BASIA BULAT - Heart Of My Own

There are a lot of musicians in this indie world, such as Dan Deacon, whose careers are essentially only possible thanks to recent developments in technology. It's not that there's no talent there, but like some obtuse ore buried miles under diamond-hard rock, it's taken us humans a while to invent the gadgets to extract it.

Basia Bulat is not one of those musicians. She is like a five-pound nugget of gold sitting in an barely bubbling inch-deep creek. Tapping these riches is about as easy as tying your shoe—sit down on the couch next to her, give her the phone book to sing, and prepare to be wowed.

I'm not sure that one could really call it a problem, but if there's an Achilles heel to all of this, it's that this kind of prodigious talent makes it all sound a little too easy. Bulat draws from a very familiar folk template throughout Heart Of My Own, and this fact, combined with her attention-grabbing voice, threatens to reduce the songs themselves to playing a bit part.

Is this more of a symptom of an age in music that often puts a higher premium on innovation than is sometimes warranted? True, the thrill of this record—and Bulat's talent in general—is not in hearing something you've never heard done before, but in the opportunity to hear this girl sing with her quivering cannon of a voice. And even at this young age, she has the maturity to understand when to rein it in, producing some the record's most deeply-affecting tracks ("Sparrow" and "Gold Rush").

Sure, Bulat is still likely a record or two removed from making a truly classic album—one woven with the kind of experience and weight that only time can provide. But if that sounds like a slight on Heart Of My Own, it's not. This is a very good record. It's merely recognition of the fact that, for a singer this talented, the best should be yet to come.

(Basia Bulat will perform a live in-store set here in our shop on Tue. Feb 16 at 7pm.)

TREAT ME LIKE DIRT: An Oral History Of Punk In Toronto And Beyond 1977-1981

Imagine for a moment a Toronto where only bands covering contemporary hits were deemed worthy of performing in bars. Imagine this city devoid of small venues where groups could play original material in front of supportive audiences. That was indeed the Toronto the Good (and downright dull) of the mid-Seventies, when into this musical vacuum stepped in a bunch of bizarrely-dressed, artsy, noisy, rebellious misfits creating the local punk rock scene, one that came hot on the heels of New York and London's in importance.

Author Liz Worth thoroughly researched this labour of love, the first book to chronicle the development of Toronto's punk underground. All the movers and shakers of the scene were interviewed, including members of local legends like The Viletones, The Diodes, The Ugly, and The B-Girls, all offering up bittersweet recollections of making music distinctly at odds with the stagnant rock mainstream of the day. Crucial musicians from Hamilton, an important punk breeding ground giving us Simply Saucer, Teenage Head, and The Forgotten Rebels, also make up an essential chunk of the story. It's a fascinating and occasionally disturbing tale, as the Toronto scene wasn't immune to infighting, gratuitous violence, and drug abuse. Faced with hostile reactions from news media along with radio and record company neglect, it was a pretty thankless job for Southern Ontario punks to make inroads in a country resistant to their audacious music.

Nevertheless, they established the nucleus of Toronto's alternative/indie-rock infrastructure, and Treat Me Like Dirt recognizes the importance of such larger-than-life personalities as The Viletones' Steven Leckie, the aptly-named Mike Nightmare of The Ugly, and Teenage Head's charismatic Frankie Venom, not to mention the managers and promoters who took chances on controversial groups when nobody else wanted to come near them. They're all here in this remarkable book, recommended to anyone who cares about this city's musical legacy.

(Author Liz Worth will be in conversation with Liisa Ladouceur here at Soundscapes on Sat. Feb 13 at 5pm.)

PARTY TIME - What Have You Learned?

Party Time, the solo project of Torontonian Emma Moss Brender (also of The Pining), is an unusual handle for music as lonesome as this, but is perhaps not as strange as it might first seem. Parties are generally where friends gather to catch up, share a laugh and enjoy each other's company, but under certain circumstances, parties can be quite emotional events. Maybe you see someone you don't really want to run into, or you realize you don't have an answer when old people ask, "What are you up to these days?" Party Time's first album What Have You Learned? might not be the best soundtrack to any parties proper, but it might just be the perfect thing to listen to on that long walk home when you're feeling weird about life.

