HYLOZOISTS - L'Ile De Sept Villes

The tugboat-like hums, bowed vibraphone and lead melodica of intro "The Possibility Of An Island" pushes us off to I'Ile De Sept Villes. "Bras D'Or Lakes"' unison vibes and literally off-beat strings gradually churn up the pace, as the next few tunes to follow are infused with driving, O'Hagan-esque bounciness, settling into a military march keeping with the send-off sentiment of "Your Band Doesn't Have The Legs I Thought It Would". Takoma fingerpicking then pairs up with warm, fuzzy keyboard pads on "Acadia Acadia", before closer "Soixante-Sept"'s slowburn, cinematic 4/4 funk. As accomplished a producer/arranger of these instrumentals as head Hylo Paul Aucoin is, though, it's especially impressive to witness all that mallet-pounding in person, so be sure to catch their in-store here at the shop on Tue. Feb 10 at 6pm.

BRUCE PENINSULA - A Mountain Is A Mouth

Anyone who has had the opportunity to see Toronto's Bruce Peninsula play live knows the power this group holds. Their sheer performance energy has, of late, been entrancing live audiences all over the city and beyond. At first listen, A Mountain Is A Mouth may not seem to do this experience justice, limited as it is by its own static medium. Still, standout tracks like "Weave Myself A Dress" and "Crabapples" showcase the subtleties in the band's characteristically engaging songwriting, raw lead vocals, and massive yet meticulous choral arrangements. Branching out with this release from their beginnings adapting traditional folk songs, these original compositions are a lively new take on an old, beloved sound.

BEE GEES - Odessa (Deluxe Edition)

Following the deluxe reissues of the Bee Gees' first three albums comes this sterling re-ish of their sumptuous 1969 opus, Odessa. It's a less psychedelic affair than their earlier efforts, as the Brothers Gibb add previously non-existent country and bluegrass twang to their trademark orchestral pop-isms. This three-disc set comes complete with alternative mixes and demos, along with the obligatory mono and stereo mixes of the original album. Throw in informative liner notes, and you've got one classy package befitting the elegance of the Bee Gees' pre-"Jive Talkin'"/funk-disco era.  

MARK OLSON & GARY LOURIS - Ready For The Flood

Ex-No Depression set rejoice! After moderately well-received solo records from each man, the two lead singers of the Jayhawks have finally reunited, and the much-anticipated product is a nice, laidback country-folk record that should be a disappointment to no one. Thanks to Black Crowe Chris Robinson, the production is warm and never overdone, and the songs flow together as smoothly as their voices.

BRENT RANDALL AND THOSE MAGNIFICENT PINECONES - We Were Strangers In Paddington Green

You can almost tell how Brent Randall writes a song--it's just him and his piano, and all of a sudden his colourful world of animation slowly grows around the room and up the walls (just take a look at the Monty Python-style cover illustration). Deeply rooted in the Harry Nilsson/Tin Pan Alley style of writing, the album plays out like a musical, and it's great to see that east coast Canadian pop music is still very much alive.  

FINAL FANTASY - Plays To Please (10" + download)

For those familiar with the songs of Alex Lukashevsky, Final Fantasy Plays To Please may be about as comfortable as a badly fitted white tuxedo. Save for a single stuttered syllable, Owen Pallett's interpretations have very little to do with the original performances by Lukashevsky and Deep Dark United. Instead, the songs are cast in an orchestral setting that, while dense with clever arranging moves, remains quite light and whimsical throughout, with Pallett's delivery as airy and delicate as ever. The fact that this works so beautifully speaks volumes for not only the awesome skills of the arranger, but also the fundamental strength of the material he's interpreted.

ACTRESS - Hazyville

Despite few CD releases in their catalogue so far, having initially focused more on 12" singles such as their Grim Dubs (as per the prevailing culture), Werk Discs have already developed a reputation for forward-thinking releases on the outskirts of grime, dubstep, and post-Dilla blap/'lazer bass'/wonky beats. Werk co-founder Darren J. Cunningham's first full-length as Actress (following 2004's No Tricks EP) is hazy indeed, dusted tech-house somewhere between Theo Parrish, Autechre, and young contemporaries like Rustie, Hudson Mohawke and labelmate Lukid (hawking his own fine new disc, Foma).

