A lighter than average load this week, but some good stuff including new releases from Mission Of Burma, Peeping Tom (Mike Patton), The Bouncing Souls, Celtic Frost, The Walkmen, etc.

Scott Walker- "The Drift" CD (4AD)
Every 11 years since 1984 Scott Walker, the James Joyce of Pop, has released an album that digs deeper into his unique, dark, musical world. A pop star back in the 60's with The Walker Brothers, Scott Walker began his journey into musical terra incognita with a series of solo albums that featured an improbable blend of crooning, surrealism, and experimentation. Walker's brand new album, "The Drift," is powerful, mysterious, astonishing, and compelling. While it seems to continue from where his previous album left off, it's otherwise utterly unlike anything else. Like some sort of provocative novel or densely rich audioplay, "The Drift" touches on essential cultural, political, human issues in a way that leaves the listener vulnerable to new ways of hearing and thinking.

The 4-Skins- "The Good The Bad & The 4 Skins" CD (Captain Oi)
Some good ole UK hardcore from the 80's.

Alias & Ehren- "Lillian" CD (Anticon)
Truly inventive electronic tunes with minimal production and maximum enjoyment. For fans of Aphex Twin, Fourtet etc.

Anti Nowhere League- "We Are…The League" CD (Captain Oi)
Restock.

Black Time- "Midnight World" LP (In The Red)
The point is talent over ability, ideas over proficiency, energy over competence-- action, time, and vision. Add some musical instruments to this confusion and the resulting mess is Black Time-- shambolic but passionate, hollerin' and wailin' at the dying of the red light. If you pay attention to zines, blogs and websites dedicated to sub-underground rock, then no doubt you are aware that Black Time have been getting favorably compared to Crime, Pussy Galore, The Electric Eels, The Cramps and The Fall. A string of hopelessly limited edition vinyl 7-inches and 12-inches have stoked the fire. The hype is justified in this case, as Midnight World, the band's second full-length, is the perfect marriage of chug-a-lug, primeval drumming, opaque layers of guitars, new wave cinema references, '60s and '70s punk, lo-fi static and overwrought vocals from frontman Lemmy Caution. The best UK export since The Country Teasers, Black Time will be touring the US Summer 2006, and they are not to be missed.

Boris- "Pink" CD (Southern Lord)
The brand new cd of Psyche/Doom & Sludge from this very cool Japanese combo. Includes some very unique picture inserts.

Cockney Rejects- "Greatest Hits Vol.1 Plus" CD (Captain Oi)
This town loves it's old timey English hardcore. Restocked just for you. Shame on you if you missed the Vibrators playing here a couple of weeks ago.

Country Teasers- "The Empire Strikes Back" LP (In The Red)
In the industry, I am the only complete man..." sang Country Teaser's B.R. Wallers, quoting Naked Lunch, back in 1995. If modesty didn't forbid, he might've been speaking of his own band. Is there another current group operating at such a high level musically or lyrically? Evolving out of a prolific home recording project in the late '80s influenced by The Cure and Butthole Surfers, The 'Teasers debuted as a beguiling mixture of deconstructed country and dissonant post-punk. "Boycott the Studio" was their manifesto: "You will not find music where it is shown, only where it is hidden..." The Empire Strikes Back, the group's eighth full-length, was recorded in Oregon-- 90,000 kilometers from the band's homein London-- when In the Red made good on a promise to find the band a live-in studio with an amenable engineer (Rich Wells of Portland's Supreme Reality Studios). Far from a sanitized "studio recording," the album is as damaged and unpredictable as any Teasers album (only with better microphones). The band's humor remains as strangely contradictory as ever, with Wallers juggling a cast of personae as far-flung as P.G. Wodehouse, Ice Cube, Winston Churchill, and Bill Hicks.