VA - Good God! Born Again Funk

There goes God again, inspiring The Numero Group to put out a second-coming sequel to their Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal comp from a few years back and providing a nice counterpoint to last year’s magnificently ragged and primal Fire In My Bones triple-disc set on the Tomkins Square imprint. Much of the material here comes from Chicago, a city better known for electrifying blues musicians whose original wellspring was the Mississippi Delta. The city had a similar effect on the gospel strains of the south as they headed north, and, while retaining their down-home grit, went through floor-shaking changes. Once again, Numero have done a bang-up job of unearthing rare indie label obscurities, this being one of their best collections in a while.  The top cut here is opener “Like a Ship” by T.L. Barrett & The Youth For Christ Choir—listen to it loud for the sound of Kingdom Come, the largest sounding choir I have ever heard, reverb-ed beyond belief, and the best recorded proof of angels in recent memory, all on a hot-buttered soul groove! 

GEORGE JACKSON - George Jackson In Memphis 1972-77

A talented southern soul songwriter, George Jackson hit paydirt when his “One Bad Apple” was turned down as a single by the Jackson 5 but turned into a monster hit for The Osmonds. His own material had little in common with that high-energy pop confection; instead, Jackson’s classic period, captured here, is pure laidback Memphis, perfectly suited for the Hi label (for whom he recorded), as well as other imprints.  The beauty of his work lies in his understated vocal style, like Donny Hathaway without the histrionics. The easy grooves also recall Bobby Womack, especially given that both appreciated the Carpenters enough to deliver unexpected yet inspired covers (Womack did “Close to You”, while Jackson gorgeously revamps “We’ve Only Just Begun”). But it was the strength of his own songwriting that lured singers like James Carr, Clarence Carter, Candi Staton, and Ike Turner to Jackson's craft. 

RETRIBUTION GOSPEL CHOIR - 2

Alan Sparhawk has built a career on understatement. Over the course of nearly two decades, he and wife Mimi Parker have steered their band Low on the quiet road less traveled. While there have been some flirtations with high decibel levels—namely 2005's The Great Destroyer—few bands can claim to have consistently embodied the aesthetics of patience and calm as well as they have. But it hasn't all been sweetness and light. Such attention to small details has allowed Low to construct moments of mammoth tension and resonant foreboding out of the slightest of materials. These dark moments (as well as Sparhawk's dirty blues project The Black-Eyed Snakes, and interviews wherein he relates a frustration with his guitar tones on Low records) have always hinted at a fierce heart beating under their calm skin.

So seeing Alan Sparhawk lead an honest-to-goodness rock band—one where all bets are off and volume knobs are cranked—is a little like turning a reluctant vegetarian loose in a burger barn. Retribution Gospel Choir finds him relishing every grain and crackle of an exceptional guitar tone that would make Neil Young proud. Indeed, much of 2 is so indebted to a meat-and-potatoes rock template (the indie BTO anthem "Workin' Hard", the motorcycle bar band of "White Wolf") that it takes a while to notice how he, bassist Sam Garrington (also of Low) and drummer Eric Pollard reshuffle the deck. The secret to Low's success (aside from Parker and Sparhawk's crystalline harmonizing, of course) was how they used a minimal template and glacial crawl to mask what were often quite agreeable pop songs. RGC is a similar principle but in reverse—a fairly average rock template puts a comfortable face on what are some thorny, ornery tunes. Even a track as radio-ready as the triumphantly buoyant "Hide It Away" is accompanied by what sound like actual detonations deep in the mix—y'know, like, bombs going off. It's a trick used on a few other tracks, almost a subliminal reminder that these ain't your daddy's three-chord brew-hoisters.

But then again, they kind of are—unlike his day job, much of RGC could be played for a classic rock crowd without raising much of an eyebrow. This is thick, power-trio rock that's very smartly and passionately played, and which compliments—rather than confuses—Low’s catalogue. Songs like "Poor Man's Daughter" and the clearly named "Electric Guitar" are reckoning epics where Sparhawk's grumpy eloquence really gets to shine, as does the incredible communication these three musicians share. Of course, I am saying this on the back of having seen the trio recently play the Drake. It was an incredible show, reinforcing that this band isn't some winking lark for Sparhawk ("Hey guys, wouldn't it be funny if...?"). And while, the band is still shy of bringing the intensity of their live show to a record, 2 is an improvement in every way over what was a solid debut. They're for real, that's for sure. 

