropes and tricks as a means to an end, which puts Tightropes more in line with Jackson Browne's first couple of albums, the Notorious Byrd Brothers, and late-period Wilco. Unconventionally, the band often strips soggy bottom cheesiness out of the songs by replacing the standard heartbeat drum pattern with a more driving, "Miss You"-esque four-on-the-floor (see "Harder for You" for the proof, which boogies beautifully thanks to a snaky bass line and some sparkling chick-a-chack electric guitar).

Some of the early notices for Tightropes have drawn a dotted line from Beld Jimenez's songs to another contemporary band who successfully mined the caverns of '70s and '80s AM radio rock: Philadelphia's the War on Drugs, whose 2014 album Lost in the Dream also hung its hat on hooks first polished by Tom Petty and Dire Straits. But where the Druggies indeed lose themselves repeatedly inside of extended jams, Beld Jimenez and his group excel within the radio-friendly confines of three or three-and-a-half minutes, packing each song with smart turnarounds and licks that make Tightropes a sprightly, endlessly repeatable affair. It's a modern take on classic California pop, a midnight ride from Laurel Canyon to Joshua Tree, wind in your hair, radio blasting. [MS]

$11.99 CD ON SALE
$13.99 LP+MP3

JOHN T. GAST
Excerpts
(Planet Mu)

	White Noise -- Dys
	Ceremony

The newest edition to the Planet Mu roster is London-based artist/producer, John T. Gast. Though Gast is best known as the 'third' member of Hype Williams, having co-produced their Black Is Beautiful album as well as working with both Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland separately, he has been releasing digital tracks and CD-Rs on his own for some time now. His debut for Planet Mu, Excerpts, is a mix of mood, atmosphere, and groove, moving through ominous ambient pieces ("Torch"), vibrant and rich house tracks ("Congress"), warped vocal samples ("£"), dubby electro ("Infection"), guitar- and string-filled downtempo ("Ceremony"), and a lot of things that fall somewhere in between. Much like Hype Williams, JTG finds a way to piece together different motifs and styles into a cohesive whole; it's a magnetic and diverse approach that holds together nicely here and feels like a real album, on trend with many producers lately moving away from formal genres, or one particular style, and exploring various techniques within one release.

Despite some obvious sonic connections to Hype Williams, Gast's productions don't suffer from the lo-fi antics and almost impenetrable shroud of mystery that surrounded that band, often overshadowing their songs. Excerpts finds Gast building a world of sound that may feel slightly familiar, yet has a personality all its own. It's kind of a sleeper gem that unsuspectingly lures you in and keeps you close throughout. Clips and skimming through won't do the record justice, this is thankfully a full-fledged, full-length journey. Fans of Ital, Octo Octa, 2562, Untold, Objekt, etc., this is maybe the first thinking man's electronic album of 2015. Recommended! [DG]

$15.99 CD
$21.99 LP

CARL CRAIG
More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art
(Planet E Communications/Rush Hour)

	Televised Green Smoke
	At Les

Is there a more perfect, and more perfectly balanced, techno album than this one out there? Originally released in 1997, More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art (what a title!) was second-wave Detroit visionary Carl Craig's third excellent record in less than two years time. But whereas his previous outing, Paperclip People's The Secrets Tapes of Dr. Eich, smashed together post-punk samples into dizzying dancefloor escapades, More Songs... saw the master perfecting the template he had so convincingly established on his Landcruising full-length. Delivering exquisitely deep headphone music, this record presents a pinnacle of Detroit techno. Even after all those years, it's simply baffling to hear how Craig searchingly yet self-assuredly injects elements of avant-garde electronic music, as well as jazz and soul, into an at that time already well-established template, thereby significantly expanding the genre with revolutionary effect.

