3.04.2006

Pitchfork Albums: March 2006

>> Fri: 03-24-06

- Brian Eno/David Byrne: My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
Nonesuch offers an expanded reissue of this 1981 near-masterpiece, a record that's both a milestone of sampled music and a peace summit in the continual West-meets-rest struggle. [Nonesuch; 8.5]

- Ms. John Soda: Notes and the Like
German lap-pop group follows its excellent 2002 album No P. or D. with this melancholic release. [Morr; 5.4]

- Judee Sill: Judee Sill / Heart Food
This pair of reissues highlights these early 1970s recordings, which could reasonably lay claim to the oft-used tag "teenage symphonies to God." [Water; 8.7 / 8.8]

- Acid Casuals: Omni
Debut album from an electronic multimedia collective led by Super Furry Animals keyboardist Cian Ciárán. [Placid Casual; 7.8]

- Fovea Hex: Bloom EP
This three-song EP features contributions from Brian and Roger Eno, the Hafler Trio's Andrew McKenzie, and film composer Carter Burwell (Being John Malkovich, The Big Lebowski). [Die Stadt/Janet; 7.6]


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>> Thu: 03-23-06

- Mates of State: Bring It Back
Organ-and-drums duo gingerly lift the moratorium on six-strings and explore a more varied sonic palette, resulting in their best album to date. [Barsuk; 7.8]

- Various Artists: See You on the Moon!: Songs for Kids of All Ages
Subtitled "Songs for Kids of All Ages", this Paper Bag compilation features indie artists such as Sufjan Stevens, Broken Social Scene, and Junior Boys performing children's songs. [Paper Bag; 6.6]

- Ignatz: Ignatz
Not unlike Robert Lowe's fine Lichens project, this oddly glorious record conjures "new American ethnic music" with guitar, pedals, and sampler. [K-RAA-K; 8.0]

- Patrick Phelan: Cost
Jagjaguwar artist's third LP manages to reconcile the tensions between pop and post-punk. [Jagjaguwar; 7.1]

- The Tango Saloon: The Tango Saloon
Julian Curwin's project uses Astor Piazzolla's intoxicating creations as a starting point, drawing in electronic elements as well as snatches of free jazz, cool jazz, and soundtrack music. [Ipecac; 7.4]


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>> Wed: 03-22-06

- Loose Fur: Born Again in the USA
Second Loose Fur collaboration between Jeff Tweedy, Jim O'Rourke, and Glenn Kotche is more musically traditional than not only its predecessor but some of Wilco's recent output as well. [Drag City; 7.3]

- Murs & 9th Wonder: Murray's Revenge
The follow-up to the excellent 3:16 may not inspire the devotion enjoyed by myspace hero Slug or blogger's fave Ghostface but it will appeal to fans of both. [Record Collection; 7.0]

- Gregor Samsa: 55:12
This long-awaited album features a mix of hushed beauty, dense melodies, and soft, co-ed vocals. [The Kora; 7.8]

- Guillemots: Over the Cliffs
As exemplified by the excellent "Trains to Brazil" single, this UK band takes a detour away from everyday pub-rock pabulum toward something more adventurous. [Verve Forecast; 7.4]

- Charlemagne: Detour Allure
Breezy summer indie pop stuffed with wispy male/female harmonies, strummed guitars, and airily recorded drums. [SideCho; 7.0]


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>> Tue: 03-21-06

- Prince: 3121
On his latest release, the rock legend betters his work on comeback album Musicology, crafting a record that's more varied and contains higher peaks than its predecessor. [Universal; 6.0]

- Quasi: When the Going Gets Dark
Portland, Ore.-based duo Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney) and Sam Coomes embraces fuzzed-out lows, grimy distortion, extended improvisations, and looser song structures. [Touch & Go; 7.0]

- Various Artists: Invaders
Kemado collects the cream of the hipster metal crop on this compilation, which features Pelican, Wolfmother, High on Fire, Dungen, Black Mountain, and the Sword, among others. [Kemado; 7.9]

- Psychic Ills: Dins
This NYC quartet eschews conventional structure and keeps the line between song and improv blurry. [Social Registry; 7.4]

- Nightmares on Wax: In a Space Outta Sound
Warp presents this comeback album from the bleeps n' bloops and trip-hop pioneers. [Warp; 6.8]


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>> Mon: 03-20-06

- Band of Horses: Everything All the Time
Wedding the elemental, earthworn rock of My Morning Jacket to the atmospheric pop of the Shins or Red House Painters, this debut from Sub Pop signees Band of Horses is immediately, invitingly familiar. But if its roots are recognizable, the music is anything but commonplace. [Sub Pop; 8.8]