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE - Merriweather Post Pavilion

With this latest, Animal Collective seem to have allowed themselves to relax, or at least unwind a little. The result is a buoyant, sunny-sounding album, with hints of highlife, Caribbeana and Tropicalia, which seems to reflect the lush textures of member Panda Bear's recent solo efforts. Fans have been anxiously awaiting this release since "Brothersport" started circulating online, and it doesn't disappoint. Merriweather is likely to be criticized by some for being too poppy, but others will agree that AC have managed to craft their most listenable album to date without sacrificing their distinctive sound.

BON IVER - Blood Bank EP

Now that the flood of praise has rushed on these last several months, Justin Vernon delivers a stopgap EP to tide us all over. The title track's maybe the most straight-ahead three-chord rocker in his repertoire, followed by the more familiar-sounding "Beach Baby", a song cut from the same cloth as "Flume" or "Skinny Love". The real breakthroughs, though, may be said to come in the back half of this four-song sequence, as single-line lyrics (backed by "All My Friends"-ied piano pounds on "Babys" [sic], and slathered in autotune on potentially-contentious "Woods") cycle and build cathartically.  

ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS - The Crying Light

Just as this fall's Another World single/EP seemed substantial enough to stand in for a full-length, so now does this proper new release seem much weightier than its 40-minute length, as in double-album heavy. Maybe it's all those swaying, ponderous cabaret stylings at work, but it feels like there's a lot to get through on The Crying Light, and not necessarily in a bad way--as the title implies, it just makes you all the more exhaustedly weighted down yet lifted up once you're done, and it should be noted that the more rock'n'soul-influenced songs here, "Kiss My Name" and "Aeon", kick away that piano bench and uplift at just the right moments in the track listing.

TIMBER TIMBRE - S/T

Timber Timbre has long occupied a place in many hearts--a secret, dark, mysterious place, somewhere near the left ventricle, maybe. His first two releases, Cedar Shakes and Medicinals, were raw, atmosphere-soaked, rural woodsy songwriting at its best. For his latest self-titled set, Taylor Kirk steps calmly out of the wilderness and into the studio. With bold organ lines and warm guitar tones, he once again wows us with his spooky melodies and haunting vocals. Timber Timbre is one of those rare artists who manages absolute continuity between releases, yet adds plenty of variation to keep us fascinated. This album is sure to secure his spot in the old left ventricle, and hopefully finds him nestling into some new hearts, too.

2008 HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS

To help you get your shopping in order (and to supplement our Christmas Guide), here are some suggestions that haven't been previously posted in these pages, a few gift ideas for all those music lovers on your list...

BOOKS

THE PITCHFORK 500: OUR GUIDE TO THE GREATEST SONGS FROM PUNK TO THE PRESENT
SLEEVEFACE: BE THE VINYL

We'd also recommend the recently-reviewed Rough Guide To The Best Music You've Never Heard, but those partial to lists or sight gags will respectively burn through either of these new books, both indebted in their own way to this digital age.

MAGAZINES

OXFORD AMERICAN SOUTHERN MUSIC ISSUE 2008
SPACING HOLIDAY GIFT PACK    

 

Although we regularly stock a wide assortment of monthly music magazines, these two items will only be available in the coming month or so, so now's the time to grab them. The 10th annual Southern Music Issue of the Oxford American features high-quality essay-length musings by the likes of Greil Marcus, Robert Earl Hardy, Grant Alden, Peter Guralnick and many more, as well as a 2CD set of songs from such article subjects as Jerry Lee Lewis, The "5" Royales, Neko Case, Furry Lewis, Ella Fitzgerald, and even The Residents! For something somewhat different and much closer to home, the amateur urban geographer of the family might prefer a Spacing Holiday Gift Pack, with all three '08 issues and three postcards handily wrapped in a TTC route map.   

BLUES

CLASSIC BLUES ARTWORK FROM THE 1920s, VOL. 6: 2009 CALENDAR (w/ CD)
R. CRUMB'S HEROES OF BLUES, JAZZ, & COUNTRY (book & CD)
EARLY BLUES/JAZZ/COUNTRY GREATS (trading cards)

For the oldtimey-obsessed among us, may we recommend: this coming year's installment of the Classic Blues Artwork Calendar, full of full-sized promotional paraphernalia from the Golden Age of the blues (it also includes a 19-track CD); the book that gives you the biographies of the storied lives of R. Crumb's personal heroes of blues, jazz and country, similarly including a CD, and accompanied by full-colour Crumb illustrations, naturally; or the spinoff trading cards that shrink all that info down to just the stats, ma'am.   