Featuring signature Carl Craig staples, such as the hazy, classical structure of "Televised Green Smoke," the oscillating and buzzing weirdness of "Red Lights," and the melancholy, cascading synths and breakbeats of "At Les," the album also features outstanding vocal acrobatics on soulful tracks like "As Times Goes By (Sitting Under a Tree)" and "Attitude." As a record, More Songs... is a simply stunning, authoritative statement, delivering highlight after highlight of minimal, gorgeously layered blasts without ever backsliding into a dull moment. Should you decide to only own one single techno record (although why on earth would you limit yourself in such way?), this should be a very strong contender. LP-lover, be advised: the CD-version not only features 16 instead of 12 tracks, it also importantly presents more complete, significantly longer versions of some of them, making it the ultimate version of an ultimate Detroit classic. [NVT]

$17.99 CD
$24.99 2LP

THEESATISFACTION
EarthEE
(Sub Pop)

	No GMO
	Blandland

By way of Pacific Northwest hip-hop's new home, Sub Pop, comes the sophomore release from the female duo of Cat and Stats, better known as THEESatisfaction. Part of the same urbanely cosmic universe where Shabazz Palaces reside, theirs is an Earth mother, black goddess, mirror image reflection of their male musical partners. Following their accomplished debut, Awe Natural, and their work on Shabazz's Lese Majesty, THEESatisfaction's new album, EarthEE, follows the growth and progression that both entities embrace. On this outing, the wordplay and tightly intertwined vocals seem more fluid and seductive, secured and organic, and the narrative feels more complete. From the Nubian space queen cover image to titles like "Planet for Sale," "Universal Perspective," "No GMO," "Blandland," and "Post Black Anyway," it all seems to fit together to paint a picture of the world in flux on all levels. Sonically, it's a gooey and vibey, melodic and slow-moving mesh of beats, synths, percussion, bass, and effects. Meshell Ndegeocello guests on two songs and Tendai and Ish from Shabazz Palaces appear throughout as well, vocally and musically. Overall it falls in line with the progression of neo-soul beginning with Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, yet also has a classic feel of '90s hip-hop, like A Tribe Called Quest and Bahamadia.

Just as Shabazz continue to journey into the cosmos, THEESatifaction also have seats on the spaceship and are taking the opportunity to further push their sound beyond the atmosphere. EarthEE is a nice continuation in a new wave of rap that remembers their connection to the past as well as thinking over the horizon. If the too-loud-to-ignore styles of Nicki Minaj, Azalea Banks, etc. don't do anything for you, the spacey, mellow, and thoughtful hippie hop of THEESatifaction may be what you're missing. Recommended for those in need of a breath of fresh air from the polluted urban jungle. [DG]

$13.99 CD
$17.99 LP+MP3

FUTURE BROWN
Future Brown
(Warp)

	Vernaculo (Featuring Maluca)
	Song Title

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Moving from region to region, city to city, corner to corner, the diverse vocalists are full of flavor and energy, but that said, the real soul of this album lies within the instrumentation. Here they utilize a wide array of influences, pulling from frostbitten grime and high-gloss trap rhythms, southern hip-hop bass bumps, choppy and snappy percussion, the stumping stride of dancehall, soothing new-age synth melodies, as well as other astral sonics -- all delivered with an instantly head-nodding, foot-tapping, and shoulder-swaying invocation. The four producers, split equally between genders, give the tracks a natural melding of their likeminded view of what hip-hop and R&B should sound like in 2015, both soft and hard, masculine and feminine, spacey and street. A pair of nice moments comes from Chicago vocalist Tink; she raps and sings, weaving and slinking around and through the thumping stop-and-start bells and explosions that make up the seductive "Room 302," while on "Wanna Party" she is harder and more in-your-face, fucked-up and ready to raise the roof atop of a bed of cathedral chimes and bass drops.

While the various vocals sound great and well-suited for their respective tracks, they might be an alienating factor for those not familiar with the vernacular and themes of contemporary mixtape hip-hop. Yet that seems to be the M.O. of the Future Brown project: cross-cultural, brown-skinned producers and voices, and an unhinged approached to both the productions and lyrics. Fans of scenes like Chicago's drill, London's grime, Portuguese batida, or just those looking for a glimpse into the current sound of the underground, here's a fine example. [DG]

$16.99 CD
$22.99 LP

SAM PREKOP
The Republic
(Thrill Jockey)