- The Books: Music for a French Elevator
This self-released 3" CD-R features four tracks recorded in April 2004 as elevator music for the French Ministry of Culture building, and adds some miscellaneous material from the duo's extensive sound library. [self-released; 7.2]

- Eef Barzelay: Bitter Honey
Debut solo album from the Clem Snide leader is modest yet substantial. [SpinArt; 7.2]

- Voices and Organs: Orphanage
This Swedish group's blurred creations are rooted deep in the inexact memories and perceptions of distant childhood. [Western Vinyl; 7.1]

- Adam Green: Jacket Full of Danger
On his latest Rough Trade release, the New York eccentric and former Moldy Peach at last fully immerses himself in the scummy bilge water of language and culture. [Rough Trade; 6.9]


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>> Fri: 03-17-06

- The Pretenders: Pirate Radio
Four-disc, one-DVD set celebrates the rich history of the famed post-punk band. [Rhino; 8.2]

- Pink Mountaintops: Axis of Evol
New record from one of the other projects of Black Mountain's Steve McBean. [Jagjaguwar; 8.1]

- Christian Kiefer and Sharron Kraus: The Black Dove
Solid collaboration between the British folk singer and Californian performer/composer. [Tompkins Square; 7.4]

- Capes: Hello
Debut album from an indie rock band that already has a commanding grip on its sound. [Hard Soul; 6.6]

- deadboy and the Elephantmen: We Are Night Sky
Fat Possum release from another in a line of co-ed, blues-influenced duos. [Fat Possum; 5.7]


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>> Thu: 03-16-06

- Stephin Merritt: Showtunes
Magnetic Fields leader presents an oddly sequenced collection that jumps between songs from his three musical theater collaborations with director Chen Shi-Zheng. [Nonesuch; 7.5]

- Television Personalities: My Dark Places
An unexpected comeback from the legendary indie pop band fronted by Dan Treacy. [Domino; 6.7]

- Caroline: Murmurs
L.A.-by-way-of-Okinawa pop enchantress Caroline (last name Lufkin) follows on the heels of her 2005 single "Where's My Love". [Temporary Residence; 7.8]

- Fire Engines: Codex Teenage Premonition
Oddly compiled record draws on the Scottish post-punk band's live recordings and sessions. [Domino; 7.3]

- Diane Cluck: Oh Vanille/Ova Nil / Countless Times
Ahead of her forthcoming new release, we catch up with the folk singer's two previous albums. [Important / Voodoo-EROS; 5.6 / 5.7]


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>> Wed: 03-15-06

- Buzzcocks: Flat-Pack Philosophy
Latest record of new material from the firm of Shelley & Diggle finds the punk veterans still trading in both effortless hooks and hard-luck romanticism. [Cooking Vinyl; 7.2]

- Witch: Witch
Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis gets behind the drum kit for this metal record, a collaboration with two members of Vermont octet and Devendra Banhart cohorts Feathers. [Tee Pee; 7.6]

- Some Girls: Heaven's Pregnant Teens
Epitaph band offers quick-moving songs that will send you digging into the crates for your old Locust records. [Epitaph; 6.8]

- Ray Davies: Other People's Lives
First proper solo album from the Kinks legend finds him flirting with confessional singer-songwriter material and tapping into the sounds of the Southern U.S. [V2; 6.7]

- Hellacopters: Rock & Roll Is Dead
One of the forerunners of Darkness/Ark-like 70s rock revivalism returns with their 10th album. [Liquor & Parker; 5.5]


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>> Tue: 03-14-06

- Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan: Ballad of the Broken Seas
Former Belle & Sebastian and Screaming Trees members make an unlikely duo on this ramshackle, whiskey-soaked, Nancy and Lee-like outing. [V2; 7.2]

- Various Artists: Memphis Family Album
Subtitled "Music From Memphis Industries Vol. 2", this iTunes-released label compilation features contributions from the Go! Team, Dungen, the Pipettes, and Field Music, among others. [Memphis Industries; 7.4]

- Supersilent: 7
Recorded at the Parkteatret in Oslo, Norway, in 2004, this live DVD finds the Rune Grammofon band to be more focused and aggressive than on its previous concert album, 5. [Rune Grammofon; 8.3]

- Dell and Flügel: Superstructure
Techno shapeshifter Roman Flügel-- the man behind recent singles "Gehts Noch?" (released under his own name) and "Rocker" (issued with Jürn Elling Wuttke as Alter Ego)-- teams with vibraphonist Christopher Bell on this jazz-tinged release. [Laboratory Instinct; 7.8]

- Sparks: Hello Young Lovers
The Mael Brothers re-locate to In the Red Records for their 20th LP in 35 years. [In The Red; 6.9]


