Albums added since last update: 8146.

I really need to work at doing these updates more often; 543 pages of album listings is a killer even without Harry Potter Week (this has been sitting around awhile while certain other posts took priority). Also worth noting is that the rollover date for your subscription is not the same day each month, and that the reset happens on Pacific time at the beginning of the day shown, not at the end.

Obligatory Harry Potter Reference

Draco and the Malfoys, Party Like You’re Evil (13)

Featured Releases

Asobi Seksu, self-titled (11) / Citrus (12)

Japanese shoegazer with twee-pop vocals, yum.

Bad Religion, New Maps of Hell (16)

New album! Hard-hitting invective about perpetual war and government malaise, continuing their run ever since returning to home label Epitaph. I wonder what “New Dark Ages” could be about…

Bel Canto, Dorothy’s Victory (13) / Rush (13)

Two of their more difficult-to-find releases (Rush was also released as Images), following the somewhat lackluster - and bargain bin mainstay - Magic Box where, like Dead Can Dance and Kate Bush before them, they moved on from cool medieval landscapes to warm tropical climes. On these, they continue to push a more positive worldbeat vibe than the chilly chamber-rock found on Birds of Passage (11) (the last with co-founder Jenssen who went on to focus on Biosphere) and Shimmering Warm and Bright (10). If Cocteau Twins getting happy after Elizabeth Fraser’s motherhood didn’t put you off, these still have a lot of joy to offer, particularly on Dorothy’s Victory - the concluding “Ladonia” is timeless pop with a bit of Alizée.

DJ Spooky, Rhythm Science (33)

Paul Miller blends his way through the album catalogue of Sub Rosa, mixing beats with sound collage taken from the works of Bill Laswell, Scanner, Seefeel, David Toop, Mouse on Mars and many others while incorporating spoken word from luminaries like James Joyce, William S. Burroughs, ee cummings and Brion Gysin.

Fm3, Pinpan (8)

Electronic minimalism from Beijing-based Christiaan Virant, who was behind the loops for the Buddha Machine.

Jena Malone and Her Bloodstains, Tested Dry (2)

Celebrity albums are usually vanity affairs and sometimes good for a laugh, but some prove that the artist genuinely has some musical talent to offer (e.g. Milla Jovovich’s overlooked eponymous effort). Jena Malone falls into that latter category, adding to her range shown between serious Gretchen Ross in Donnie Darko and silly Lydia Bennett in the most recent Pride & Prejudice. Her music falls somewhere between Feist and the rawer Katie Jane Garside (most recently of Queen Adreena), and this first taste is not a glossy affair but part of a limited indie 7″ series. The two songs are rough, raspy, and rather endearing. (Also see her dance like River Tam at Joe’s Pub.)

Gina Gershon, In Search Of Cleo (10)

Another actress appearance is that by Gina Gershon, who has starred in such weighty fare as Showgirls and Stallone-as-grizzled-racecar-driver masterpiece Driven while somehow retaining a sense of composure and feral grace. Likewise, she manages here a respectable collection of doo-wop, bossa nova, boogie woogie, and torch country - a far cry from the rock/punk roots she showed on the Prey for Rock ‘n Roll soundtrack and touring with Girls Against Boys.

Robin Guthrie and Harold Budd, Before the Day Breaks (9) / After the Night Falls (9)

Following up from their long-ago collaboration Moon and the Melodies , Cocteau Twins’ guitarist Guthrie and ambient pianist Budd (who had previously announced retirement from composing) join forces again for a matching pair of albums featuring trademark anchorless washes of sound punctuated by Budd’s minimal plinking. If you do not mind the absence of a narrative voice like Fraser or Michael Plaster of Soul Whirling Somewhere, these make for very pleasant diversions or backing for those twilight hours invoked in their titles.

Sylvie Lewis, Translations (11)

I took a listen to this out of its curious designation as ‘Americana,’ even though the artist has evidently spent a great deal of time abroad (studying in the UK, living in Switzerland and Italy) and the album written while in Spain. A lovely voice and phrasing that reminds me at times of Aimee Mann, especially on “If It Don’t Come Easy.”

Marsheaux, Peek a Boo (13)

Irrepressible Greek synthpop, first discovered on the Greek Tribute to Depeche Mode (17) with their fresh rendition of “New Life.” Their second album carries a bit more punch than their debut E-Bay Queen (12), and features a cover of 80s mixtape fave, When In Rome’s “The Promise.”

Sarah Nixey, The Black Hit of Space (4)

Black Box Recorder’s Sarah Nixey with a single for the closing track from Sing, Memory (15), itself a cover from Human League’s Travelogue, plus an exclusive acoustic track.

Sinéad O’Connor, Theology (22)

Sinéad is no stranger to controversy, so mixing reverence with hepped-up and reggae-fied adaptations of psalms and Rastafarian prayers should be no great surprise. The first disc is stripped-down and subdued, while the second makes for much more varied listening. eMusic also has an interview with her about the double-album.

