Parenthetical Girls - Entanglements

Experimental popsters with panache toward the hurly burly musical production of show tunes and Broadway, the Parenthetical Girls offer up the majestic pomp of classic pop twisted to a modern aesthetics. Here, instruments are returned to their emotional capabilities. Just listen to the track “Unmentionables”. From the heavenly lushness of a violin’s vibrato, to the street carnival bounce of tuba and trombone's fat sliding voice or the dream-like wonderment caused by the glockenspiel's endless twinkling, all this noise is laced up within this one song to dramatic and invigorating effect. This is the baroque-pop of Andrew Bird, and though it tends to lean more toward Cabaret zaniness than MGM sophistication, its grandeur can never be questioned. And when the song writing carries the poetic literary heft of “The Former” as its twist with sexual tension accented by angelic choral harmonies and a rising unison of strings, it’s as cinematic as any stage production.

Koushik - Out My Window

For a producer, Koushik must have one of the most serene views in the country. As his second release for Stones Throw record, he balances oft-kiltering, cavernous beats with light-as-air harmonies, and with the album opener "Morning Comes", he'll coax the sun out of hiding and make your waking yawn a delightful experience. Its all about mood, with conventional song structure taking a back seat to textual ambience and soundscape. Part eclectic beat tape in the tradition of Madlib and J Dilla, Koushik adds large measures of pop melodies that swirl around his mist-thin falsetto and dramatically build to a glorious apex. And before you know it, the track ends as gently as it began, each track taking up on enough time to create an impression, then moving on. This is a masterful opus of organic chillout jazz, with the production clarity and inventiveness of legendary producer David Axelrod's best work.

Karl Hector + The Malcouns—Sahara Swing

Record label Now-Again has emerged as a funk aficionado’s dream, time and time again. As a side label to the forward thinking hip-hop label Stones Throw, it’s been the outlet for the upper management’s collection of obscure funk 7-inches, preserving rare soul gems from the dustbin of obscurity. With such sophisticated and honed tastes, it’s no surprise that when they discover a new artist, it’s like entering a time machine. Karl Hector’s full length debut merges the backbeat and horn ensembles of the rawest funk, with the poly-rhythmic complexity and found sound of Pan-African ethnomusicology. If you remember Mulatu Astatke’s Ethiopian jazz featured prominently in Jim Jarmusch’s Broken Flowers, then consider this your new tonic. With contributions from Poets Of Rhythm’s Jay Whitefield and his European soul brethren, this instrumental jazz-funk owes as much to the progressive exploratory vision of Funkadelic and Sun Ra as it does to the pure smoking grooves of Africa’s most dynamite soul ensemble.

One Day As A Lion—One Day As A Lion

Merging the intense velocity of punk and thrash with the biting lyrical commentary of hip-hop, Rage Against The Machine erupted in the ‘90s with its fiery, passionate frontman Zach de la Rocha as its figurehead. When the band folded, the rest of the group recruited Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell and formed Audioslave; everyone else eagerly anticipated Zach’s next move, a wait that lasted nearly a decade. Well, the return is here, but now as a duet, and with an equally polemic moniker taken from George Rodriguez 1970s photo of a wall scrawled with this defiant message: “It’s better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand years as a lamb.” As politically instigating and musically volatile as his previous band, it’s an excellent, kinetically charged return, all stuffed into a five-track EP. Heavy on Rage-like riffs built from skronky explosions of Zach’s overly amplified keyboard and the sizzling, bombastic drumming of Jon Theodore (ex- Mars Volta), it’s as explosive as anything Rage put out yet doesn’t sound like a mediocre re-hashing. A welcome return to a political voice that been sorely missed.