KRAUTROCK: Cosmic Rock And Its Legacy

The first few copies of this one flew out the door in no time. From the visual kosmische of the cover to the layout and typewriter font inside, this near 200-page tome looks like it could be a reprint straight out of the seventies. With an introduction by David Stubbs and contributions from The Wire’s David Keenan and Ken Hollings as well as Galactic Zoo Dossier's Steve Krakow, these articles are clearly geared towards the hardcore record geek. The first fifty pages of critical/historical essays are followed by band profiles from the common canon (Can, Kraftwerk, Cluster, et al) to the more obscure (I’ve never heard of Achim Reichel or Floh de Cologne, although collectors might sneer at my ignorance), and chapters on the key labels and producers are rounded out with a nifty timeline that contextualizes key Krautrock records and musical developments from 1967-1975 alongside contemporaneous German films and historical events.  

BEACH HOUSE - Teen Dream

My first real exposure to this Baltimore-based duo was an opening set during Grizzly Bear's tour for the latter's Friend EP. Gentle and tranquil with a hint of spookiness, their drum machine, organ and guitar slo-mo tunes were the perfect fit for the night. A little too perfect maybe. Even with tons of accolades from peers and critics, there was something about Beach House that appeared to relegate them to opening-for-cool-bands-who-were-bigger-than-them status. So much for that theory.

Teen Dream completely eradicates the band's past timidness, while managing to retain the group's "character actor" appeal. It's a feat that many before have tried, but few can claim to have pulled it off as suavely as this. The arrangements are bigger, but still stay simple and clean. Victoria Legrand's vocals remain woozy and hazy, but when required are now able to strike out with heartbreaking force—moments here pack the kind of punch normally reserved for Stevie Nicks at her most emotive. "It is happening again," she intones in the chorus of "Silver Soul" in the manner of so many of the best sad songs; the kind where the "it" can be whatever you want it to be.

This is really the heart of the record's beauty—whether on the widescreen cruiser "10 Mile Stereo", the skyward searching "Norway", or the pledging waltz "Take Care", Beach House pin specific emotions onto ambiguous subjects with skillful ease. It's a heartbreak record. It's a falling-in-love record. It's a record to make curry to. It's there for you.

Now, I know what you're thinking, and you're right. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the bandwagon is on its way. Heck, it's already started and I'm on it. But Teen Dream truly is the kind of album that can turn casual well-wishers into genuine superfans in the blink of an eye—all without losing the superfans the group already had in the first place. And when that happens, all you can say is well-played, Beach House. Both figuratively and literally, well-played.

BILL FOX - Shelter From The Smoke

Add another name to the should’ve-been-someone file. Bill Fox has a spiritual forefather in Emitt Rhodes: both were blessed with extraordinary talents as tunesmiths,  yet cursed with cruel indifference from the record-buying public and relegated to cult status. But while Rhodes did enjoy some level of fame in his early days and is experiencing renewed interest thanks to patronage from the likes of Jeff Tweedy and Wes Anderson and the reissue collecting his 4 solo albums released last year, Fox never even had that one regional hit and reportedly is so disgusted by the business that he no longer owns a guitar.

On first listen his voice (both vocally and artistically) jumps out at you, so steeped is his craft in its influences. Some would say Dylan and the Byrds, and yes, “I’m Not Over Loving You” is largely derivative of “Mr. Spaceman” or “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”, but for me he’s a power-pop version of acoustic-period Rod Stewart, and a model for Andy Cabic’s more recent work in Vetiver. Of course, there’s also a strong pull towards the aforementioned Rhodes, along with early Wilco and even the work of late-'60s songwriter Elyse [Weinberg].

Fox's often harmony-laden pop masterpieces are kept down to earth due to a strong Americana influence. Amazingly, for all of the depth of his recordings, you’ll barely notice that most of the 23 songs here are recorded with only one or two acoustic guitars accompanying his lead vocal and occasional harmony. The few full-band recordings are rough-hewn, quite literally “garagey” and so damned exhilarating in their intent that you forgive the shortcomings in fidelity.

Amazingly, what sounds like a overview of a lost songwriter from the '70s or early '80s comes from a Cleveland artist in 1998. Maybe if he can be coaxed into resuming his career (if you could call it one), history can make amends, but for now enjoy this reissue, my clear favourite of this new year. 

