Earth-The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull

Crystal Castles-Crystal Castles

El Guincho-Alegranza


Much like the beginning of last year, I am being inundated wih amazing new music to share. In the next number of days I hope to be able to get as much of it up as possible. This is a good jumping off point as many of you will have no doubt been tipped off to this one by Pitchforkmedia by now. I'm wary of typing that, as it may automatically turn the few of you I know who don't keep regular tabs on that website (a belief I totally understand and respect). But believe me your distaste for Pitchfork's multitude of shortcomings might very well be trumped by your future love for the 40 minutes of ear-orgy contained in Alegranza.

I have been known to wax poetic on the virtues of artists such as M.I.A. and Panda Bear in the past. Particularly in my ardent belief that they are pioneering new ground in pop music to mythic proportions and helping to usher in, for the first time in pop music's history, a true global musical tradition. Well, you can add El GUincho's Alegranza to that list.

Totally refreshing, celebratory, psychedelic, innovative song-writing with all the familiar DNA that makes pop music so appealing.

highly recommended!!!

Coming soon... Bradford Cox and Cole Alexander Ghetto Cross, French divas Yelle and Lykke Li, and the band I've been freaking out more than any other this year, SALEM.

High Places- 03/07-09/07

Franco Battiato-Fetus


Franco Battiato is an italian experimental songwriter. He began his career covering Italian pop songs in the 1960's. In 1970 he collaborated with infamous Italian psych act Osage Tribe. Soon after, his music took a decided turn towards the experimental side of pop song-writing. Franco's music became increasingly minimal and began to incorporate electronic elements. The three albums Fetus (1970), Pollution (1972), and Clic (1974) aptly represent his gradual shift from experimental pop not entirely removed from the tradition of Os Mutantes and even Brian Eno into something more akin to minimalism and musique concrete.

Guilty Simpson-Ode To The Ghetto

Clinic-Do It!



password: no-datta.blogspot.com

MGMT-Oracular Spectacular

The Lollipop Shoppe- Just Colour

you must be a witch...

Hot Chip-Made in the Dark

boa constrictor & natural vine- s/t

stoned weirdo pseudo-hippy acid folk meanderings, like roky erikson meeting up with the fugs to go on a cough syrup picnic with the incredible string band.

puffy areolas- double live evil

heavy krautsploitation & back to ohio blues... total damage.

Clark-Turning Dragon

Did you just see what I saw!?!?

Radiohead's live set at some club across the street from Rough Trade Records in London? !?!?

HOLY EFF!! this is gonna be the best summer EVER!!

Howard Tate-Get It While You Can

Cat Power-Jukebox
Cat Power-Jukebox

note: this is the full album and bonus disc NOT the advance version that has been floating around for awhile with the ends of the songs cut off.

Xiu Xiu-Women As Lovers

16 Bitch Pile Up- Satanic Student Bible
old school evil noise from the OH ex-pat queens of noise. as the ladies themselves told me, "never name your band when you're drunk".

Moondog- The Viking of Sixth Avenue
i'm so glad the world has finally caught up to Moondog.

Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band- The Brown Star Sessions
good & raw versions of the songs that are limp and lifeless on the Captain's many wack-as-fuck 70s albums. a lot of instrumental stuff, but also some excellent work by the Captain. the Magic Band takes things back to Mirror Man-era scruffy raga blues rock on amazing tracks like Dirty Blue Jean pt II (which rocks my world like the Fire Engines buried under a mountain of rockabilly records).

Arcesia- Reachin'

40s big band crooner moves to California during the late 60s, drops acid and creates this bizarre "psychedelic rock" album. priceless strangeness from the 'real people with real damage' department.

joe meek & the blue men- i hear a new world

Jobriath- Jobriath

Zolar X wasn't the only American glam act to get lost on the path to glittery superstardom. The US was just not ready for androgynous alien space boys on American Bandstand in 1973... On his 1st self titled album, Jobriath delivers some absurdly pompous glam rock that almost out-Bowies Bowie with an extra mix of David Johansen sneer. He sleazes his way through some Spiders from Mars style rockers and some laughable ballads like the unforgettable "Space Clown". my favorite tracks are probably the pseudo-revolutionary "World Without End" and the Thin White Duke stylings of "Earthling"(chorus: "I have to know why you do the things you do/ I wanna examine you/Oooh!"). i have no doubt that Wayne County and friends were spinning this one a lot while working the NYC leather scene. if you enjoy this, you should check out his rock opera "Creatures of the Street" for even more absurdity.