Microstoria / model 3, step 2 / Thrill Jockey Talk about macro/micro. While listening to these tracks, I don't really hear much form, just abstract sounds. Lots of electronic clicks and pops, assorted buzzes, quiet squeaks and once in a while a noisy drum sound, but distant, like it's coming from a deluxe apartment in the sky-y. Quiet, pretty sounds, but not much to get a hold on. But wait! Why did that track end exactly at the right place? Why do I keep remembering this particular assortment of bleeps and crackles and noodly synth lines...more» FEATURED ON THE BOOMBOX!
		The Mountain Goats / The Coroner's Gambit / Absolutely Kosher Darnielle's lyrics shift at will from poetry worthy of Robert Frost to cloying pop-culture references. In "Trick Mirror", he tells us that "blood will run through the streets of Rome today and roll across the ocean." In "Scotch Grove" he relates that he keeps hearing the same Leann Rimes song over and over, and he hates it. How welcome is it that an artist in this genre, who sings so masterfully that his "garden will grow so high... that I will be completely hidden", in "Island Garden Song", can then nonchalantly name-drop Maria Callas in "Horseradish Road"...more» FEATURED ON THE BOOMBOX!
		Various Artists / The My Pal God Holiday Record 2 / My Pal God Following the cheesy seventies goofiness of Emperor Penguin's "Erotic Xmas (Home for the Holograms)", the Joshua Falken Trio's "Ornament" paints an evocative picture of the holidays, echoed by Pedal's Kitchens of Distinction-y "On Xmas Day". Neutrino and Del Rey take their own approach to holiday classics, with Del Rey's guitar-epic version of "Nutcracker Overture/Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy" making a strong impression...more» FEATURED ON THE BOOMBOX!
		Caspar Brötzmann / Mute Massaker / Thirsty Ear Brötzmann (now accompanied by Robert Dammig on drums and Ottmar Seum on bass) is as transcendent as ever. The title track, which opens the album, begins with a soft feedback hum, which Brötzmann uses as a foundation for gentle plucks that gradually build into a screeching howl that pours forth the same naked perfection Hendrix invented. Slowly, gently, the bass and drums make themselves known with a subliminal patter running beneath this guitar ecstasy...more»
		Go Kart Mozart / Instant Wigwam and Igloo Mixture / Cherry Red Bands like the very good Pooh Sticks have entertained similar aspirations, but Go Kart Mozart are a step above them thanks to Lawrence Heyward's satirical gifts, wordplay ("Hip Op" is about the Queen after a hip operation, not his take on that musical genre) and deft use of lyrical juxtaposition. While "Here is a Song" is a simple but amazing sing-along that would make a perfect number one tune "for you to sing", Go Kart Mozart's tracks often live or die by whether you're paying attention the lyrics...more»
		Various Artists / God-Stripe Gum / Animatronic Just when you thought the world had plum run out of blasphemy, along comes this heretically titled collection of pop-punk gems from Austin, Texas. Peppered with twenty-three tracks split between half as many bands, God-Stripe Gum reveals the glistening, DIY underbelly of Austin music. While the shadows of Stevie Ray Vaughn and Willie Nelson continue to capture the popular imagination of what Texas music is all about, the bands herein tell a different story...more»
		Ski Oakenfull / Life Changes / Sony Ski remixed an album with Gilles Peterson and played keyboards for Raw Stylus; both are artists who successfully created great house and acid jazz. Given his background, you might expect Oakenfull to serve up more of the same, considering the high acclaim those records received. Instead, he moves away from those styles in favor of a more laid-back disco/electronica sound that's sophisticated, relaxed and soothing; track four is called "Serotonin", which would have made an appropriate name for the record...more»
		Primitive Radio Gods / White Hot Peach / What Are Records? The terms of White Hot Peach's release are interesting in their own right. In lieu of a massive barrage of little plastic cases stacked to infinity in your local record shop, the band has decided to release the album, at least for the time being, as a free MP3 download from their own website (or via the notorious MP3 dumping ground that is Napster). It's an attempt to test the album's viability in today's oversaturated, cuddly pop fixated market. Luckily for them, the Primitive Radio Gods have the tunes to cover their bet...more»
		The Winter Blanket / Hopeless Lullaby / Plow City At first, you might think Hopeless Lullaby is Leonard Cohen in disguise, so low and throaty are Doug Miller's vocals. Stephanie Noble's childlike voice seems to dissolve that theory, while the melody -- a combination of snail-paced acoustic guitar and subtle, Beatles-derived electric detail provided by Low's Alan Sparhawk -- could go either way. In this case, the vocals finish early, leaving the song to grow into a modest rock piece. "There is Nothing to Worry About" continues the uptempo swing, creating a light, almost bouncy song with only a touch of wistfulness...more»
		Zulu as Kono / Zulu as Kono II / Perverted Son Named after a credit line on Hawaii Five-0, Zulu as Kono has evolved into its present state conveniently equipped with two guitars, two basses, one drummer and the illustrious ape-like antics of Tyler Harwood, the band's mouthpiece, who gives new meaning to the name "band frontman". Zulu crosses moody noise-rock (think Rodan or Slug) with a unique Austin blend of obtuse sonic oddities soaked in beer, packed into the nearest pipe and irresponsibly inhaled...more»