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New Heart Designs (LP)
Turnstile/Bad Bad Not Good
A real sonic adventure remixed for your pleasure. Underwater Boi = still very 2-steppable
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Good Time/Hard Time (LP)
Teleman
Even more well written lyrics set to the same perfect blend of synth and guitar pop delivered by Teleman in their first full length album since 2018. A bit more personal at moments than their previous work, but certainly no less danceable.
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JJUUIICES (LP)
TTRRUUCES
Harmony rich and heavily (though not overly) produced psych-pop fills the sophomore album by TTRRUUCES. Welcome is the scattering of genre-bending tracks throughout.
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The Days of Wine and Roses (Expanded Edition) (LP)
The Dream Syndicate
An expanded edition of the 1982 paisley classic. Though it is well worth a listen in its original form, the 40th anniversary edition is full of welcome additions (with 54 total tracks!) A plethora of very well recorded live songs and some fantastically loud, fuzzy backstage rehearsals (including some surprising but very well done covers) fill out the bonus content.
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Lovelife (2023 Remaster) (LP)
Lush
Remaster and re-release of (I'll add a "probably" here to protect my future self) the finest Lush album. Wonderfully constructed tunes with lots of jangle in the guitar and excellent hooks, what more do you really need?
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Lemon Lights (LP)
Seablite
The newest LP from the San Francisco group is filled with stellar vocal production and some classic dreamy guitar sounds. Give it a go if you need your fill of some high energy, reverb-laden shoegazey pop.
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Let’s Stomp! Merseybeat and Beyond 1962-1969 (CD)
V/A
This is a new three CD compilation box set from Cherry Red sublabel, Strawberry Records. A great listen from start to end; with 93 songs stretching tactfully from the classic to the obscure (and a rather nice full-color, track by track booklet), there’s more than one sitting of great British R&B to be had here. Two standout tracks are Ian and the Zodiacs’ cover of “Beachwood 4-5789” (with some clever lyrical alterations) and the original US version of the Ray Davies penned masterpiece “All Night Stand” by the Thoughts. Several previously unreleased songs also feature, including some from Joe Meek’s so called “Tea Chest Tapes.” If you’re on the hunt for a fantastic collection of merseybeat, freakbeat, and British blues, you need look no further!
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Wino From Another Planet (LP)
Wino Willy
I've generally been a fan of the releases from MarQ Spekt's Grilchy Party imprint, but this album from New Orleans producer Wino Willy surprised me in a major way and far exceeded my expectations. Wino Willy has been quietly crafting quality albums for a bunch of modern rap talent over the last year, with solid full length collaborations with Him Lo, Pro Dillinger, Daniel Son, Rahiem Supreme and Maze Overlay amongst others. This solo offering from Wino Willy is his most definitive statement as a producer to date, and highlights his spacey and jazzy production while pairing it with a nice variety of ill MCs. Along for the ride are billy woods, Da Buze Bruvaz, Fatboi Sharif and Gabe 'Nandez to name only a few. While all of the MCs hold their own over Willy's beats, I was especially excited to hear new verses from MarQ Spekt, who's been MIA on the mic for many years. I was very impressed with how well Wino Willy managed to cater his production to the diverse cast of rappers here, with beats ranging from traditional to abstract without sacrificing the sequencing or flow of the album. Top quality product and looking forward to more releases from Wino Willy in 2024.
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Mother's Day (1980)
In my tenure at Amoeba Berkeley, I had the pleasure of working with an awesome guy named Bruce Anderson. Bruce had worked at a movie theater for many years prior to his time at Amoeba, and we used to bond over our mutual love of B-movies and backwoods horror. Bruce's favorite of all time was "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," but the other two movies that he'd often talk to me about at length were "Mother's Day" and "The Unseen." I'm not generally not a huge fan of Troma movies, but I definitely side with Bruce on "Mother's Day," which dishes out an exceptional mix of twisted horror and black comedy while poking fun at the slasher genre before slashers even became popular. This gorgeous 4K from Vinegar Syndrome really gives this movie the treatment it deserves, with outstanding picture quality and audio accompanied by an abundance of special features. Bruce is no longer with us, but every time I throw this disc on, I can only imagine how excited he would have been about it.