	The Republic 3
	Ghost

Sam Prekop may be best known as the frontman for the Sea and Cake, a long-running Chicago-based group who, while closely connected to the Second City's influential post-rock scene, always had a little bit too much pop to fit easily in with that sound, no matter how broad its loose definition may be. But in recent years, as the Sea and Cake have slowed down their output, Prekop has pursued several more impressionistic outlets for his creative impulse, including painting, photography, and modular synthesizer composition. The Republic is his second instrumental synth album, and it finds Prekop adding lovely melody and motion to the fine-tuned abstract musings that made his 2010 LP, Old Punch Card, so satisfying. The process is as important as the performance here, as Prekop builds and patches his instrument together and then sets the robots free -- you can hear his well-honed sense of melody and songwriting informing these compositions, but within a context of randomness and repetition that is both full of surprise, and truly engaging.

The first half of The Republic was developed as a soundtrack to David Hartt's video installation of the same name, a series of short pieces that are sweetly melodic and also sometimes blissfully noisy, reminding occasionally of "rock bands" like My Bloody Valentine or Emeralds, but always within the context of quiet ambient soundscapes. The latter half features a handful of slightly longer tracks that leave a little more headspace for things to unspool, but rather than just a set of discreet songs, this record plays like a complete journey, start to finish, and it's a thoughtful and engaging statement that can appeal to many fans of Prekop's more pop stuff, while reeling in anyone open to ambience and experimental electronics. [JM]

$16.99 CD

SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE
Hexadic
(Drag City)

	The Ram
	Maximum Hexadic

By now we know not to be surprised when Ben Chasny's Six Organs of Admittance project releases a new album. Over the years we've seen him deliver everything from Fahey-type Americana to '60s-tinged psychedelia to song-based pop. It's hard to believe that Six Organs have been recording since 1998, in addition to guitar virtuoso Chasny's other outfits (Comets on Fire, Rangda, Badgerlore). His latest, Hexadic, is a typically excellent Six Organs affair: bold, noisy, beautiful, inventive. He seems to be channeling the avant-garde more than ever, using a "card" system (think of John Zorn's Cobra projects) to inspire guitarists to break out of familiar patterns and habits and open up their playing. The result is an eclectic mix of experimental guitar music that recalls the finest work of Keiji Haino, Marc Ribot and Thurston Moore. "Wax Chance" and "Maximum Hexadic" feature blistering fuzz and feedback; the lovely "Hesitant Grand Light" and "Future Verbs" showcase a more melodic, flowing style; "Vestige" has a dark, ambient, nightmarish tone; while the finale, "Guild," smolders before gently petering out. A scintillating and unnerving album of jarring beauty and disquiet. [JBr]

$14.99 CD
$19.99 LP

STEVE GUNN & THE BLACK TWIG PICKERS
Seasonal Hire
(Thrill Jockey)

	Trailways Ramble
	Don't Let Your Deal Go Down

Seasonal Hire finds Steve Gunn sitting in with the Black Twig Pickers for a collection of tunes filled with deep late-night, old-time jam vibes. The album opens with the Black Twigs providing the grounding of the songs and Gunn adding his guitar work to their well-worn fiddle- and banjo-led Appalachian sounds. In the fashion of an old-time jam, players take turns leading tracks, with instrumental barnyard stomper "Dive for the Pearl" kicking off the record before Mike Gangloff takes charge of a country blues number on "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down." Sally Anne Morgan leads the next turn with the echo-laden "Cardinal 51." Listeners looking for Steve Gunn's wandering fret work will be pleased when he takes the reins on "Trailways Ramble," and his guitar playing comes to the foreground for the first time on the record. That sets the stage for the extended exploration of the next piece, album highlight "Seasonal Hire." The title track has all the players coming together for an extended southern-fried raga workout, where Gunn's guitar is left to cycle against the accompaniment of sparse fiddle drones and gently picked banjo lines to outstanding and hypnotic results. [BB]

$16.99 CD

MICHAEL CHAPMAN
Window
(Light in the Attic)

