Honest Jon's third compilation of early 78s from the EMI Hayes Archive is an eclectic survey of the collection, spanning enough time and geography to cover a lifetime of travel. The selections date from 1903 to 1957 and cross the globe many times over. No dull history lesson, this is vibrant music of uncommon beauty.
Hotter than July. This week's episode has plenty of fresh new music by Marie Davidson, Kim Gordon, Mabe Fratti, Guided By Voices, Holy Tongue meets Shackleton, Softcult, Terence Fixmer, Alan Licht, pigbaby, and Eiko Ishibashi, plus some vault goodies from Bombay S Jayashri and Pete Namlook & Richie Hawtin. Solstice moon in West Midlands, UK photo by James. Get involved: subscribe, review, rate, share with your friends, send images!
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Eyeless in Gaza's latest release is a two-album set bundled in a colorful and lavish hinged box. The discs each come in an oversized, book-bound jacket and, along with a thick lyric booklet, make for an impressive package. It's a shame, then, that the music isn't nearly so stunning as the presentation.
After the dissolution of the Incredible String Band in 1975, co-founder Robin Williamson relocated in Los Angeles and began writing songs for what would become his second solo album after 1972's Myrrh. Recruiting members for his Merry Band, Williamson returned to Celtic and British traditions to create songs of mood-based storytelling. In addition to the album proper, this reissue includes ten previously unreleased demos cut with Stan Schneir of latter-day ISB that are every bit as good as the album itself.
Boston-native Daniel Lopatin produces a unique and gripping, but nebulous brand of ambient-noise. His proclivities span the spectrum from hazy, drone-like tones and noise orchestras to heavily sequenced and layered synthesizer pieces reminiscent of nature documentaries and Boards of Canada. The integration of these two approaches gives Betrayed in the Octagon an uneasy feel, like a science fiction nightmare come to life.
On their much-anticipated follow-up to Cryptograms, Deerhunter are mellower but more focused than ever. A greater transparency in their songwriting reveals tighter arrangements and considerable restraint in their use of strange textures and ambient noises, instead saving them and their loud guitars for moments of maximum dramatic impact. Relying on clarity rather than obfuscation, they manage the rare feat of evolution without sacrificing their unique qualities in the process.
The two discs in this collection make up the full soundtrack to the film by CS Leigh of the same name. As Ikeda's first film soundtrack, it comprises not only the actual musical elements, but ambient sound as well. Even without the visual accompaniment, the music and sound create a vivid picture, but unfortunately Ikeda's work seems to be underrepresented in the overall mix. 
As one of the co-founders of the Raster-Noton label, Olaf Bender, a.k.a. Byetone, is no stranger to the cold, clinical school of electronic music that his label is known for. However, on this album he takes a somewhat more organic, less esoteric approach that is both danceable, and strangely dissonant.
Deer Tick's reissue has a couple of absolute gems and new cover art cleverly suggesting that they seek a rewardingly unfashionable sound midway between The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Mountain Goats.
Boston's Keith Kenniff is a frustratingly saccharine composer with plenty of talent but little equilibrium. His sober, painstakingly crafted arrangements are gorgeous hymns to the idea of beauty itself, at least in theory. In reality, some of his work is just a bit too stiff and composed for my ears.
The title of this album couldnt possibly be more descriptive: using only audio recordings of Cosey Fanni Tutti’s voice, COH (a.k.a. Ivan Pavlov) uses her as an instrument. Small fragments of voice become melodious elements, phonemes become drums, and the smallest syllables are shaped into synthesizers. The result is an electronic work that simultaneously manages to be beautifully organic and completely alien.