AMERICANA

HANK WILLIAMS - The Unreleased Recordings (3CD)
VA - Dim Lights, Thick Smoke & Hillbilly Music, 1945-1950

For tastes that veer more towards mid-century honkytonk, this Time-Life 3CD box of never-before-heard Hank Williams recordings could do the trick, as could this Bear Family single-disc series of Country & Western hit parade classics.

SOUL

JAMES BROWN - I Got The Feeling (3DVD)
CURTIS MAYFIELD - Movin' On Up (DVD)
OTIS REDDING - The Legacy Of Otis Redding (DVD)
VA - Respect Yourself: The Stax Story (DVD)
VA - Stax/Volt Revue: Live In Norway 1967 (DVD) 
VA - Stax Double Feature (2DVD)
PARLIAMENT-FUNKADELIC - The Mothership Connection Live 1976 (DVD)

This heaping stack of Stax, JB, Curtis and P-Funk videos will surely end your search for what to get that soul aficionado of yours!     
    

CLASSIC ROCK

CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL - Reissues
THE WHO - At Kilburn 1977 (DVD)
THE ROLLING STONES - Shine A Light (DVD/soundtrack CD)
AC/DC - No Bull: The Director's Cut (DVD)

All of the above feature tried, tested and true rock legends at their live best; even the CCR remasters are now each appended with energetic bonus live recordings.

'80s & '90s POP/ROCK REISSUES

THE CLASH - Live At Shea Stadium (regular/deluxe CD)
THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN - The Power Of Negative Thinking (4CD box)
THE REPLACEMENTS - Reissues
R.E.M. - Murmur (2CD Deluxe Edition)
THE SMITHS - The Sound Of The Smiths (regular/deluxe 2CD)
NEW ORDER - Reissues (2CD Collector's Editions)
WEEN - At The Cat's Cradle 1992 (CD/DVD)
PAVEMENT - Brighten The Corners: Nicene Creedence Edition (2CD)

Many classics of the punk rock, college rock, alt-rock and indie-rock eras (as well as previously unreleased live material) have been reissued as remastered discs, deluxe editions and box sets over the last year, so it's high time for hardcore fans of the above acts to complete and supplement their collections.          

CHILDREN'S

THE POINT! (DVD)
VA - See You On The Moon!: Songs For Kids Of All Ages
VA - Mamma Yamma And Friends
JENNY OMNICHORD - Charlotte Or Otis: Duets For Children, Their Parents, And Other People,  Too             

For the youngest listeners (and their parents, and other people, too, to quote Jenny "Omnichord" Mitchell), try the animated cartoon musical adaptation of Harry Nilsson's classic kid's fantasy, Paper Bag's 2006 set of Can-Con all-stars, the CBC's brand-new disc honouring Kensington Market's TV puppet chef par excellence, or Ms. Mitchell's ode to the then-impending birth of her child.

GIFT CERTIFICATES

And if you're still stuck, there are always good old gift certificates, available all year round in any denomination. 

ALEXIS TAYLOR - Rubbed Out

With label founders John Coxon and Ashley Wales initially working together as Spring Heel Jack, a project first tied to IDM, post-rock and drum'n'bass which later took in ever-more nebulous influence from free-improv and jazz, Treader's mark has always been indefinable. Many of its standout releases have been by top-tier names branching out and stretching their scope, from Matthew Shipp and Evan Parker to J Spaceman's blissed-out, clanging Guitar Loops, and here Hot Chip frontman Alexis Taylor fits together such at-odds elements as analog-synth aleatory and church-hymn melody, with standoffish opener "Fireworks" popping up as mid-album sentimental blip "O Lord". Keyboard-based ditties like "Plastic Man" are interspersed with no-frills soul and calypso-coloured guitar shambles "Baby" and "Girl" (and McCartney cover "Coming Up" fits like a glove), adding up to an end-of-year charmer that's maybe the strongest (and certainly the most surprising) album yet from the Hot Chip camp.