SPOON - Transference

Since Spoon's minimalist reinvention via 2002's Kill The Moonlight (an album whose tracks could feature as little as mouth percussion, handclaps, and echo-laden vocals), this Portland/Austin-based band has gradually, but steadily, piled on the layers. Some of those layers have come courtesy of additional instruments, but just as many have arrived in the form of exhaustively nuanced studio edits. 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga saw Spoon's minute attention to detail join forces with their strongest and most richly-arranged tunes to that point. The result was a record whose charms feel as fresh today as they did at first listen—there is practically no end to the discoveries to be made.

The same can be said of their latest, Transference, with one notable exception—no hits. Whereas Ga was stacked with indie-pop gold, Transference offers no quick fixes. Even first single "Writing In Reverse" is too cryptically pissed-off with itself to look its listener in the eye. Instead, the record steps sideways deep into a world of jagged panning, meticulously raw instrumentation and fiercely-applied effects. It makes sense, then, that to truly understand its charms, you need to slap on a pair of headphones, stop asking questions, and just let it ride, which is exactly what this album so confidently does. Years of honing his craft has allowed singer Britt Daniel to become a master of inflection and subtle communication. Whether he's tough or tender, the man can turn the most oblique lyrics into a barrage of naked, relatable emotion. Likewise, the band—even when doing little more than jamming out a riff for three minutes—is equally fluent in sonic human language.

And that's really what's at the heart of Transference's gamble. Can Spoon—a band that is quite likely only another couple of killer tracks away from becoming "made"—ignore the pop hits and trust in their considerable talents to carry the day? It's enough to make an A&R man (assuming they even exist anymore) tear his hair out. Certainly, there's no question that a whole lot of people will initially meet this album with a shrug of disappointment, but Transference is that esoteric oddball whose acquaintance is well worth making. In effect, it's Moonlight Mk. II—although far denser, it is similarly about an album-wide studio aesthetic that makes the most of every moment. It's living proof that Spoon's self-confidence may be its greatest asset.

OWEN PALLETT - Heartland

Mark this as the moment that Owen Pallett truly stepped up to assume the mantle that was his. That may seem a naive—or even ignorant—thing to say given Pallett's considerable success to date. But I really can't think of another way to convey the stunningly confident triumph that is Heartland. Whether scoring indie all-stars such as Grizzly Bear and Arcade Fire or winning the Polaris Prize with 2006's He Poos Clouds, it's not as though he's been lacking feathers in his cap—even if they had all been previously under the name Final Fantasy.

Heartland bests them all, managing to make the best case yet for his savvy marriage of classical flourishes and sophisticated pop, not to mention a host of other influences. Opener "Midnight Directives" skips and shuffles like the lost twin of Bjork's classic Homogenic cut, "Hunter". Where that song was full of taut menace broken only by a gorgeous bridge, Pallett reverses the equation here—allowing the bright and spritely song to build in giddy momentum only to tumble into a subtly shady chorus. It would be a great tune on an acoustic guitar, but the layers added here are remarkable, recalling some of Rufus Wainwright's recent highwater marks for densely elaborate, but emotionally effective orchestration. And that's just the opener.

Throughout, Pallett's talent never wavers. The electro-loop constructed out of a Bach fugue that powers "The Great Elsewhere." The gently increased pressure that comes with each "I'm never gonna give it to you" of "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt." The baroque kraut of "Tryst With Mephistopholes." And did I mention that above all of this, Heartland is a concept record? It's a real testimony to the deliciously stacked aural density of this album that it'll probably take another couple months of listening to it before I even feel the inclination to process that side of it. It's a record of which Pallett should be immensely proud—I'd have put my real name on it, too.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND - Contra

I may not be the first person to make this comparison, but the hubbub over Vampire Weekend reminds me an awful lot of how people viewed (and still view, really) The Police: as privileged white dudes making image-conscious, watered-down pan-global pop, all led by an overly-affected, pretentious singer. Of course, with The Police, all of that just felt like reactionary BS to me—creating an unnecessary intellectual justification for what was really a simple dislike.

It may only be their second full-length, but it's not too hard to say the same thing about Vampire Weekend, the indie rock elitist's newest whipping boys. After all, Dirty Projectors are guilty of as much so-called colonial pillaging—they're just a lot weirder about how they do it. That said, if there's one thing that Contra could use, it's some weirdness.