Rasputina, Oh Perilous World (11/12)

The cello chamber rock set has changed its focus from the curiously historical to the absurdly contemporary. (Currently missing track #11.)

Robin Rimbaud & Derek Jarman, The Garden Is Full Of Metal (9)

Rimbaud aka Scanner provides an audio homage to multidisciplinary artist Jarman: author, painter, experimental director along with directing videos and tours for the Pet Shop Boys, among others. He kept a quite famous garden near Dungeness power station, although I am not clear on whether it was in fact full of metal. Jarman also had a great legacy of masterpiece soundtracks, with works by Coil (Angelic Conversation, Blue) and Simon Fisher-Turner (Edward II).

St. Vincent, Marry Me (11)

Mentioned in the same vein as Feist and Regina Spektor, St. Vincent also has some moments as a stripped-down Bows (”Land Mines”) with some Kate Bush influences (”Now Now”).

They Might Be Giants, The Else (13)

Latest by the two Johns, although not with the 23-song bonus disc culled from Dial-A-Song performances available with the first pressing.

Yann Tiersen and Shannon Wright, self-titled (10)

French composer for the Amélie soundtrack joins Shannon Wright for cinematic and emotive pop arrangements.

Tom Waits & Kronos Quartet, Diamond In Your Mind (1)

Featured track from the charity album Healing the Divide (9) with 3 more Kronos Quartet collaborations as well as a Philip Glass piece. For similar high/low pairings, check out Gavin Bryars’ masterful Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet - a full composition based on combining “Tramp with Orchestra” and again featuring Tom Waits. Spinner has another free Waits track from the concert.

Free Stuff

Minus Story, A Minus Story Compendium (9)

various, 2007 Pitchfork Festival Sampler (17)

various, Congo (10)

More from Cantos.

See Also

Ammer - Einheit - Haage, Odysseus 7 (24)

Spoken-word space opera from a member of Einstürzende Neubauten.

Badly Drawn Boy, EP1 (5) / EP2 (4)

Bedhead, The Dark Ages (3) / 4song19:30CDEP (4)

Broken Social Scene, Live at Radio Aligre FM (6)

Marina Céleste, Acidulé (12)

Singer for the bossa-nova new wave tribute band Nouvelle Vague. A bit fey on its own, but enjoyable light fare.

Collection D’arnell Andrea, Coll Age 1988-1998 (30)

Galaxee, The Shoemaker (4)

Lisa Germano, Lullaby for Liquid Pig (12)

Gogol Borgello, Super Taranta! (14)

Dig that crazy gypsy jive!

Gore Gore Girls, Get the Gore (14)

Brion Gysin, One Night At The 1001 (10)

Hybrid, I Choose Noise/Sleepwalking Remixes (2)

Ils, Bohemia - Remixes & Exclusives (22)

First 13 tracks are the original Bohemia album.

Kill Hannah, Kennedy (3)

Mixes don’t seem to do much for them, but what hey, it’s Kill Hannah.

Ministry, Rio Grand Dub(ya) (10)

Dub revisitations of Rio Grande Blood (11).

Pete Namlook, Russian Spring (13)

I haven’t listened to much Namlook (and initially confused him with Pieter Nooten, who collaborated with Michael Brook), but this work with the New Composers caught my attention (Part 6 has some nuances of Paul Haslinger).

Astor Piazzolla, Ensayos (12)

Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (10)

Stars, In Our Bedroom After the War (13)

Wax Poetic, Swing Swing (4)

Way Out West, Killa (2)

OST/Hal Hartley, Fay Grim (21)

OST/various, Blade Trinity (12)

The first two Blade soundtracks had some gems, haven’t really given this one a thorough going-over yet.

Value

Steve Roach, Places Beyond/Lost Pieces 4 (8)

Steve Roach, Holding the Space: Fever Dreams II (7)

usr/sbin, Music From Second Life (4)

Extra points for sheer geek cred (although the album really ought to be called something like ’sendmail’ or ‘cron’).

Best Album Title Pun

Mark Sultan, The Sultanic Verses (11)

Bonus for the cover’s sexy ninja eyes (nevermind that it’s probably meant to be a niqāb) and naming a track “Unicorn Rainbow Odyssey.”

Runner-up: Lez Zeppelin

Cover looks like a mash-up of a phoenix and the myth of Leda and the swan.

Tribute Corner
Taliesin Orchestra, Thread of Time (Best Of Enya) (11)

They also take a turn at hymns on Sacred (10).

Pickin’ On, Songs Made Famous by The Simpsons (14)

In honor of their recent movie premiere.

Vitamin String Quartet, Celtic Woman (11)

Cover versions of a Celtic tribute show. How fractal.

Vitamin String Quartet, Modern Wedding Collection (12)

If nothing else, there is something intriguing about the use of the Pixies’ “Here Comes Your Man” as a possible wedding processional.