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Monster Squad (1987)
Unlike 98% of horror movie fans, I was not a kid that grew up watching "The Monster Squad". And as far as Fred Dekker's movies go, I've always considered myself a bigger fan of "Night of the Creeps" than this one. I decided to revisit "The Monster Squad" last year when Kino reissued it on 4K, however, and found myself enjoying it a lot more than I remember. It's clearly a kid's movie, complete with a "PG-13" rating, but it has spooky creature effects and profanity that would probably merit an "R" in 2024. What really sealed the deal for me were the amazing documentaries included in this release, which feature interviews with the most of the kid actors in the movie, who reflect upon it as adults. Great work on the restoration and packaging as well.
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Spider Labyrinth (1988)
I had somehow never seen "Spider Labyrinth" prior to this release, though I'd heard that it was one of the great unsung Italian horror movies of the late 80's. The movie pretty much blew me away, with tremendous atmosphere reminiscent of Dario Argento mixed with elements of Lovecraftian horror. I was also stunned by the picture quality on this restoration from Severin, which truly restores this gem to something that likely looks better than when it was first released in theaters. Definitely a worthy blind buy for Italian horror aficionados.
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Punk Rock B-Boy (CD)
Buck 65
Buck 65's return to form in the last few years has been a major inspiration to me, and his series of home run projects continues with this album. "Punk Rock B-Boy" is not as focused an album as his "Super Dope" project from last year, but the free-flowing feel of the songs on display here is creative and full of fun nods to old school hip hop. The drums are once again immaculate, with eccentric breakbeats that could only be the product of serious record digging. The sampling throughout is a breath of fresh air as well, with some cool lo-fi blues samples and traditional funk riffs keeping the tempo of the album upbeat. Buck's oddball raps are loaded with wit and character, with songs bemoaning sugar addiction, odes to digging at record stores, and traditional rap braggadocio delivered with that signature Buck 65 weirdness. And to top everything off, Buck released this album back-to-back with a full collaborative album with doseone & Jel, "North American Adonis", which ranks highly amongst my favorites of 2023 as well. The man simply can't be stopped.
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Anton Bruckner: Symphonies Nos. 0-9 // Wagner: Orchestral Music (CD)
Andris Nelsons /
This 10 CD box set should serve as a celebration of Anton Bruckner's 200th anniversary of his birth. This set contains all of his ten symphonies including at least 9 different preludes and overtures of Richard Wagner's operas. All are performed by the legendary orchestra from Leipzig, Germany; Gewandhausorchester and conducted by Andris Nelsons who now leads the Boston Symphony. These orchestral pieces are lush and munificent readings that will satisfy all cravings which pine for an enormous sound but is sympathetic to shifts of mood. If I had to think of a criticism that I was forced to make in regards to this set, I would need to borrow a comment a colleague of mine mentioned in a review he wrote in that Nelson's fault is that he loves Bruckner's symphonies too much. I highly recommended these recordings and for such a low price, one can not go wrong.
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Helvi Leiviskä: Orchestral Works Vol.1 (CD)
Dalia Stasevska / Lahti
Listening to Finnish composer Helvi Leiviskä 3 compositions on this high quality disc (SACD Hybrid) was a brand new experience for me. Not only have I never heard of this composer before but was unfamiliar with Dalia Stasevska, the conductor on this disc leading the Lahti Symphony Orchestra. Wow! The opening, "Sinfonia brevis", is a gorgeous one movement piece that is so rich with sonorous phrasing. It's almost as if the sounds coming from the Lahti Symphony serve as atmospheric elements that tend to immerse us within a whole new ambience of existence. Breathtaking to say the least. Orchestral Suite No. 2 is nearly in the same vein but with more of a linear progression. Bursts of dramatic energy keep us on our toes. The final composition, "Symphony No.2" is more dissonant but Miss Leiviskä's tendency to present this piece with both dense and grandiloquent phrasing makes for a spectacular experience. Kudos to Miss Stasevska and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra for presenting us with such a rich and florid palette. If you enjoy listening to sounds that are chock full of rich colors that tend to carry on a life of its own, I highly suggest purchasing this disc. Both you and your stereo will absolutely love it!
