Albums added in April: 10,769

I hope you got your Rolling Stones fix last month, since they’ve now been stripped out of the catalog for “events outside of our control” according to eMusic. This reversal is part of a larger issue affecting eMusic’s catalogue, which invisibly loses some portion of its releases even as it publicly reveals all of new additions. Just among the artists I note below, at least one is a repost of an album by Future Sound of London that had previously been offered and then removed at some point, plus all of Ladytron’s albums apart from the new “Ghosts” single have likewise vanished. The unfortunate lesson is that you can’t assume that your “Save for Later” selections will actually still be there when you have the downloads to spare.

Featured Selections

Brian Cachia, Gabriel (23)

A comparatively high-quality if low-budget Australian movie that asks the burning question, “what if Archangels were sent to Purgatory as mortals in order to save souls with guns and kung fu?” The score by Brian Cachia is atmospheric in a Craig Armstrong vein, with piano and choral parts layered over beats and occasional guitar. As typical for a score, many are short mood pieces that don’t have a lot of time to build, but I’d recommend at least trying the Opening Titles, Sin Factory Battle, Angel Eulogy, and Conclusion.

Paul Hartnoll, Ideal Condition (9)

Formerly one half of Orbital, Paul Hartnoll compiles a softer mix of orchestral-influenced electronica with largely female vocals that actually runs closer to Conjure One or even trip-hop than the hardbeat of his former gig. The Cure’s Robert Smith guests on “Please”.


Ministry, Cover Up (14)

Having released the ‘last Ministry album’ with The Last Sucker, this collection of covers is actually billed under Ministry & Co Conspirators so one could imagine the same kind of semantic rebooting when KMFDM became MDFKM. The album is simply Ministry blazing through a series of classic rock staples like Rolling Stones’ “Under My Thumb,” T.Rex’ “Bang a Gong,” Golden Earring’s “Radar Love,” etc. You have your Doors, Black Sabbath, even the unlikely Louis Armstrong with a grating “What A Wonderful World” (in 3 versions, no less), ending with an a capella riff on “Stigmata.” It sounds more or less exactly how you would think Ministry covering these songs would, which will either commit you to an instant download or giving it a wide berth.

Orbital, Blue Album (9)

Another swan song, Blue Album is far from Orbital’s finest work. Some tracks like “Tunnel Vision” are decent enough, but the only real standout is the closing “One Perfect Sunrise” which joins them with the incomparable Lisa Gerrard. Nevertheless, even a middling Orbital record is still worth having.

Martina Topley-Bird, Quixotic (13)

Out from under Tricky’s wing, Martina Topley-Bird released her debut 5 years ago as Quixotic. Bizarrely, for the US release they waited a year, changed the name to Anything, replaced the cover, changed the play order, renamed “Intro” to “Outro” and dropped 3 songs (”Lying”, “I Wanna Be There”, and “Stevie’s (Days of a Gun)” - the only collaboration with Tricky). Previously it’s been an expensive proposition to track down the full original release, which I felt had a better flow. The genre still trends towards trip-hop, but without any the harsh edges that Tricky adopted after Maxinquaye, and with more influences from blues, gospel and downtempo.

Underworld, Oblivion With Bells (11)

Another recent release from an electronic titan that betrays some of their age. Rather than simply continue on the trend set by 2002’s A Hundred Days Off, Oblivion With Bells harkens more back to their earliest efforts with Dubnobasswithmyheadman, which I recall panning quite snidely in a review for a college radio station (it grew on me later). Like Orbital’s Blue Album, it may not stand out as their finest work, but it’s a solid addition to their plutonic catalogue.

See Also

Barry Adamson, Back to the Cat (10)

Aphex Twin, Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (13)

Apocalyptica, Apocalyptica (11)
-, Amplified (15+11)

Apples in Stereo, Electronic Projects for Musicians (14)

The Autumns, Fake Noise from a Box of Toys (12)

Autumn’s Grey Solace, Ablaze (11)

Björk, Wanderlust (4)
-, Declare Independence (4)
-, Earth Intruders Club Remix (5)
-, Innocence (4)

CJ Bolland, The 4th Sign (9)

Gavin Bryars, Hommages (6)

Cruachan, The Morrigan’s Call (12)
-, Pagan (13)
-, Folk-Lore (10)
-, A Celtic Legacy (14)
-, The Middle Kingdom (11)

