New Release Tuesday: Castanets & Hauschka
Also out (and highly recommended) this week: Lambchop's OH (Ohio), Juana Molina's Una Dia, Spinto Band's Moonwink and Brian Eno & Robert Fripp's Evening Star reissue.
Ray Raposa decided to record his next Castanets album -- the fourth full length for Asthmatic Kitty -- in a small Nevada town last year while on the road. Hunkering down in a locally owned motel in a no-stoplight town just north of Vegas, he proceeded to write the fifteen songs that wound up City of Refuge with minimal input from the outside world. The album's ducking and weaving, interlaced with brief interludes and unmistakably Western guitar nuance, suggest a sort of noir-western film dominated with murky, complex characters and low lighting. Overdubs and additions by friends Jana Hunter, Sufjan Stevens, Dawn Smithson (Jessamine, Sunn O))))), Scott Tuma (Souled American, Boxhead Ensemble), and co-producer Ero Gray were added later, but the essence of the record rings clear: stillness, solitude and obedient attention to detail pervade.
Castanets [Official] [MySpace]
Dusseldorf-based pianist/composer Volker Bertelmann, aka Hauschka, is a favorite around here. His last record, Room to Expand, made our list of 2007 dark horses, and Ferndorf seems destined for equal admiration. Bertelmann has continued experimenting with his prepared piano, but this album finds him scratching on bells, scraping on cellos and generally jostling with noisemakers in general to form an incredibly warm, earthy sounding collection of pieces. Many songs feature and deeply-rooted string duo, creating an interesting counterbalance between the prepared piano's intermittent reliability and the stable, open chords of the strings. He began with a decidedly anti-establishment approach to composition, and this record sees him taking small steps toward real melody, harmony and complimentary ensemble parts, all the while relishing in the bright, avant aspects of the approach to his instrument. Watch the video for "Eltern" here.
Agathe Max: This Silver String
All-American Rejects: Move Along (vinyl)
Amanda Palmer: Who Killed Amanda Palmer (vinyl)
Annuals: Such Fun (vinyl)
Antony & The Johnsons: Another World EP (vinyl)
Bella Morte : Beautiful Death
Big & Rich: Big & Rich's Super Galactic Fan Pak, Vol. 2
Black Sabbath: Dehumanizer (remastered) (vinyl)
Black Sabbath: Heaven & Hell (remastered) (vinyl)
Black Sabbath: Live Evil (remastered) (vinyl)
Black Sabbath: Mob Rules (remastered) (vinyl)
Bob Dylan: Tell Tale Signs: the Bootleg Series Vol. 8 (deluxe edition)
Brian Eno & Robert Fripp: Evening Star (reissue)
Brian Eno & Ribert Fripp: No Pussyfooting
Brian Setzer Orchestra: The Ultimate Christmas Collection
Castanets: City of Refuge (vinyl)
Catfish Haven: Devastator (vinyl)
Charlie Pickett: Bar Band Americanus: The Best of Charlie Pickett And...
The Clash: Live at Shea Stadium
Crooked Fingers: Forfeit/Fortune (with DVD)
Cruiserweight: Big Bold Letters
Crystal Antlers: Crystal Antlers EP (reissue)
CYNE: Pretty Dark Things
Damon Aaron: Highlands (vinyl)
Daniel Martin Moore: Stray Age
Deerhoof: Offend Maggie (vinyl)
Department of Eagles: In Ear Park (vinyl)
Devin the Dude: Hi Life
Devin the Dude: Landing Gear (vinyl)
Duncan Lloyd: Seeing Double (import)
Earthless: Live At Roadburn
El Guincho: Alegranza (reissue)
Elliott Yamin: My Kind of Holiday
Eulogies: Tempted To Do Nothing EP
Ezra Furman and the Harpoons: Inside The Human Body
F*cked Up: The Chemistry of Common Life (vinyl)
The Gaslight Anthem: Sink or Swim (vinyl)
George Strait: Classic Christmas
Godhead: At the Edge of the World
Grails: Doomsdayer's Holiday
Gregory & The Hawk: Moenie and Kitchi
Hauschka: Ferndorf
Her Space Holiday: XOXO, Panda and The New Kid Revival
Hot Lava: Lavalogy
I Set My Friends on Fire: Those We Leave Behind
Japanese Motors: Japanese Motors (vinyl)
Jay Nash: The Things You Think You Need
Jay Reatard: Matador Singles '08 (vinyl)
Jolie Holland: The Living and the Dead
Juana Molina: Un Dia
Julian Koster: Singing Saw at Christmastime
Justin Townes Earle: The Good Life
Kate Gaffney: The Coachman
King Tuff: Was Dead (vinyl)
KMFDM: Extra - Volume 3
Lambchop: OH (ohio)
Land of Talk: Some Are Lakes (vinyl)
The Legendary Pink Dots: Plutonium Blonde
Little Ones: Morning Tide
Lou Reed: Berlin (Original Soundtrack)
Mannheim Steamroller: Christmasville
Margot and the Nuclear So and So's: Animal! (vinyl)
Margot and the Nuclear So and So's: Not Animal
Mariane Faithfull: Live at the BBC (import)
Marnie Stern: This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That
Matt Hires: Live From The Hotel Café EP
MF Doom: Operation Doomsday (reissue) (vinyl)
Michelle Williams: Unexpected
Mt. Eerie: Lost Wisdom
New Radiant Storm King: Drinking in the Moonlight
Notwist: Boneless (vinyl single)
Oasis: Dig Out Your Soul (with bonus DVD) (2-LP vinyl)
Pale Young Gentlemen: Black Forest (tra la la)
Paul Heaton: The Cross Eyed Rambler
The Pretenders: Break Up the Concrete
Pretty & Nice: Get Young
Primeridian: Da Mornin Afta
Rachael Yamagata: Teeth Sinking Into Heart (vinyl)
Rig 1: Above the Tree Line West of the Periodic
Rise Against: Appeal to Reason
Robin Guthrie: 3:19 Bande Originale du Film (soundtrack)
Rosebuds: Life Like (vinyl)
Sarah McLachlan: Closer (2-CD deluxe edition)
Say Anything: ...Is a Real Boy (vinyl)
Senses Fail: Life Is Not a Waiting Room
Skeletons: Money (vinyl)
Slaraffenland: Sunshine EP
Spinto Band: Moonwink (vinyl)
Squeeze: The Complete BBC Sessions (import)
The Status: So This Is Progress
The Streets: Everything Is Borrowed (vinyl)
Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Secrets of the Sun
Tesla: Forever More
These Are Powers: Taro Tarot
These Are Powers: Terrific Seasons
These Arms Are Snakes: Tail Swallower and Dove (vinyl)
Various Artists: Otto: Or, Up With Dead People (soundtrack) (vinyl)
Various Artists: XL Recordings: The First Chapters
Women: Women (vinyl)
Wu-Tang Clan: Soundtracks From the Shaolin Temple
Yo! Majesty: Futuristically Speaking…