Highly polite, the entire proceeding is kind of like being at the sort of all-inclusive tropical resort Contra sounds like it should be the soundtrack to ("Just sit back and relax"). Which is kind of ironic, as this is far from vapid music. Repeat listens reveal some extremely smart writing and musicianship, not to mention terrific hooks. But then there's that politeness. Like the personality of most pop bands, it all comes down to the singer—in this case, one Ezra Koenig. His delivery is so unfailingly smooth and brainy that it renders everything around it placid, no matter how energetic the efforts of his comrades.

For now, this really doesn't matter. Contra is a very good follow-up to what was a huge debut—an extremely smart and enjoyable album. Time will come when a little more range might be nice, but for now, who needs to worry about the future? Haven't you heard? I'm on vacation.

DANIEL, FRED & JULIE - S/T

This album is the result of a one-off collaboration between Daniel Romano (of Attack In Black), Fred Squire (formerly of Shotgun & Jaybird), and Julie Doiron. The partnership of these three talented individuals may seem unexpected, but if you've been following these artists over the last few years you'll understand the dynamics of this "supergroup". The story goes that one day this past summer, young Daniel had the idea to make a record of old folk songs with his pal Fred. He took the train down to Sackville, NB, and set up shop in Fred's garage. Julie stumbled upon them there and asked if she could sing on the album, which they thankfully let her do. In a few short days they had the whole thing done!

What makes this album so great isn't just the songs (all but two of them are well-known folk standards such as 'Down By The Weeping Willow' and 'Clementine') but also the simple fact that it ever got made. In 2009 alone, Attack In Black released three records (their third full-length Years (by one thousand finger-tips), a split 12" with Baby Eagle, and Still Jimmie with Shotgun Jimmie). Julie also released her ninth LP, I Can Wonder What You Did with Your Day, which featured Fred Squire throughout. You can tell that everyone really enjoyed making this record and that a lot of care and love went into it, from the singing and arrangements down to the packaging. It's truly a special treat for fans of any of the artists involved, and worth checking out for anyone looking for an escape to a time when music was simple.

CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG - IRM

While it may be prime heavy-hitter time at the movies, there's an unwritten rule about releasing one's albums too late in the year. Most critics' year-end lists are set by November and even if they have a copy of it in advance, chances are that your record is not going to have had enough time to sink in and unseat a year's worth of competition in the home stretch. I'm sure Charlotte Gainsbourg could care less, but for what it's worth, a more palatable release date would have had a lot more people talking about IRM as 2009 came to a close. A close collaboration with Beck (who handles production and nearly all writing duties throughout), IRM is a subtle stunner and an equally triumphant achievement for both parties. Beck's admiration for Serge Gainsbourg's musical legacy is very evident, especially in the gorgeously orchestrated "Le Chat du Café des Artistes" and "Time of the Assassins". But it's to his credit that the songs that bear his own audio signature ("IRM", "Greenwich Meantime") are just as strong, giving Gainsbourg ample opportunity to groove with her delicate, blank croon. And when the two stylistic worlds collide—as on the echo-chamber-spiced pop of "Me and Jane Doe"—the verdict on the success of this union is a solid très bon. It's neither flashy nor ground-breaking, but IRM is one of the most repeat-worthy pop records I've heard this year—I only wish I'd heard it a little earlier. As a stocking stuffer, though, it's a slam dunk.

2009 HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS

Since it's nearing the gift-giving season, here are some ideas for all those music lovers on your list, for budgets both big and small...

BOOKS

DA CAPO BEST MUSIC WRITING 2009
DAVID BYRNE - Bicycle Diaries
OUR NOISE: The Story Of Merge Records
MERGE RECORDS COMPANION: A Visual Discography Of The First Twenty Years
GIG POSTERS: Rock Show Art Of The 21st Century
ULTRAVIOLET: 69 Classic Blacklight Posters From The Aquarian Age And Beyond

Here's just a smattering of the many music books for sale here at our shop, with many more titles listed below by theme. Speaking of lists...

LISTS

MUSIC LISTOGRAPHY: Your Life In (Play) Lists
INVENTORY: By The Writers Of The A.V. Club
HANG THE DJ: An Alternative Book Of Music Lists

Making lists seems to come naturally to the minds of most music fans, and the writers of these books are looking for a few likeminded list-loving readers. Know of any on your list?

CHILDREN

LEARN TO SPEAK MUSIC: A Guide To Creating, Performing & Promoting Your Songs
VARIOUS ARTISTS - Yo Gabba Gabba!: Music Is Awesome!
THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS - Kids Go! (book/DVD)/Here Comes Science (DVD/CD)

Kid-catering picks from this past year come in the form of a terrific how-to by this very website's former editor (!), a CD from the Nick Jr. network's biggest series, and two new creations from Brooklyn's best-known pair of songwriting Johns.

