NEW ARRIVALS: CDs - Melvin Davis, Sonic Youth, Akron/Family, Bright Eyes

AKRON/FAMILY S/T II: The Cosmic Birth & Journey Of Shinju TNT CD
*** "S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT layers thousands of minute imperceptible samples of their first recordings with fuzzed-out representations of their present beings to induce pleasant emotional feeling states and many momentary transcendent inspirations."

JANE BIRKIN Di Doo Dah CD
*** "Di Doo Dah sees Birkin, SERGE GAINSBROUG and co-conspirator JEAN-CLAUDE VANNIER (YES!!) meld Jane's fragile vocals with jazz, rock, and lush orchestral textures: a perfect album for living and loving (::wink::)."

BRIGHT EYES The People's Key CD
*** "Bright Eyes's seventh studio album is an assured and accomplished album, artfully arranged and filled with the engaging and mesmeric songwriting for which Oberst is renowned." Feat. SPOKEN WORD.

MELVIN DAVIS Detroit Soul Ambassador CD
*** RECOMMENDED "One of the most talented, dynamic and prolific artists in the history of Motor City music, Melvin Davis is a musical force: songwriter, drummer, performer, producer, arranger, label owner, etc. His bands have included everyone from a pre-Temptations David Ruffin to a post-MC5 Wayne Kramer, and the songwriter who penned JJ Barnes' desperate ode 'Chains Of Love'."

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS Go-Go Boots CD
*** And nine months later they have a new album! The band describes it as their "country, soul and murder ballad album."

PJ HARVEY Let England Shake CD
*** "Centering on both her home country & events further afield in which it has embroiled itself, the lyrics return to the matter of war but this is not a work of protest, nor of strait-laced social or political comment. It brims with the mystery and magnetism in which she excels."

ISOLEE Well Spent Youth CD
*** NEW ALBUM! It's been a while, ain't it?

KING CRIMSON Red Deluxe CD+DVD
*** Remastered album + bonus tracks + videos + hi-fi versions of tunes. KILLER!

KONONO NO. 1 Assume Crash Position CD
*** "Konono's thrilling junkyard sonics & relentlessly hypnotic percussive grooves (created by thumb pianos & drums made from scrap metal & disused car parts) further elevated with electric guitars & bass (played by neighbourhood musicians from a young Konono covers band!).

MOGWAI Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will CD
*** "Mogwai's music is a majestic, powerful sound where barely a word is spoken yet it is the antithesis of background music. Album and song titles bemuse, confuse and delight in equal measure."

OFF The First Four EPs CD
*** "LA- based OFF! features KEITH MORRIS (Black Flag/Circle Jerks), Dimitri Coats (Burning Brides), Steven McDonald (Redd Kross), and Mario Rubalcaba (Earthless/Hot Snakes/Rocket From the Crypt)." Pitchfork = 8.5.

SONIC YOUTH Simon Werner A Disparu CD
*** 2011 soundtrack recording. "Rather than present the small clips of music as used in the film, the band re-organized the various pieces, sometimes montaging multiple tracks together, other times extending cues into new sonic realms."

TWILIGHT SINGERS Dynamite Steps CD
*** "Dynamite Steps explores the thin line between life and death, mortality and immortality, resignation and celebration that mythical moment when your life flashes before your eyes, drawn out here over the course of eleven songs."