Abe Vigoda – Skeleton

Give the kids a place to play, and eventually the noise will be heard. In Los Angeles, it’s the Smell, a club that’s been the outlet for bands such as No Age, HEALTH, and Mika Miko to pound delirious sounds out to young, hungry ears. Taken full, capable advantage of their scenes newfound limelight is Abe Vigoda, a four man crew whose tumultuous drumming is underscored with equal measures tropical influenced guitar melodies as well feedback drenched noise. Instant comparison will be made to the other current Afro-pop/ indie-rock purveyors, Vampire Weekend. But instead of their Ivy League pop sentiments, Abe Vigoda turns up the mix until everything bleeds together in a wash of energetic, lo-fi hurly burly no wave. It can all be quite exhausting, even at thirty minutes, so the few investigation into sound- the subdued, shimmering reverb of “Visi Rings” or the hollow feedback of “Whatever Forever”- act as perfect palate cleanse before the percussion pummeling returns. Like Campari, this will be invigorating for some, bitter to others.

Rodriguez – Cold Fact

Opening his 1970 debut, Cold Fact, with the deeply seductive lure of “Sugar Man”, a tripped-out blues ode to his drug dealer, Sixtoo Rodriguez illustrates the working class, counter-culture of late 60’s with a tongue that was dipped in Dylan lyricism. With heavyweight fuzzed out guitar work provided by Dennis Coffey (that’s him on the Temptation’s “Cloud Nine”), and catchy psych-folk songs that stick to the inside of your brain after a single listen, this album, unfortunately, tittered on lip of the obscurity, despite being a sensation in foreign countries. In 2002, producer David Holmes re-introduced Rodriguez’s gem “Sugar Man” with its inclusion on his curated compilation “Come Get It, I Got It” and caught the attention of listeners world wide, which finally culminates in this re-issue. Rodriguez shuffles personal alienation with societal critiques as Marvin Gaye did on What’s Goin’ On, and like that classic, it still is refreshing enjoyable, and unfortunately, quite topical.

Prints – Just Thoughts EP

The beauty of the under-celebrated EP format is that when done right, you’re sparred any exhausting filler and your attention is kept from the opening to the closing song, usually with a finger poised to repeat the whole affair. Just Thoughts EP by Prints started as developing b-sides to accompany the single “Too Much Water” (included here as a music video), but luckily they’ve allowed to these tracks to shine in their own light. Crafted at home by multi-instrumentalist Zac Nelson and Kenseth Thibideau, the four tracks here bubble with laptop pop, suggesting a middle point between the emotional heft of the Postal Service and playfulness of Hot Chip. “Me and Mrs. Archer” bounces to synthesized beat and frolicsome flute, as “Fire” is pulled along gently with a slow stepping computerized snare, moody keyboard and serene lyrics that suggests early morning coddling with windows dappled with morning drizzle. The album ends with an electro-disco remix by Hercules and the Love Affair producer Tim Goldsworthy; a strong punctuation on this perfect constructed statement.

Bronx River Parkway & Candela All Stars – San Sebastian 152

Coming out of the Brooklyn boroughs (already home to the revivalist soul sounds of Daptone Records’s Sharon Jones & The Budos Band), up-and-coming record label Truth & Soul has slowly birthed a marvelous resurrections of funk, latin soul and Afro-funk that, until now, usually resided on white-jacketed 45’s. As their second full-length release, they’ve nailed the sound of 1970’s New York, where black and Latin styles merged to create a free-spirited exchange of salsa, funk and fusion. With a name that salutes the salsa heritage of Eddie Palmieri’s super group Harlem River Drive, Bronx River Parkway have issued a spectacular debut, full of tight horn arrangements that seem to slip and slide within each other, and a rhythm section that suggest the flair and heartbeat of Cuba’s finest. Teaming up with legendary Puerto Rican salsa musicians in San Juan, San Sebastian 152 is as top notch as an undiscovered Buena Vista Social Club recording, as impressive of a release you’ll find all year. Highly recommended.