METRO AREA - Fabric 43

Dance-world police have apprehended two suspects, Metro Area's Morgan "MG" Geist and Darshan "DJ" Jesrani, charged with crimes against taste stemming from their alias Babla's Disco Sensation and its "Ghar Aya Mera Pardesi" intro to this very Fabric mix. Hammier than A Night At The Roxbury though the offending track may be, I think all charges should be dropped; it is reassuring to know that these perceived hardliners can poke fun at themselves and their production process, and if its goofiness does spoil the pot for you, there's always the skip (or delete) function. On the business end of this mix, the other hour and six minutes makes for maybe the most consistent retro set of its kind since fellow New Yorkers James Murphy & Pat Mahoney handed in Fabriclive 36, speeding up the tempo a tad with more of a mid-'80s synth-boogie bent, and many 12" dubs you'd be hard-pressed to find collected elsewhere.

NEIL YOUNG - Sugar Mountain: Live At Canterbury House 1968 (CD/DVD-Audio)

Starting with an on-mic announcement by a concert organizer surprised by an eager turnout, the crowd that packed this small Ann Arbor club on November 9 and 10, 1968, was evidently already hip to the fact that the newly-solo Young (whose self-titled debut was to be released just days later, and whose last show with Buffalo Springfield was just seven months before) had already amassed a heady batch of personal work. The included DVD-audio disc's preview trailer for the complete Archives may be too much of a tease, but this is revelation enough for this year.

ANDRE ETHIER - Born Of Blue Fog

Released suddenly enough that not many yet know it's out locally (the Canada-wide date is Dec 9), this would be Andre Ethier's second confusingly-titled sequel, the sequel in that sense to Secondathallam and rumoured to be followed by a third and final Blue Fog recording already written. The main noticeable difference between this and its On Blue Fog forebear is the strings, which even join in on "Infant King"'s boogie blues. Most, uh, arresting is second-last track "Cop Killer", a ruffneck bummer of a tune whose subject is "ridden into riots" as Ethier laughs at the letdown, shouting out Jay-Z's "99 Problems" and adding the nod to his own problematic, crooned EZ-unease.

FM3 - Buddha Machine II

Yes, Beijing's Christian Virant and Zhang Jian (visitors to Soundscapes in October '06 for one pensive instore) have upgraded their loop boxes just in time for the holiday rush, but the Buddha Machine stays as lo-fi as ever, with the one big change to the device (aside from getting nine completely brand-new loops to lull yourself with) being the addition of a pitch-shift wheel, letting one speed up or slow down the repetitions, especially handy for those out there who improvise with these as an instrument, using the headphone jack as a line out to amplify and effect the signal. Three new colours (and a much more austere kraft-cardboard box) distinguish version 2.0--grey, burgundy, and brown. A unique gift idea, no matter the season!

JUSTICE - A Cross The Universe (DVD/CD)

A techno rock'n'roll road movie less Spinal Tap than Leningrad Cowboys Go America in terms of the silent treatment our idols Xavier & Gaspard give to the camera (and the deadpan absurdity that results), the boys' blank slates grant their touring companions that do speak up all the more star power, especially the coexisting opposites of the serene bus driver, trying to break the world record for hitting the lowest note while bellowing along to country radio, and gun-crazy loose-cannon manager Bouchon, reading up on state differences in firearm legislation. Bonus Live In San Francisco CD gives you the cross-/strobe-/leather-free side of the story (buzzsaw beats included).

SURF CITY - S/T EP

When travelling I make an effort to check out the local record stores to learn about the best local bands.  So this past January in Dunedin, New Zealand, I venture into Real Groovy Records and pick up a bunch of hard-to-find David Kilgour releases and ask the staff who their favorite local band is: they hand me a six-song EP by Surf City, describing it as recapturing the classic Dunedin jangle-pop sound while also incorporating more recent psych/shoegaze influences.  Well, that's music to my ears, and needless to say, this band was the soundtrack of the trip and of 2008.  I was hoping it would get proper distribution and thankfully Morr has picked it up so the rest of the world can hear these great, urgent tunes.

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN - The BBC Sessions

Charting the band's rise, beginning months before the release of 1996's If You're Feeling Sinister and ending in 2001 with some of their last work with Isobel Campbell, this set boasts such unreleased gems as the Go-Betweens-nodding "Shoot The Sexual Athlete". An intimate (and, judging from the near-constant audience squeals, exuberantly received) gig at Belfast's Queen's University from 2001 follows on the limited deluxe edition's disc two, sprinkling in a few crowd-pleasing covers (Beatles, Thin Lizzy) over the course of the night, and even handing the mic over to a random lad named Barry for a spontaneous bash-through of "I'm Waiting For The Man".