John Zorn- "Moonchild" CD (Tzadik)
Evidently possessing some kind of time-extending device, John Zorn is back with yet another new project - this time focusing on a hardcore song cycle scored for voice, bass and drums. Featuring an engine-room that boasts some of the most illustrious individuals you could care to work with (Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn, Joey Baron...) , all involved seem utterly in tune with Zorn’s language and aesthetic - with Zorn coaxing the very best from the assembled A-Team. As upfront inspired and on the edge as you've ever heard them, Moonchild rages through eleven pieces of terrifying intensity; drawing on preverbal language and the primal power of rock music. Recalling Torture Garden but with an alchemical twist that is spontaneous, complex and evocative, these Eleven new Zorn compositions are executed with a ritualistic passion that will take your breath away.

Detroit Cobras- "Baby" CD (Bloodshot)
Restock.

Don Caballero- "World Class Listening Problem" CD (Relapse)
Those frenetic math-rock supermen are back with another full length release of instro brilliance. Their 1st for the Relapse label. Fans who've heard this, say it's as good if not better than anything in the past.

Dysrhythmia- "Barriers And Passages" CD (Relapse)
Dysrhythmia have established themselves as one of the finest instrumental bands in the world. Masters of their craft, Dysrhythmia make the standard rock (guitar, bass, drums) setup sound like a symphony and complex, innovative music sound easy. On Barriers and Passages, the trio raises the bar once again with their exceptional playing and unwavering dedication to forward-thinking song craft. Time signatures bend and shift intuitively. Rich washes of melody and layers of noise are the voices that punctuate crisp musical constructions. Engineered by Martin Bisi (Sonic Youth, Dresden Dolls, Swans, Helmet, Brian Eno), Barriers and Passages is Dysrhythmia's tour de force.

Robin Guthrie- "Continental" CD (Bella Union)
For many years Robin Guthrie provided the musical backdrop for the Cocteau Twins who were one of rock's most unique bands period. He re-surfaces here with an album of insturmentals sublime in their simple beauty.

Kings of Leon- "Aha Shake Heartbreak" LP (The Control Group)
Restock on vinyl.

Propagandhi- "Potemkin City Limits" LPx2 (G7 Welcoming Committee)
The latest album on LP for the 1st time.

Q and not U- "Different Damage" CD (Dischord)
Restock.

Q and not U- "No Kill And No Beep Beep" CD (Dischord)
Restock.

Q and not U- "Power" CD (Dischord)
Restock.