MK Larada – Break In Two: Music For B-People

For young boys who learned to moonwalk and were mesmerized by the breakdancing acrobatics in movies like Beat Street, Breakin’ and even Flashdance, you couldn’t help but also be entranced by the distinctively, funky breaks the DJ spun flawless together that seemed to propel the dancers into a frenzy. Deejay MK Larada was a similar youth (just witness his 1985 cover shot), who now has tailored his own mix for keeping the B-boys popping and locking until the break of dawn. Melding familiar classics like Queen’s “Another One Bites The Dust” and Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit” with known jams like Shannon’s “Let The Music Play” makes this an easy floor-filler. But the cleverness shines through when brief bars of the Muppet Show intro coalesce into Rob Base’s “It Takes Two” or when Lamar, the sole black outcast from Revenge Of The Nerd’s, lets loose his party rhyme, but now backed with a muscular booming beat. You’ll already be dancing, but now you’ll just be smiling much more.

Boredoms - Vision Creation Newsun

Vision Creation Newsun is the aural equivalent of stepping inside a sweat lodge and getting out of your mind. But instead of the required perspiring cleanse, The Boredoms infiltrate your cerebrum with their lengthy, frenzied jams balanced between free form, experimental wig-outs, and hypnotizing pulsing rhythms. Mixed as one long continuous piece, with symbols replacing track names, The Boredoms have refined their previous noise-fest EPs into something more palatable. Built upon the motorik, propulsion of “Kraut-rock” drumming, it’s easy to mesmerize yourself into a daze, especially when it’s fronted by undulating synthesized tones and trance-inducing drone. But it’s this driving beat that keeps your attention in gear, never slipping into a neutral meditation, or a dumbing stupor. There’s still avant-garde grit and an abrasive edge meshed into the compositions, enough to challenge but never isolate the listener. It’s a trip best enjoyed within the confines of a moving vehicle or ear-closing headphones. Just let go.

Bobby Womack - The Best Of

Bobby Womack is bigger than we know. Yes, “Across 110th Street” provided the hue of blaxploitation to several films, but that only scratches the surface. A prot»g» of Sam Cooke, a songwriter for Wilson Pickett and Janis Joplin, and a session guitarist for the likes of Aretha Franklin and Sly Stone, Womack is a triple-threat, especially when factoring in his scorching, raspy baritone. As comfortable with fiery, raw southern soul (“I’m A Midnight Mover”) as with tender, sweet soul ballads (“That’s The Way I Feel About Cha”), Womack’s only real trouble was saying no to soulful renditions of pop classics (“California Dreamin’” and “Fire and Rain” fare surprisingly well, whereas “Fly Me To The Moon” is lackluster ho-hum). But these missteps are rare. Instead, you’ll be entranced by how well he translates his heroes: The hip funkiness he learned from Sly while contributing to his There’s A Riot Going On album permeates the track “Communication,” while the secular sermonizing that builds to rapturous intensity on “The Preacher (Part Two)” is a righteous tribute to Sam Cooke’s life extraordinaire.

Nomo - Ghost Rock

As an instrumental octet, NOMO have been absorbing some wilder influences than the terrific combination of Afro-funk and spiritual jazz that colored their previous album New Tones. Not that there's a dynamic shift in sound, as if abandoning their merging of world music with jazz arrangements. "All The Stars" percolates with Gamelan tones and rhythms, as an over-amplified kalimba saturates the beginning in waves of textual, metallic noise. "Round The Way" is a downtempo Afrobeat shuffle, giving the tenor saxophone plenty of freedom to wail and open up. But its the album opener, "Brainwave" -where an actual brainwave monitor is looped to contagious effect- where you see NOMO expanding its creativity. Taking in the early electronic manipulations of Morton Subotnic, the theoretical notions ambience penned by Brian Eno and the driving propulsion of Can as influences, Ghost Rock blends them naturally into the layout of their existing music blueprint, dazzling you with the structures they construct. A remarkable push forward!