DVDs

SCOTT WALKER: 30 Century Man
ANVIL!: The Story Of Anvil
NIRVANA: Live At Reading
WOODSTOCK: 2-Disc 40th Anniversary Edition (Director's Cut) (DVD/Blu-Ray)

These and many more music-related feature films, documentaries and concert videos are stocked in our extensive DVD section (now supplemented by a select but growing assortment of Blu-Ray discs).

POP/ROCK

BIG STAR - Keep An Eye On The Sky
THE BEATLES - The Beatles In Mono/The Beatles Stereo Box Set
TOM WAITS - Glitter And Doom Live/Orphans (LP Box Set)
LOWSIDE OF THE ROAD: A Life Of Tom Waits
TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS - The Live Anthology
NEIL YOUNG - Dreamin' Man Live '92/Neil Young Archives, Vol. 1
THE ROLLING STONES - Get Your Ya-Ya's Out! (40th Anniversary 3CD/DVD) 

New box sets, live collections and books abound by and about these (and many more) much-loved classic rock stalwarts.

 

PSYCH/GARAGE

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Where The Action Is!: Los Angeles Nuggets
UGLY THINGS - Issue #29
THE MASTER'S APPRENTICES - S/T (2CD Deluxe Edition)
LOVE - Love Lost

From the newest installment in Rhino's ongoing Nuggets sequels to long-running fanzine Ugly Things, current UT cover subjects The Master's Apprentices and yet more unreleased Love unearthed by the folks at Sundazed, the lysergically-inclined are well-covered here. 

PUNK/NEW WAVE/ART-ROCK/PROG

DEATH - ...For The Whole World To See
THE FEELIES - Crazy Rhythms/The Good Earth
DEVO - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!/Freedom Of Choice
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND - White Light/White Heat: The Velvet Underground Day By Day (book)/New York Art (book)/An Illustrated History Of A Walk On The Wild Side (book)/Singles 1966-69 (7" box set)
KRAFTWERK - Reissues/12345678: The Catalogue/Kraftwerk And The Electronic Revolution (DVD)
ON SOME FARAWAY BEACH: The Life And Times Of Brian Eno
33 1/3 SERIES: Another Green World
HARMONIA & ENO '76 - Tracks And Traces

If this lot of reissues, videos and writings is anything to go on, 2009 was a bumper year for oddball oldies. Got any black sheep to buy for?

AMERICANA/FOLK

OXFORD AMERICAN MAGAZINE - Southern Music Issue #11
HANK WILLIAMS - Revealed: The Unreleased Recordings
WOODY GUTHRIE - My Dusty Road
LEONARD COHEN - Live At The Isle Of Wight/Live In London
THE LEVON HELM MIDNIGHT RAMBLE: Photographs By Paul LaRaia

Oxford American's annual Southern Music Issue inevitably sells out by the end of the holidays, and the enclosed CDs (as with last year's issue, it's now a two-disc set) are a surefire means to new discoveries.

SOUL/R&B/BLUES

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Can You Dig It?: The Music And Politics Of Black Action Films 1969-1975
VARIOUS ARTISTS - Sweet Soul Music
R. CRUMB'S HEROES OF BLUES, JAZZ AND COUNTRY: 2010 Calendar
CLASSIC BLUES ARTWORK FROM THE 1920s, VOL. 7: 2010 Calendar (w/ CD)
VARIOUS ARTISTS - Light: On The South Side

Calendars and compilations from such trusted labels as Soul Jazz, Bear Family and Numero Group deliver the goods with class. If you've got the means, Light: On The South Side is one particularly badass book/LP package!

JAZZ

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Freedom, Rhythm & Sound: Revolutionary Jazz 1965-80 (2CD or book)

Speaking of Soul Jazz, this coffee-table tome and related two-disc compilation from the aforementioned UK label do a great job of outlining the do-it-yourself ethic and black-power tenor of the times from the beginnings of the free-jazz era and beyond.

WORLD

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro Sounds & Ghanian Blues 1968-1981
VARIOUS ARTISTS - Africa Boogaloo: The Latinization Of West Africa
VARIOUS ARTISTS - Panama! 3: Calypso Panameno, Guajira Jazz & Cumbia Tipica On The Isthmus 1960-75

Some of the newest picks from our African and South American sections, courtesy of the always-reliable Soundway and Honest Jon's labels.