Celtic trad. gone metal

Cut Copy, In Ghost Colours (15)

Dirty Three, Whatever You Love You Are (6)

Fischerspooner, The Best Revenge (3)
-, Danse en France (4)

Future Sound of London, Papua New Guinea Translations (8) [repost]

Gabriel & Dresden, Tracking Treasure Down (3)

Kirsty Hawkshaw, Reason to Forgive (2)
-, Outsiders (2)

Hooverphonic, Perfect Dose (1)

I Am Kloot, Play Moolah Rouge (10)

Information Society, Don’t Be Afraid (10)

In Strict Confidence, Where Sun and Moon Unite (10)

Ken Ishii, Jelly Tones (8)

Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, Ka’Ano’i (10)

Kristine W., The Boss (12)

Ladytron, Ghosts (4)

Legendary Pink Dots, Stained Glass Soma Fountain (12+10)
-, Poppy Variations (8)
-, Canta Mientras Puedas (13)
-, It’s Raining In Heaven (7)
-, Faces in the Fire (6)

Among frankly way too many more to list, not even counting solo releases under Edward Ka-Spel or just Ka-Spel.

April March and Steve Hanft, Magic Monsters (10)

Holly McNarland, Chin Up Buttercup (12)

Colin Meloy, Sings Live! (17)

Katie Melua, Shy Boy (3)

Moloko, Things to Make and Do (18)

Muslimgauze, Dome of the Rock (7)
-, Sufiq (9)
-, Fakir Sind (10)
-, Hand of Fatima (6)
-, Speaker of Turkish (6)

Nina Nastasia & Jim White, What She Doesn’t Know (2)

Michael Nyman, Mozart 252 (11)

OMD, Architecture and Morality and More Live (13)

Planet P Project, Levittown (13)

Rapoon, Raising Earthly Spirits (7)

Happy Rhodes, Building the Colossus (12)
-, Find Me (11)
-, The Keep (14)

William Shatner, Exodus: An Oratorio in Three Parts (3)

Kirk does opera? Shatner contributes his trademark delivery as narrator, but the oratorio itself is composed by David Itkin and performed by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.

Vonda Shepard, By 7:30 (13)

Spoon, Don’t You Evah (8)

The Surfaris, Wipe Out (10)

Tying Tiffany, Undercover (13)

Bleep-pop with some of the same effervescent vocals as Freezepop or a PG-rated Peaches, and a bit of the anarchic energy of Atari Teenage Riot. But what exactly does she mean, “I wanna be your MP3″?

soundtrack, Frankenstein the Rock Opera (35)

soundtrack, Guys and Dolls - original studio cast (13+15)

soundtrack, My Fair Lady - original studio cast (18)

soundtrack, West Side Story - original cast recording (12+12)

Favorite Names: Artist Name Pun

The Count of Monte Cristal, EP2 (4)

Favorite Names: Artist Name Referencing Dune

Tleilaxu, Gene Therapy (11)

Favorite Names: Making the Best of a Comics Inheritance

Charles Xavier, The Xman Cometh (10)

Seems his name really is Charles Xavier. Woe betide the poor schlub saddled with Clark Kent, though.

Free

The Postmarks, By the Numbers - 4 (1)

Spoken Word

William S. Burroughs, A Spoken Breakdown (14)

Tribute Corner

DJ Dado, DJ Dado (16)

With trance mixes of theme songs like X-Files, Mission Impossible, and Twin Peaks.

Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Beatles Instrumental Renditions (20)

The Soundalikes, Abba Tribute Gold Edition (20)

Vitamin String Quartet, Gothic Wedding Collection (15)
-, Rock ‘n Roll Wedding Collection (15)
-, Strung Out on Indie Rock Vol 1 (10)

various, Forever 80’s (11+17)

Value

Mickey Hart, Henry Wolff & Nancy Hennings, Yamantaka (5)

Mon Roe, Hemi-Sync series

Nurse With Wound, Rock ‘n’ Roll Station (7)
-, She and Me Fall Together in Free Death (6)
-, Stereo Wasteland (3)
-, Angry Eelectric Finger 1 (2)
-, Angry Eelectric Finger 2 (5)

Rapoon, Church Road (4)