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>> Mon: 03-13-06

- Various Artists: Dave Chappelle's Block Party OST
Soundtrack to a film documenting a 2004 Brooklyn show curated by Dave Chappelle features appearances by the Roots, Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Jill Scott-- but not the Fugees or Kanye. [Geffen; 7.1]

- Casiotone for the Painfully Alone: Etiquette
Owen Ashworth crafts a delicate, affecting soundtrack to life in your mid-twenties. [Tomlab; 7.7]

- Half-Handed Cloud: Halos & Lassos
Asthmatic Kitty artist continues to explore sugary pop, often here with the help of the Omnichord, a vintage synthesizer. [Asthmatic Kitty; 7.0]

- Terrestrial Tones: Dead Drunk
Latest collaboration between roommates and Brooklyn music linchpins Avey Tare (Animal Collective) and Eric Copeland (Black Dice). [Paw Tracks; 6.7]

- Coldcut: Sound Mirrors
Comeback album from the Ninja Tune success story/90s museum pieces. [Ninja Tune; 6.5]


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>> Fri: 03-10-06

- Of Montreal: The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit's Flower / The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy / The Early Four Track Recordings
Polyvinyl reissues a trio of early records from Kevin Barnes' indie pop group-- The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit's Flower, The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy, and Early Four Track Recordings-- all of which were previously issued on Kindercore. [Polyvinyl; 7.5 / 6.0 / 7.1]

- Blondie: Greatest Hits: Sound and Vision
Yet another compilation from the punk-pop greats, this adds a Doors mashup, a few remixes, and, more importantly, a DVD. [EMI; 8.0]

- Kayo Dot / Toby Driver: Dowsing Anemone With Copper Tongue / In the L..L..Library Loft
New album from the Boston art-rockers, as well as a solo turn from their lead singer. [Robotic Empire / Tzadik; 7.7 / 7.3]

- Horns of Happiness: Would I Find Your Psychic Guideline
Secretly Canadian issues this 12"-only, lo-fi side project from Impossible Shapes' Aaron Deer. [Secretly Canadian; 7.3]

- Mikkel Metal: Victimizer
Latest Kompakt release from a producer indebted to post-Basic Channel dub techno. [Kompakt; 7.1]


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>> Thu: 03-09-06

- Various Artists: Not Alone
This 5xCD charity album, co-curated by David Tibet, benefits Doctors Without Borders and features contributions from Devendra Banhart, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Thurston Moore, Coil, Angels of Light, Six Organs of Admittance, Isobel Campbell, and Matmos, among others. [Jnana/Durtro; 7.7]

- Keith Fullerton Whitman: Lisbon
Picking up on the sound and palette of 2002's Playthroughs, the laptop hero presents a 41-minute piece recorded live during an October 2005 performance in the Portuguese capitol. [Kranky; 8.6]

- Magneta Lane: Dancing With Daggers
This Paper Bag-issued debut album is a case study in making the most of a limited musical vocabulary. [Paper Bag; 7.7]

- Carl Craig / Global Communication: Fabric 25 / Fabric 26
Veteran techno acts compile two of the latest entries in the famed London club's mix series. [Fabric; 7.2 / 7.6]

- Ris Paul Ric: Purple Blaze
Former Q and Not U guitarist Chris Paul Richards is accompanied by Tim Hecker on this on his electroacoustic solo debut. [Academy Fight Song; 7.0]


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>> Wed:03-08-06

- Stereolab: Fab Four Suture
Veteran band's 10th full-length makes clear that there is an extremely thin line between revealing your essence and revealing nothing at all. [Too Pure/Beggars Banquet; 6.6]

- Graham Coxon: Love Travels at Illegal Speeds
Like his underrated Happiness in Magazines, the latest from the former Blur guitarist is more accessible guitar pop than art-rock. [Parlophone; 7.0]

- Chihei Hatakeyama: Minima Moralia
Japanese minimalist issues his first solo album after a number of collaborations with like-minded Tokyo improvisers. [Kranky; 8.1]

- Magik Markers: A Panegyric to the Things I Do Not Understand
After a slew of cassettes and homemade CD-Rs this is the first CD release for the volcanic post-hardcore trio. [Gulcher; 7.2]

- Magnet: The Tourniquet
Norwegian singer/songwriter Even Johensen is the latest in the long line of The Bends/Coldplay worshippers. [Filter; 4.1]


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>> Tue:03-07-06

- Neko Case: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
The gifted singer's musical ambitions continue to evolve and take shape; here she removes herself from David Lynch-like narratives and embraces the role of omnipotent storyteller. [Anti-; 7.7]

- I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness: Fear Is on Our Side
On its anticipated debut Secretly Canadian LP, this indie band embraces a reverent, recondite, and stylistically consistent sound. [Secretly Canadian; 7.6]