V/A- "Little Darla Has A treat For You V. 24" CD (Darla)
The World’s most popular compilation series. 2CD this time! 36 tracks (34 exclusive tracks). The package/artwork layout is like Sunset magazine, the magazine of western living--this issue: San Diego style home, food, garden, and travel sections with photos & text to seduce you into moving here to start your music/art scene or cultural revolution. Afterall, it is a garden of eden. Disc 1: 1. AARKTICA “Summer Tunneling” (Darla) 6:29 Exclusive track. Current release: Bleeding Light. Brooklyn, NY. 2. ALSACE “Burning” (Darla) 3:09 Exclusive track. Current release: TBA. Charleston, WV. 3. APSE “Fade” (Acuarela) 3:08 Exclusive track. Current release: Eponymous CD EP. Redding, CT. 4. BEATNIK FILMSTARS “I am a Soul Singer” (555) 3:09 Exclusive track. Current release: In Great Shape. Bristol, UK. 5. BOYRACER "Give Me Back My Man" (555) 4:05 Exclusive track. Current release: A Punch Up The Bracket. Flagstaff, AZ. 6. DEPTH AFFECT “Modellbilder” (Autres Directions In Music) 4:05 Exclusive track. Current release: Arche-Lymb. Lorient and Nantes, France. 7. DISLOCATION DANCE “Meeting Mum and Dad” (LTM) 2:35 Reissue. From the CD Music Music Music/Slip That Disc!. Manchester, UK. 8. EPIC45 “Clipping the Church” (Make Mine Music) 3:41 Exclusive track. Current release: England Fallen Over. Staffordshire, UK. 9. FAX "Soulsong" Kobol Remix (Static Discos) 3:38 Exclusive track. Current release: Primario. Mexicali, Mexico. 10. FOLLOW THE TRAIN “Endless Summer” exotica version (Darla) 3:51 Exclusive track. Current release: A Breath of Sigh. Louisville, KY. 11. ROBIN GUTHRIE “Argenta” (Darla) 3.50 Exclusive track. Current release: Continental. Rennes, France. 12. I AM ROBOT AND PROUD "Teach Us to Outgrow Our Madness" (Darla) 4:13 Exclusive track. Current release: The Electricity In Your House Wants To Sing. Toronto, Canada. 13. JULY SKIES “Pevsner Broke Our Hearts” (Make Mine Music) 3:13 Exclusive track. Current release: The English Cold. Coventry, UK. 14. THE KALLIKAK FAMILY “Bells In Bergamo” version 2:34 (Tell-All Records) Exclusive track. Current release: May 23rd 2007. Berkeley, CA. 15. LARVAE “Airplanes Version” (Ad Noiseam) 5:05 Exclusive track. Current release: Empire. Atlanta, GA. 16. E.LEBLEU “See You Next Fall” (Soundsister) 3:14 Exclusive track. Current release: Two Years Off. Guadalajara, Mexico. 17. LOWLIFE “Ramafied” (LTM) 4:13 Reissue. From the CD: Eternity Road 1985-1995. Grangemouth, Scotland. 18. MAHOGANY "Planar Cluster, Planar Burst" 4:19 (Darla) Exclusive track. Current release: Memory Column. Brooklyn, NY. 19. MANUAL "Dizzy Sun" (Darla) 9:16 Exclusive track. Current release: Bajamar. Odense, Denmark. Disc 2: 1. MELODIUM “The Summer Air” (Autres Directions In Music) 3:02 Exclusive track. Current release: La Tete Qui Flotte. Angers, France. 2. MOTHBOY featuring SUZI C. "Outside Edit" (Ad Noiseam) 4:00 Exclusive. Current release: Exonian. London, UK. 3. NEW RADIANT STORM KING “Her Halcyon Days” (Darla) 2:58 Exclusive track. Current release: The Steady Hand. Northampton, MA. 4. FARIS NOURALLAH “Call It Off” (Green UFOs) 2:47 Exclusive track. Current release: Near The Sun: The Best Songs Of Faris Nourallah. El Paso, Texas. 5. NUURO “I Believe You So Much It Hurts” (Soundsister) 4:57 Exclusive track. Current release: All Clear. Caracas, Venezuela. 6. THE ORCHIDS “Another Saturday Night” (Darla) 5:23 Exclusive track. All catalog reissued by LTM. New release forthcoming: Good To Be A Stranger. Glasgow, Scotland. 7. PEPITO “Maleta Prestada” Sumer of Love Mix (Static Discos) 3:26 Exclusive track. Current release: The New World. Barcelona, Spain. 8. PORTAL “Waves & Echoes” (session version) (Make Mine Music) 3:33 Exclusive track. Current release: Waves & Echoes. Leeds, UK. 9. THE POSITIONS “Forever (Changed)” remix by Archie Moore (Lazyline) 2:54 Exclusive track. Current release: Bliss! Washington DC. 10. RUN_RETURN “Chillyborn” (n5MD) 4:33 Exclusive track. Current release: Metro North. Oakland, CA. 11. SALOON “Suivez La Piste” (Darla) 3:52 Exclusive track. Current release: Lo-Fi Sounds, Hi-Fi Heart. London, UK. 12. SOUTHERN ARTS SOCIETY “Turbulent Heart” remix (Green UFOs) 4:16 Exclusive track. Current release: eponymous. Sevilla, Spain. 13. SPRITES “George Romero” (Darla) 3:24 Exclusive track. Current release: Modern Gameplay. Washington DC. 14. SWEET TRIP “Darkness” (Darla) 5:56 Exclusive track. Current release: velocity:design:comfort. San Francisco, CA. 15. TWIN ATLAS “Old Century” (Tappersize) 3:23 Exclusive track. Current release: Sun Township. Philadelphia & NYC. 16. VOXTROT “Warmest Part Of The Winter” (Cult Hero) 6:11 Exclusive track. Current release: Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives EP. Austin, TX. 17. YELLOW6 “You Might As Well Be On The Other Side Of The World” (Make Mine Music) 5:12 Exclusive track. Current release: Melt Inside. Leicester, UK. Every 11 years since 1984 Scott Walker, the James Joyce of Pop, has released an album that digs deeper into his unique, dark, musical world. A pop star back in the 60's with The Walker Brothers, Scott Walker began his journey into musical terra incognita with a series of solo albums that featured an improbable blend of crooning, surrealism, and experimentation. Walker's brand new album, "The Drift," is powerful, mysterious, astonishing, and compelling. While it seems to continue from where his previous album left off, it's otherwise utterly unlike anything else. Like some sort of provocative novel or densely rich audioplay, "The Drift" touches on essential cultural, political, human issues in a way that leaves the listener vulnerable to new ways of hearing and thinking.