	Lady on the Rocks Song for September
	An Old Man Remembers

Michael Chapman hates this record. But his fans will love it. It just goes to show that you shouldn't always trust an artist when it comes to judging his own work. (It should be noted that Window was released by Harvest Records before Chapman signed off on it -- the primary source of Chapman's dislike). The 1970 LP might not be quite up to the high standards set by the singer-songwriter's first two classics, Rainmaker and Full Qualified Survivor, but Window is still a remarkably strong collection of songs, packed with Chapman's gruff vocals, earthy lyrics and typically dazzling guitar playing. Highlights include the funky choogle of "Last Lady Song," the world weary "Among the Trees," and the gorgeous acoustic fragment "First Lady Songs." Light in the Attic has done an excellent job of getting Chapman's early work back into circulation, and it's nice to have an affordable edition of this hard-to-track down album available. Two CD-only bonus tracks sweeten the deal. [TW]

$16.99 CD

TY SEGALL
Mr. Face
(Famous Class)

A four-song double-7", Mr. Face offers another glimpse into Ty Segall's ever-shifting sound. Pressed on colored vinyl and housed in a gatefold sleeve with 3D artwork (glasses included), the EP itself contains tunes that filter sunshine-y psychedelia through Ty's trademark fuzz. First impressions prove reminiscent of a less shambolic take on the sounds he made with his now-defunct co-conspirators in the Sic Alps, especially the titular title track. Further listens, "The Picture" in particular, expose a melancholia that he began to explore through the lens of grunge on Goodbye Bread and continued to mine on the slightly ramshackle Sleeper. That said, the production on this record stays relatively tight and retains a polish that was lacking on that album. Those looking for Ty Segall in full blown-out glory may be disappointed at first, but Mr. Face provides a concise and cohesive statement on his continued growth as a songwriter and composer in a genre that can often eschew both in favor of volume, distortion, and pace. [BB]

$18.99 2x7"

KNXWLEDGE
Hexual Sealings Prt 8
(Self Release)

	fnechna [TWRK]
	realuhvbkop [WTT]

Philly/LA-based producer Glen Boothe a/k/a Knxwledge is a busy man, releasing EPs for Dublin's All City, LA's Hit+Run and Leaving labels, as well producing tracks for Joey Bada$$, Blu, Fatima, Homeboy Sandman, and Pyramid Vritra, and constantly posting new tracks on his Bandcamp page. Very few of his productions make it to the physical stage, and those that do make it out of the manufacturing plant usually disappear fast. One of my favorites of his has been the Hexual Sealings mixtape series. Mostly released online, these are chopped and screwed, flipped and mashed versions and remixes of classic and contemporary hip-hop, R&B, jazz, and Latin songs. Combining his own loops and live playing with instrumentals, film dialogue, and a cappella, he creates a blurry and hazy, lo-fi and fuzzy collage of sound and vibe. Like Madlib's Beat Konducta releases, the Hexual Sealings series conjures the feeling of a smoky late night in the basement with a few dozens albums, a trusty sampler, and an itchy trigger finger. In 2013, Leaving compiled tracks from his ongoing series into a now-out-of-print 53-track double cassette; Hexual Sealings Prt 8 is his first release since then. Fans of mash-up culture, indie cassettes, and/or beat head mixtapes, here are 35 minutes of gooey weirdness for you. [DG]

$14.99 CASS

ROMARE
Projections
(Ninja Tune)

	Prison Blues
	Motherless Child

Following two awe-inspiring EPs for London's Black Acre label, producer Romare makes his Ninja Tune debut with Projections. During Archie Fairhurst's studies of African American art, he discovered the cut-and-paste collages of Romare Bearden and soon switched from playing live instruments to working with samplers, thereby taking a similar collage approach to sound. Yet where his EPs were littered with various samples from black jazz, blues, and rock greats, here he focuses more on his own musical productions. On Projections, Fairhurst's tracks feel more like jazzy house or bluesy downtempo electronica, rather than the fresh psychedelic footwork excursions he previously released. Proof than less isn't always more, but something does seem to have been lost during his transition from the underground to a more established platform, and it results in a record that sounds a bit safe. Fairhurst is still is working with black music forms, slicing and looping various soulful vocals, rhythmic hand percussion, and piano strides, yet his use of the voices and sounds seems at times more like pretty window dressing than a powerful statement. It's still an enjoyable listen though, and fans of sample-based artist like Avalanches, DJ Shadow, St. Germain, early Herbert, and even Moodymann may find something worthwhile among the bit and pieces assembled here. [DG]

