Tuesday, September 30, 2008

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Madlib, Ani, Dungen, Medeski Martin & Wood and more!

TERRY CALLIER What Color Is Love CD
*** "Essential, classic album! Epic, melancholic folky soul produced & arranged by cult producer Charles Stepney! A masterpiece! Highly recommended!"

CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL Green River CD
*** "40th anniversary edition! Digitally remastered with rare and previously unreleased bonus tracks, expanded liner notes, rare photos and more."

ANI DIFRANCO Red Letter Year CD
*** "Ani Difranco says, 'I've got myself a new mantra: Don't forget to have a good time.' This attitude has clearly influenced the dozen tunes on Red Letter Year, which celebrate existence, profess love and tackle thorny political issues with an infectious sense of glee. It's one of Ani's most joyous records to date."

DUNGEN 4 CD
*** "4 extends Dungen's sound past psychedelia into something far more rare. Blazing, raw guitar workouts have their own time and place, but now, so do stirringly orchestrated, jazz-cooled compositions with cinematic undertones. This is a classic and seamless sound, constructed with lavish studio flourishes and moving, narrative arrangements, and yet able to toughen up to tear veins of fierce blues-psych instrumentals up from the surface."

BEN FOLDS Way To Normal CD
*** "Way To Normal is the first full length release since Songs for Silverman, a very honest look at the last few years of Folds' life. Folds collaborated with Dennis Herring (Counting Crows, Modest Mouse, Elvis Costello) and the track 'You Don't Know Me' features a duet with indie songstress, Regina Spektor."

GRATEFUL DEAD Rocking The Cradle: Egypt 1978 2xCD+DVD
*** "30th anniversary edition 2xCD+DVD set. The CDs feature highlights from historic shows at Egypt's Great Pyramid and pristine HDCD sound. The DVD includes extremely rare concert footage, home movies, and more."

MADLIB WLIB AM: King Of the Wiflip CD
*** "WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip finds Madlib returning to his Western hemisphere roots in hip-hop and R&B, and plays like the days when AM radio ruled the airwaves, transmitting a crackling, low-fi mélange of endless sample fodder, vocal snippets, and sonic intuition, turning singles into stars and flipping wigs with each twist of the dial." Featuring TALIB KWELI, MUTS, OH NO, GUILTY SIMPSON, DEFARI, GEORGIA ANNE MULDROW and others.

MASON PROPER Olly Oxen Free CD
*** "Bandleader and wispy-voiced lyricist Jonathan Visger weaves us into entrancingly experimental post-pop music that sorta recalls indie greats The Dismemberment Plan, Menomena and Islands."

MEDESKI MARTIN & WOOD Radiolarians I CD
*** "With the Radiolarians series, MMW will convene for brief writing retreats, perform only that new material on tour, record the material immediately after getting off the road and release it as an album on their own Indirecto label."

MERCURY REV Snowflake Midnight CD
*** "Swirling atmospherics and mantra-like lyrics abound and Mercury Rev continue experiments with laser harps, ad-hoc computer programs and random note generators resulting in a record that moves with grace between avant garde and traditional pop sensibilities." Download the absolutely free companion album, Strange Attractor, from mercuryrev.com.

TOM MORELLO THE NIGHT WATCHMAN The Fabled City CD
*** "Second release of self-penned singer/songwriter Leftist songs from the guitarist best known for his work with Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave."

MURS Murs For President CD
*** "The new album. 15 real hip-hop tracks featuring SNOOP DOGG and WILL.I.AM with production from 9TH WONDER and NOTTZ."

JAMES JACKSON TOTH Waiting In Vain CD
*** Formerly WOODEN WAND. "Toth's scenarios are intriguingly tawdry with dreamlike harmonies and touches of blues, country, soul and punk swagger."