Wolf Parade- "Apologies To The Queen Mary" LP (Sub Pop)
Restock on vinyl.

John Coltrane- "Lush Life" LP (Prestige)
To say that John Coltrane is one of the greatest jazz musicians in the history of the genre is to utter a banal truism, but amid all of the (well-deserved) hubbub over Giant Steps and A Love Supreme, it is extremely edifying to pick up this 1958 effort and hear how well the man could play standards and especially ballads. Assisting him in this worthy endeavor are various combinations of Earl May and Paul Chambers on bass and Louis Hayes, Albert Heath, and Art Taylor on drums.

John Coltrane- "Dakar" LP (Prestige)
On this two-LP set, a pair of his lesser-known Prestige sessions are combined. The great tenor, whose sound was developing month-by-month during 1957, is heard in an unusual sextet with the baritones of Cecil Payne and Pepper Adams and also in an octet with fellow-tenor Bobby Jaspar and the trumpets of Idrees Sulieman and Webster Young. What these sessions have in common is the emphasis on new compositions including five from pianist Mal Waldron (highlighted by the original version of "Soul Eyes"), three by Teddy Charles and two from Pepper Adams in addition to Jimmy Heath's "C.T.A." (AMG)

The Black Heart Procession- "The Spell" LP (Touch & Go)
The latest release from this San Diego band on the LP format.

Celtic Frost- "Monotheist" CD (Century Media)
I guess we knew it wouldn’t sound like Cold Lake, but beyond that Celtic Frost are a hard band to predict. And, true to form, Monotheist is quite unlike any previous album and yet still bears all the aesthetic trademarks that once made this band so special. Grimy, brittle and bleak, the opening salvo of ‘Progeny’ and ‘Ground’ churn and grind with an eerie, almost sluggish hostility. ‘A Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh’ is lumbering, Swans-like doom; the darkness of Morbid Tales filtered through Godflesh, My Dying Bride and Neurosis. ‘Os Abysmi Vel Daath’ sounds like Crowbar possessed by Bauhaus. ‘Domain Of Decay’ is a pounding, retarded clutter of triplets and priapic, Satyricon-style groove worship. And on it goes, countless flashes of inspiration (as if they haven’t disseminated enough already) delivered at a relentlessly restrained but destructive pace. It’s the sound of a legendary band slipping seamlessly back into gear; heavier, darker, sharper and cooler than ever. (BW & BK)

Tool- "10,000 Days" CD (Sony/BMG)
Restock, still in the fancy packaging. Not for long though.

Bouncing Souls- "Gold Record" CD (Epitaph)
The boys are back at it! The Bouncing Souls have created a rock masterpiece with their latest offering, The Gold Record! Steeped in the East Coast style of Punk Rock this band is famous for, this new album hits you square in the jaw while you sing along with tracks like “The Gold Song,” “Better Things,” and the blazing “Midnight Mile.”