NOMO - All The Stars

Jackson Conti - Sujinho

A working name assembled from the surnames of its two man team, Jackson Conti hurdles generations and genres as it swings like a summer cocktail - sweetly simple with intoxicating fun. Ivan "Mamao" Conti is an Brazilian percussionist extraordinaire, fueling the rhythms of Brazil's most famous artist(Milton Nasimento, Gal Costa, Jorge Benjor). But its was his early 80's group, Azymuth, that filtered into the record crates of left-field producer Madlib (aka Otis Jackson Jr.), who eventually crafted his own renditions of Azymuth's classic songs. After an encouraged encounter between the two, Madlib left Brazil with an hour and a half of Conti's solo rhythms. In a similar nature to his jazzy Yesterday's New Quintet outfit, Madlib constructs an ode to jazz samba and bossa nova from Conti drumming. Flip flopping between seductively soothing jazz ("São Paulo Nights" and "Papaia") to up-tempo festival shakers ("Nao Tem Nada Nao"), Sujinho is the sound of fluttering summer high life. Drink umbrella not included.

Sigur Rós - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust

As the album cover suggests, Sigur Rós have discarded everything to run amok. And running wild means they've escaped the confines of their usual Icelandic recording studio for New York, London and Havana, Cuba, and they've stepped away from the somber, transcendental epics of previous albums for songs that are direct and vibrant. "Gobbledigook" kick starts the album (translated as With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly) with flailing tribal drums and its invented frivolous lyrics at happy play. "Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur" is Sigur Rós buoyant celebration minus their typical four minute build up. But for fans of their monumental bravado, look no further than nine minute "Ára Bátur". With voice and piano opening the track, it slowly builds to glacial heights with the help of the 90 members within London Sinfonietta and London Oratory Boy's Choir. As arresting as it is inspiring, Sigur Rós continues to astound. Now if someone can only get them out of the offices more often.

Damon & Naomi – More Sad Hits

As the forefathers of the eventually shoegazer and slowcore nation that arose in the 1990’s, Galaxie 500 released three perfect albums of beautiful, atmospheric pop songs that turned down the avalanches of feedback and distortion used by My Bloody Valentine, yet still had as much emphasis on textual effects and dreamy melody. When the vocalist/guitarist Dean Wareham left the trio to form Luna, the two remaining members, Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang banded together and continued on with some coaxing by ubiquitous indie musician/producer Mark Kramer. Originally released in 1992, Damon & Naomi’s debut More Sad Hits now gets remastered and repacked masterfully with linear notes written by the pair themselves, as they take a walk back into their past memories. Ghostly pretty, there are hints of the Cocteau Twins haunting ethereal, yet with less gloom, all softed by Naomi’s gentle voice. While not as glorious and balanced as Galaxie 500’s output, this is a great soundtrack to your next rainy day, giving your Mazzy Star albums a deserved break.

The Dirtbombs – We Have You Surrounded

Ever since the dual bombastic sonic explosion of the MC5 and the Stooges, the raunchy and overblown amplification of garage rock always seems a little more authentic arriving from Michigan than elsewhere. The late 80’s saw a revival of Detroit rock, and the arrival of the Gories, who pounded out a combustible concoction of garage punk and Motor City soul with two guitars, one drummer and no bassist. Upon their demise, Mick Collins reformulated the equation – now doubling up on the drums and bass, keeping his lone fingers on the guitar –birthing the Dirtbombs. We Have You Surrounded works most of the time. By turning every volume knob completely clockwise, they put thunderous intensity to their familiar influences (lo-fi garage rock, frantic punk, skronky rhythm & blues) into surprising diverse yet thunderous creations. Despite some minor mis-steps (the frustrating noise of “Race To The Bottom” and generic melodies and lyrics of “Pretty Princess Day”), We Have You Surrounded is a salute to Iggy Pop’s brand of rock and roll.