- James Blackshaw: O True Believers
UK folk-based guitarist fits nicely alongside exceptional talents such as Ben Chasny, Jack Rose, Matt Valentine, and Richard Bishop. [Important; 7.7]

- Living Things: Ahead of the Lions
Imagine the Reid brothers and Wayne Kramer uniting to form JAMC5, but hoping for radio play in the 90s. [Jive; 5.8]

- Society of Rockets: Where the Grass Grows Black
San Francisco band's sophomore album sheds the subdued shoegaze of its debut for a hodgepodge of classic rock flavors. [Underpop; 5.4]


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>> Mon:03-06-06

- Mogwai: Mr. Beast
Scottish post-rock band embraces restraint and shorter song lengths on its economical yet still sometimes powerful new album. [Matador; 6.8]

- Mudhoney: Under a Billion Suns
Veteran grunge holdovers go political on their latest Sub Pop release. [Sub Pop; 6.1]

- Wooden Wand & the Vanishing Voice: Gipsy Freedom
Prolific freak-folk band gets help from Daniel Carter and builds its latest from mosaics of broken jazz and experimental, acoustic guitar. [5RC; 8.4]

- Pansy Division: The Essential
Queercore band gets the compilation treatment with this collection of the best from its 15-plus year career. [Alternative Tentacles; 7.8]

- Kelley Stoltz: Below the Branches
San Francisco musician's self-contained Sub Pop debut is a tightly wound bundle of familiar pop ideas. [Sub Pop; 6.3]


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>> Fri:03-03-06

- Matisyahu: Youth
Hasidic reggae star and frathouse favorite follows last year's star-making SXSW performance and a successful live album with his highly anticipated major-label debut. [JDub/Or/Epic; 4.9]

- Various Artists: Big Apple Rappin'
Soul Jazz comp captures the sounds of New York hip-hop circa 1979-82. [Soul Jazz; 7.0]

- Stone Jack Jones: bluefolk
Hailing from a West Virginia coal-mining family, this singer/songwriter finds lyrical inspiration in Biblical foreboding. [Fictitious; 7.9]

- Why?: Rubber Traits EP
The title track and Elephant Eyelash single is accompanied by three previously unreleased tracks on this anticon release. [anticon; 6.8]

- Souls She Said: As Templar Nites
Icarus Line members do post-punk pastiche on this Dim Mak release. [Dim Mak; 5.4]


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>> Thu:03-02-06

- Belle & Sebastian: LateNightTales
Scottish band curate the latest edition of this venerable comp series, offering a diverse range of selections that includes funk, jazz, soul, hip-hop, lounge, tropicalia, IDM, Afropop, classical, classic rock, and reggae, as well as their own cover of the Brazilian song "Casaco Marron". [Azuli; 6.8]

- Diskaholics Anonymous Trio: Weapons of Ass Destruction / Live in Japan, V.1
Second and third records-- one issued by Smalltown Superjazz, the other by Load-- from a free noise/improv supergroup featuring Thurston Moore, Jim O'Rourke, and Mats Gustafsson. [Smalltown Superjazz / Load; 7.2 / 6.4]

- Catfish Haven: Please Come Back EP
Secretly Canadian debut from this Chicago-based indie band is full of tuneful, passionate singing and lucid songwriting. [Secretly Canadian; 7.6]

- ?uestlove: Babies Makin' Babies 2: Misery Strikes Back...No More Babies
Roots drummer and champion cratedigger follows his BMB mixtape with a sequel that focuses on breakup songs and is appropriately subtitled Misery Strikes Back...No More Babies. [BBE; 7.1]

- New Radiant Storm King: The Steady Hand
Darla band taps into the spirit of spiritlessness, recalling mid-90s slacker-rock artists such as Guided By Voices and Polvo. [Darla; 4.8]


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>> Wed:03-01-06

- Mclusky: Mcluskyism (Expanded Edition) / Mcluskyism
Underrated and now sadly defunct Welsh band collects its A-sides onto an impressive career-spanning record. A 3xCD version of the comp, complete with one disc of B-sides and one of rarities and live tracks, is also available. [Too Pure; 8.4 / 6.1]

- Various Artists: Mews Too: An Asthmatic Kitty Compilation
Label collection features new tracks from Sufjan Stevens, Danielson, Half-Handed Cloud, and Denison Witmer, among others. [Asthmatic Kitty; 6.0]

- Curt Kirkwood: Snow
Former Meat Puppets leader shows his country-rock influences on this austere acoustic record. [Little Dog; 7.2]

- Hank: Ackrill/Venning '91
10-track, 19-minute EP from the sometimes charming DIY indie pop act. [Blocks; 6.8]

- Electric President: Electric President
Florida duo create homespun, earnest electro-pop and, fittingly, are signed to Morr Music. [Morr; 6.7]