Albums added in May: 13,572

Featured Selections

Aphex Twin, Classics (13)

Early works by Richard D. James are more emblematic of his AFX moniker than later squelch-hop compositions as the Twin. While we wait on Warp to release those later works, this is a welcome addition to the Selected Ambient Works collection already available. Particular standouts include the tranceful “Digeridoo” and upbeat “Polynomial-C.”


Firewater, The Golden Hour (13)

We’ve seen a renaissance of superlative Eastern European-influenced indie lately (Beirut, Gogol Bordello, Yeasayers), which makes the return of Firewater less urgent but still very welcome. Five years after their last proper album (2004’s Songs We Should Have Written was built from covers), former Cop Shoot Cop frontman Tod A. introduces further-East influences from his nomadic travels through India, Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia as well as some pointed political invective more reminescent of his “angry period” with CSC.

Radiohead, In Rainbows (10)

Much has been made of the manner of the online distribution for In Rainbows, less about the album itself except that it represents a more accessible palette after some of the freakout experiments of Amnesiac and Kid A. Along with the much-remarked-upon online giveaway, what’s also notable about the album is the sheer ubiquity of its distribution. Contrary to the normal split between the Big Four labels appearing only on services like iTunes and Amazon while the ‘independents’ find outlets at eMusic and others. Yet Radiohead has somehow maneuvered no less than Warner to allow their cross-sales of this release across all of the major online services as well as normal distribution. Hopefully this is a sign of the narrowing of the divide, but in the interim, take full advantage now if you missed the earlier “as cheap as free” offer. (Note that this is the 256-bit CBR version of the album, among the highest available through eMusic I’ve seen.)

Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, Born Into Trouble As The Sparks Fly Upwards (8)
-, Horses in the Sky (6)

Completing the catalogue for the Godspeed! You Black Emperor offshoot The Silver Mt. Zion [insert twee suffix] ‘chamber rock’ collective. Born Into Trouble… is the gem here, with an unhurried majesty that slowly breaks into sparkling vistas.

Hector Zazou, Corps Electriques (9)

Master collaborator Zazou joins with Katie Jane Garside (Daisy Chainsaw, Queen Adreena), Bill Rieflin (Ministry, R.E.M.), Lone Kent, and Nils Petter Molvaer for a more band-like effort compared with earlier compilations of guest vocalists.

See Also

16 Horsepower, Live March 2001 (10+8)

Apocalyptica, Cult (14)

Natacha Atlas, Ana Hina (12)

Attrition, All Mine Enemys Whispers (7)

Banarama, Careless Whispers (2)

Barenaked Ladies, Snacktime (24)

The Bats (Jon Brion), How Pop Can You Get? (13)

Black Tape for a Blue Girl, the best of… (13)

Brother Sun Sister Moon, Luminous (14)

Gavin Bryars, A Man in a Room Gambling (10)
-, Biped - Music for the Dance by Merce Cunningham (6)
-, Lockerbie Memorial Concert (14)
-, A Listening Room (9)
-, On Photography (10)

Tony Carey, A Lonely Life (18)

Solo efforts by frontman for Planet P Project.

Cherry Poppin Daddies, Susquehanna (13)

Cylon, Battlestar EP (2)

The Egg, Forwards (11)

Eggs, Eggs Teenbeat 96 Exploder (24)

Final Fantasy, He Poos Clouds (10)
-, Has A Good Home (15)

Firefox Ak, If I Were A Melody (12)

Paul Giovanni, The Wicker Man (27)

Eerie soundtrack to the original film.

I Am Kloot, Play Moolah Rouge (10)

Jesca Hoop, Kismet (11)

Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers, Ultimate Jive Bunny Party (9+5)

Straightforward megamixes, notably Swing the Mood.

Spike Jones, Cocktails for Two (24)

Junkie XL, Cities in Dust (6)

Remade from the Siouxsie & The Banshees hit.

Matmos, Supreme Balloon (8)

Melodyguild, Aitu (4)

Modey Lemon, Season of Sweet (9)

Mogwai, Young Team - Remastered (10+9)

Morcheeba, Gained the World (4)

Nightwish, Angels Fall (16)
-, Oceanborn (15)
-, Wishmaster (14)

Three slices of pop-friendly goth metal.

Michael Nyman, And Do They Do - Zoo Caprices (13)

P.D.Q. Bach, The Jekyll and Hyde Tour (29)

Piano Magic, Disaffected (10)

Poi Dog Pondering, In Seed Comes Fruit (12)

Scanner, Lauwarm Instrumentals (6)
-, Mass Observation (4)
-, Messe (13)
-, Nemesis (9)
-, The Radiance of a Thousand Suns (7)
-, Sound For Spaces (9)
-, Sulphur (6)
-, Stopstarting (9)
-, Warhol’s Surface (9)

Steve Roach & Jeffrey Fayman, Trance Spirits (7)

Suicidal Tendencies, Freedumb (14)

Sunscreem, Broken English (8)
-, When (9)

Thee Silver Mount Reveries, Pretty Little Lightning Paw (4)

TransGlobal Underground, Moonshout (14)

Tsunami, Deep End (13)

Steve Vai, The Elusive Light & Sound (40)

Including segments from Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (9-16?).

Vampire Weekend, Oxford Comma (2)

Voyager One, Afterhours in the Afterlife (10)

Windsor for the Derby, How We Lost (10)

various, Tokyopop Presents J-Rock Vol 1 (12)

soundtrack, Grand Theft Auto IV: Vladivostok FM (16)

Free

The Impossible Shapes, 9 (8)

The Postmarks, By the Numbers - 5 (1)

Tribute Corner

Abba Alstars, 20 Golden Hits (20)

The London Theatre Orchestra and Cast
The New Musical Cast

New renditions of numerous classic and modern musicals.

Piano Tribute Conservatory, Piano Tribute to Alvin and the Chipmunks (4)

Just in case you wanted to answer the question, “what would schtick musical comedy sound like without the schtick?” by remaking instrumental versions of songs based on chipmunk-speed vocals.

Pickin’ On, Bluegrass Tribute to Classic Rock (14)
-, Pickin’ on Classic Rock (14)

Pink Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd Instrumental Renditions (21)

Tribute to the Sims, Songs in the Key of Simlish (9)

Value

Steve Roach, A Deeper Silence (1)