Beach House – Devotion

If only Beach House’s sophomore album, Devotion, arrived a month earlier, when the grey moodiness of constant rain and cold evenings could have used a little mellow warmth. Recalling the slow burning dreaminess of Mazzy Star, but haunted with the more plaintive wispy voice of Victoria Legrand, Beach House is built around an atmospheric density thickened with slow clopping beats from a drum machines, the wavering of a pedal steel and organ melodies that sway gently like innocent ghosts. Filled with waltzes and torch songs, Beach House is engaging as much as it is hypnotic. With elegant instrumentation, Alex Scally weaves the Baroque implications of harpsichord within “Auburn And Ivory” to balance the crying slide of pedal steel. It implies a Gothic turn without feeling the slightest shiver of fright. Barely crossing the half hour mark, Devotion seems to vaporize away just as you were still receiving its welcome. Hit play again, sit back and enjoy its serene dark comfort.

Del The Funky Homosapien – Eleventh Hour

Coming out of Oakland, Del and his Hieroglyphics posse altered the art of rhyme in the early 90’s, earning respectability from a hip-hop culture so closely associated with the east coast. Though not at first. Del’s humorous and bouncy rhyming meter resembled nothing of his cousin Ice Cube’s gangsterism, instead suggesting a nineteen-year old with a skewed take on day-to-day living. Fast-forward to the modern day, and Del is an indie-rap superstar, earning much of his reputation with the left-field conceptual album Deltron 3030 and as a rapping cartoon character courtesy of the Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz. With his latest record, Eleventh Hour, Del pulls his head out on the clouds, and offers a release more in-tuned to his early records: heavy on the bottom-thick funk and over-fascinated with braggadocio. It’s still a thrill to hear his rubbery cadence paint absurd vision of being Del, and while not as intriguing as previous albums, a B grade from Del still sets the curve everyone strives to attain.

Funky Nassau – The Compass Point Story: 1980-1986

Within the mix of rock and roll lore and history, the impact of the recording studio should reside within its own chapter. As cherished as the Beatles’ Abbey Road recording facility or as identifiable as Funk Brother James Jamersons’ bass lines recorded in Motown’s Studio A, the room, itself, has an often under-acknowledged hand in defining the recordings we hear. In the late 70’s, Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Music, decided to create his own idyllic recording institution, Compass Point, on a Bahaman island. On Funky Nassau, laid out over thirteen tracks, is a glimpse at a stunning, fun-filled discography that sythesized meticulous engineering and artistic spontaneity. With an available house band that included reggae legends Sly & Robbie, the studio popped-out worldly amalgamation of funk, disco, reggae and no/new wave for dancefloor diva Grace Jones, crafted Tom Tom Club’s “Genius Of Love” as well as provide the influence for two significant Talking Heads albums and Ian Dury’s notorious “Spasticus Autisticus”. A great compilation and fascinating bit of history.

She & Him – Volume One

After helping hoist up Jenny Lewis’s solo album, a sunny AM sounding escape from the indie pop of her band Rilo Kiley, it seems M. Ward has wanted a second run. This time he (the Him) teams up with actress Zooey Deschanel (the She), and surprising any initial suspicions, what pours out of your speaker is a goldenly sentimental and sweetly reminiscent of 60’s and 70’s pop. With songs built around wistful remembrances (“I Thought I Saw Your Face Today”), crying heartbreak (“Sentimental Heart”) and the occasional cover (“You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me, “I Should Have Known Better”), she inflates them with bubblegum playfulness (“Why Do You Let Me Stay Here”) or dusts them with a bit of country twang (“Change Is Hard”). Just from the song titles, you’ll notice a blues ache, and if Zooey had the pipes, this could have been the second coming of Dusty Springfield. Instead, she belts out croons that charm and sound quite assured. And with the M. Ward’s ear for antiquated American songs, it’s a quite impressive and endearing little record.