HIP-HOP

THE RZA - The Tao Of Wu
PEANUT BUTTER WOLF - 45 Live
EDAN - Echo Party

The RZA follows up on The Wu-Tang Manual with an in-depth look at his life, business and production methods, while Peanut Butter Wolf and Edan both tackle Traffic Entertainment's disco-rap and old-school holdings in their own ways. Wolf's is a more extensive and hands-off affair, while Echo Party takes a hyper-edited micromix approach, with layers of added synth, drum machine, and even a bit of kazoo!

NOISE/EXPERIMENTAL/ELECTRONIC

THROBBING GRISTLE  - Gristleism
THE WIRE PRIMERS: A Guide To Modern Music
HOLD ON TO YOUR DREAMS: Arthur Russell And The Downtown Music Scene, 1973-1992
VARIOUS ARTISTS - Warp 20: Chosen/Recreated (2CD)/Unheard (2CD)/Box Set (5CD+5x10"+book)

Noiseniks can bask in the clangour of Gristleism, the successor to the Buddha Machine (co-designed by FM3's own Christiaan Virant with TG); crack open either The Wire editor Rob Young's anthology culling from the magazine's popular column or Tim Lawrence's long-promised definitive Arthur Russell biography; or covet the 20th anniversary monolith put out earlier this year by Sheffield techno-not-techno mainstay Warp Records.  

GIFT CERTIFICATES

And as always, if you're still stuck, gift certificates are available in any denomination.

Happy holidays!

BARONESS - Blue Record

While they're not quite The Doors, the many purveyors of vintage-era Southern rock (i.e. Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allmans) have not exactly slid easily into the enduring annals of 'what's cool.' Numbing decades of shouted concert requests for "Freebird" (both ironic and non-) and a permanent station on that most unchanging of radio formats known as 'classic rock' will do that for you. Which is all a shame, because those are some great records. This is what makes a band like Baroness so exciting. Like fellow Georgians Mastodon, these are gentlemen who instantly understand the significance of the General Lee. More importantly, they know how to take the legendary multi- guitar attack of Southern rock and transform it to their own needs in a way that is equal parts reverent and progressive.

Their first full-length, the much-praised Red Album, established Baroness as a keen amalgamation of many other influences—the new wave of British Heavy Metal, hardcore, ambient drone, post-rock—but Blue Record's mood is a little different. While hardly uniform in tone or style, this album is just a little more, well, Southern. It's in the ways that the guitars harmonize, the way that the record grooves more than pummels. For all of its testosterone power, though, the Blue Record is quite relaxed, an ease that's at certain times more obviously displayed than at others. "Sleep That Steels The Eye" is like The Moody Blues meeting Alice In Chains' Sap EP, and several instrumental interludes provide tender sinews with which to stitch together the album's more muscular moments. But when they do hit with their maximum wallop, there's just enough attention to arrangement and dynamics to keep the record a warm one overall, rather than one that just blows hot and then cold. It's a small detail to be sure, but it makes all the difference.

CONVERGE - Axe To Fall

Back in 2006, when art-metal combo Isis had just released their fourth full-length, In The Absence Of Truth, Magnet columnist Andrew Earles chastised vocalist Aaron Turner, asking: "And what’s up with men in their 30s bellowing like 18-year-old hardcore kids? Screaming is one thing; barking like you’re in a ’90s power-violence band is everything this side of silly." The four men in Boston hardcore/metal band Converge are most certainly over 30—nearly 20 years into their career—and vocalist Jacob Bannon is a screamer, no doubt. And lets face it, for a lot of listeners, that's still a turn-off—I know, because I used to be one of them. So, why scream? Is it merely a trapping of a hardcore youth that some bands can't shake? Or can a group of guys in their mid-30s find a legit artistic reason to put their throat through the meat-grinder for another round?