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Ysaÿe: Six Sonatas for Violin Solo (CD)
Hilary Hahn
The gush and flow of contrasting moods that float throughout these 15 movements are an impassioned ride for the listener to consume. Hilary Hahn's lustrous yet glowing tones achieves to help us hone in to her ecstatic as well as unflappable phrasings. This epic composition (Six Sonatas for Solo Violin) from the Belgian virtuoso violinist and composer, Eugène Ysaÿe, is a must listen for anyone of you who are interested in skilled and flamboyant playing. One can't do better than choosing to hear Hilary Hahn perform Ysaÿe's masterpiece. Easily one of my favorite recordings in 2023, a year that was not at all kind to me. I promise that you will be profoundly moved.
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Liszt: Transcendental Etudes (CD)
Haochen Zhang
In all likelihood, the Transcendental Etudes composed by Franz Liszt is one of the most difficult and challenging compositions to perform on the piano. But the breathtaking speediness from the young Chinese pianist, Haochen Zhang, has shown us in this recording, that a hasty tempo does not need to sound like a blur. Every blazing note that Mr. Zhang compresses, in segments where the rapidity of pace is required, is as clear and distinct as humanly possible. But the movement that really hooked me was the slower third track; "Paysage. Poco adagio." proving that Mr. Zhang's strength lies in his remarkable dynamic range. It is so difficult, in just about any facet of a specific discipline, to be able to change speeds on a dime while still being able to maintain significant meaning. This is why Haochen Zhang is so successful in this demanding composition from Liszt for Mr. Zhang's playing never wavers from the gist of each fascinating passage that is presented to us (and there are a ton of 'em). If you, dear reader, were ever intimidated by listening to this challenging piece, I have the perfect antidote; listen to this recording. Haochen Zhang will not only help you appreciate the Transcendental etudes but will make you love it even more.
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Dante (CD)
Thomas Adès / Los Angeles
This was the most entertaining piece of music I've heard in all of 2023. If one can envision a composition of music that could be thrilling, moving, exciting, colorful as well as theatrical then "Dante", written by Thomas Adès, the leading living composer of today; would easily satisfy those desires. Frankly, I'm a bit baffled why this performance isn't noted more.
The numerous colorful phrases which Adès borrows are not cliched. The first disc ("Inferno") is divided into 13 segments lasting between 2 to 5 minutes each. We obviously know the story (the poet's journey into hell and back up to heaven) but the drive getting to these places is quite a captivating experience for our ears to follow. The opening of the seventh track, "The Suicides - the bleeding trees" begins with the thunderous pounding timpani serving to jolt the listener into focus mode. How Adès unveils personalities for each instrument is all in the delivery and is a huge part of the fascination we have for this piece.
The shorter 2nd chapter entitled "Purgatorio" borrows heavily from sephardic tradition and is used as a break from the horrors of hell. There are isolated segments (track 5) of chanting interspersed with a beautiful arrangement of strings and done with such exquisite finesse. Track 6 opens with a distant trumpet recalling a lovely aria possibly borrowed from Berlioz's "Faust '' which is then repeated by a cantor and then by the bassoons, and then the orchestra but all done with an alluring delivery. It ends with a 26 minute finale "Paradiso" which propels the listener into a magical world of sound and color. So just lean back on a comfy sofa and allow Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic take you away from the doldrums of your day.
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Black Classical Music (LP)
Yussef Dayes
Just a fantastic record from the UK’s funky jazz drummer. Love this record and had the immense privilege of seeing him and his band perform at the UC theatre. I would encourage anyone to go see them play if you want to have your mind blown by this atomic jazzy groove-fest.
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