$15.99 CD
$27.99 2LP+MP3

WIRE
Issue #373 March 2015
(Wire)

On the cover: Carter Tutti (Throbbing Gristle's most enduring partnership tells David Keenan how it is retrofitting its earliest recordings for the post-industrial era); inside this issue: Invisible Jukebox: Sleaford Mods (The Nottingham duo work their way through The Wire's mystery record selection): Cecil McBee (The veteran jazz bassist outlines the freedom principles underpinning his work with Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and the Strata-East label); Steve Coleman (The New York saxophonist's complex compositions are getting their due, with multiple awards and an ambitious new album, writes Howard Mandel); Global Ear: Mexico City; Inner Sleeve: Alvin Curran on Edith Schloss's artwork.

$10.00 MAGAZINE

MODEST MOUSE
Strangers to Ourselves
(Epic)

Modest Mouse's anticipated new full-length, Strangers to Ourselves, is in stores on March 17!! Fans who pre-order the new CD or LP from Other Music will also get a FREE LIMITED EDITION 7" single, featuring the tracks "Lampshades on Fire" and Coyote" from the forthcoming album, while supplies last.

PRE-ORDER
$14.99 CD
$27.99 LP

ARTHUR RUSSELL
Calling Out of Context
(Audika)

	That's Us/Wild Combination
	Arm Around You

Audika reissues this essential Arthur Russell collection on double-LP featuring 12 previously unreleased tracks, newly remastered and with a four-page 12" x 12" insert with full lyrics and liner notes from Steve Knutson. We are so excited to have the LP edition back on our shelves! Here's what we wrote when Calling Out of Context was originally issued back in early 2004:

If the Soul Jazz collection of recordings by Arthur Russell was the lost treasure, this new collection, Calling Out of Context, is certainly the jewel in the crown. As we know, Russell was the mysterious cellist who would later become the avant-disco maestro. Where Soul Jazz's World of... compilation mainly focused on the Russell that had discovered New York nightlife, Calling Out of Context compiles two albums: one completed in 1984, the other eventually abandoned, dating between 1986 and 1990.

It's upbeat but definitely not disco in the traditional sense. This is his more personal, mysterious, intimate, natural, joyful, and, yes, queer side. Ranging from solo settings -- with Russell sweetly singing, as well as playing guitar, cello, keyboards, and drum machines -- to duos and trios with Peter Zummo on trombone and synthesizer, and Mustafa Ahmed on drums, Djembe, conga, and programming, this set illustrates Russell's connection to more recognized names such as Eno, Bowie, Byrne, Gabriel, Watt, Gore, Wobble, Wyatt, Cale, Collins, and even Prince (accessible but without the obvious pop pretension).

Constructed with a more delicate touch, strong sense of rhythm, honest voice, thoughtful, personal, and natural words than most "white boy soul" singers or post-punk poseurs, but with more outsider overtones, it shines with an odd beauty none of the above mentioned could tap into. He uses the mechanical drum rhythms that were to become the foundation of modern R&B and hip-hop with a soulful and spirited ear. It sounds like the streets of NYC during the mid '80s.

This is a document of what love, devotion, drive, and imagination can produce. Russell, an outsider, on the fringe within the '80s New York avant-garde scene, wanted to be accepted by the crowd he danced with regularly. He walked on the same streets as Liquid Liquid, ESG, and Talking Heads, possessing the same forward-thinking fusion of urban minimal funk.

The occasional lo-fi quality often makes it feel like an audio diary of sorts. Very few have ever heard these recordings; the very reason they exist is because of Russell's faith in what he was doing, hearing the rhythms, the waves of echo, the subtly shifting percussion lines, and the swaying drum patterns. Like Sun Ra, Coltrane, Fela, or Cash, his output is the result of a life dedicated to music, absorbing it, creating without restraint, and with a sense of leaving behind something beautiful. This is yet another shining example of a great creative spirit that didn't get to see his work accepted and appreciated.

$31.99 2LP
$15.99 CD