Whether or not it's because 30 is the new 20, Axe To Fall answers this query with an unwaveringly confident "Yes." Like much of Converge's output, this record is quick out of the gate and Bannon wastes no time in unleashing his howl. Even compared to other screamers, Bannon possesses an unholy voice, but what really makes him successful is an uncanny sense of rhythmic placement and timing. That's no small asset here, because the other 3/4 of Converge are tighter than a marine's bootlaces, whilst as unpredictable as chaos itself. Openers "Dark Horse" and "Reap What You Sow" shred at times like vintage Kill 'Em All thrash, while "Damages" hulks and lumbers like an unchained sauropod. In short, this band is truly a force. And ultimately, what excuses the indulgences of torn vocal cords and journal-worthy angst is the fact that Converge are not tethered unwillingly to either. After unleashing a sustained half-hour of the adrenaline rush that hoodie-wearing teens so desperately crave, Axe To Fall closes with a pair of tracks that have more in common with Tom Waits and Fugazi respectively than any hardcore act out there. It would be a bold move if it wasn't one that they've already pulled off in various forms many times before—age and experience have given Converge the guts to be both exactly what their fans love and what they don't yet know that they need.

VA - A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector + Christmas Album Genre Guide

No list of Christmas music would be complete without this album, what many consider to be the greatest holiday set ever cut, so it's with much celebration that we mention this recent reissue of the long out-of-print A Christmas Gift For You, originally released back in 1963.

While there's no question that most of us would balk at the thought of actually having Phil Spector himself over for the holidays, this record is truly something special. The marriage of his 'wall of sound' production style, a roster including Darlene Love, The Ronettes and The Crystals, and some of the most popular carols is divine.

If you're still stuck for some seasonal sounds to stuff into that stocking, let us direct you to our Christmas Album Genre Guide, with choice CD picks from this most maligned of album genres, running from classic and classy to modern and novel.

NICK CAVE & WARREN ELLIS - White Lunar

Vicious, tongue-in-cheek and crotch-driven, the Grinderman album was half-helmed by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis—a pair of other-side-of-forty Aussies who clearly revelled in the winking depravity of it all. But anyone who has followed these two closely knows that, together or alone, these musicians are also as contemplative and thoughtful as they come, none more so than when they do soundtracks. They first linked up in this way to score Cave's screenplay for the western The Proposition, which played a little like a toes-getting-wet affair, complete with sections lifted and respun from Ellis' main act, The Dirty Three. But following that, their confidence has grown with each project, culminating in scoring this month's film adaption of Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Despite the near-simultaneous release of that film's soundtrack, White Lunar is a two-disc collection of the best moments of these several projects, plus some odds-and-sods. Mainly using their primary instruments of Cave's piano and Ellis' peerless violin (although also flavoured by hits of keys, spoken-word and jarring samples), these soundtracks present a uniform sense of tense ambiance—like someone trying to enjoy a massage while in a straitjacket. This clearly suits the subject matter it's meant to complement, but if you're thinking that nearly two hours of it can get a little monotonous, I'm not going to tell you you're wrong. Like The Bad Seeds and Dirty Three itself, much of your appreciation of this music depends on patience and open listening. Despite having no real standout moment, White Lunar is ugly, beautiful and, in the end, highly compelling stuff.

EVENING HYMNS - Spirit Guides

Organic stuff is all the rage right now with our food and drink, so why not with our music, too? OK, maybe not, but if that was the case, I would suggest stocking the aisles of your favourite organic music shop with Spirit Guides. This nine-song album exudes a connection to the natural world—so much so that the soaring chorus to "Mtn. Song" proclaims that "the world is a mountain", while penultimate track "November 1st, 2008, Lakefield, Ontario" is an unaltered five-minute field recording of a rainstorm.

But Evening Hymns bandleader and songwriter Jonas Bonnetta doesn't just sit back and let nature do all the talking. Spirit Guides may be a lush, unhurried foray into ruminant, orchestral folk-pop—complete with the able backing of members of bands such as Forest City Lovers, The D'Urbervilles and Ohbijou (whose drummer Jamie Bunton recorded the album)—but these ruminations ain't just granola. Instead, the record embraces the grey, with tracks like "Dead Deer" and "Broken Rifle" shifting ably between brilliant light and murky menace. This gentle tug-of-war is carefully expressed by gorgeous arrangements that see the record blossom effortlessly from guy-and-a-guitar plainspeak into full-throated calls of strings and voices.

It's a record that conveys the balance of solitude and lump-in-the-throat beauty one encounters on their best hikes in the woods—moments where you go to witness nature but end up thinking more about your own place in it. In this way, the natural world this record ultimately delves into is that of human nature, its casual approach disarming you to its powers within.

(Evening Hymns will perform a live in-store set here in our shop on Wed. Dec 2 at 7pm.)