Walkmen- "A Hundred Miles Off" CD (Record Collection)
Their brand new & 3rd cd release.

Mission Of Burma- "Obliterati" CD+DVD (Matador)
Their brand new release and follow up to 2004's "Onoffon". Comes with limited DVD.

Can- "Saw Delight" SACD (Mute)
Part of the 3rd phase of remastered SACD re-releases from the influential Krautrock act (Flow Motion, Saw Delight, Can, Delay 1968 and Rite Time). This is the last in the series of remastered studio albums that sees all thirteen Can albums available and restored to their original superior sound quality.

Charlie Musselwhite- "Delta Hardware" CD (Real World)
Charlie Musselwhite has a new release. The Mississippi-born Musselwhite has been a fixture on the Blues scene with his dedicated Chicago grooves, always tasteful harp-work, and understated vocals. Winner of 18 W.C. Handy awards, six Grammy nominations, contributor to projects by Bonnie Raitt, Ben Harper, Tom Waits, INXS, and many more, he has always found a way to create the real-deal.

The Strawbs- "Grave New World" CD (A&M)
English prog-rock from the early 70's. This one is probably their masterpiece with detailed songwriting and fantastic keyboard (mellotron, hammond B3) work from Blue Weaver. Remastered with bonus tracks.

The Strawbs- "From The Witchwood" CD (A&M)
Before "Grave New World" and perhaps a bit folkier. Sandy Denny had sung with the band previous to this release and Dave Cousins stepped out on this one as the full time front man. Remastered with bonus tracks.

The Strawbs- "Hero & Heroine" CD (A&M)
Their 8th album from 1974 and also a personal fave. Along the lines of "Grave New World" with plenty of heavy mellotron thunder and Dave Cousins poetic, literary lyrics. Remastered with bonus tracks.

Deep Purple- "Live @ Montreaux" DVD (Eagle)
122 minutes of classic Deep Purple at the Montreaux Jazz Festival. It's got the 90's lineup of Gillan, Morse, Lord, Glover & Paice.

Son Volt- "6 String Belief: Live" DVD (Sony/Bmg)
Filmed On their 2005/06 Okemah & the Melody Of Riot tour. 31 songs- over two hours of live Son Volt, Jay Farrar & Uncle Tupelo.

Peeping Tom- "S/T" CD (Ipecac)
Years in the making, PEEPING TOM, noise rock renaissance man Mike Patton's most accessible work since his days in Faith No More, is finally a reality. The 11-track opus, featuring a lengthy and incongruous cast of guest performers, is set for a May 30 release on Patton's own Ipecac Recordings label. In keeping with the landmark 1960 psychological horror film that inspired its name, PEEPING TOM had its genesis as a modus operandi devoid of physical intimacy. Patton would write songs with a wishlist of theoretical collaborators in mind, then hope for a reply in the form of a finished track. "It's an exotic way of working for someone accustomed to a band environment," Patton says. "It was charming, really. None of the usual Animal House stuff. Instead of swapping spit and underwear, we were swapping files." Lack of face-to-face interaction did not keep long-distance collaborators from turning in exceptional performances: Norah Jones' lascivious "Sucker," Kool Keith's "Getaway" and Massive Attack's "Kill The DJ" are intense and passionate as anything a live band environment could have produced-despite the fact that Patton has still never met Jones or Keith. "Plenty of people on the record are still complete strangers to me," he says. The initial PEEPING TOM offering also includes contributions from Amon Tobin, Bebel Gilberto, DubTrio, Kid Koala, Dale Crover, Rahzel and several of Patton's Bay Area running buddies, such as Dan "the Automator" Nakamura, and Jel, Odd Nosdam and Dose One of hip hop collective anticon. The end result is an utterly unique multi-genre/multi-artist departure from Patton's more recent noisy output-one that would ultimately have to be classified as a pop record, alas a Mike Patton pop record, but a pop record nonetheless.

Hank Williams III- "Risin' Outlaw" CD (Curb)
Restock.

Hank Williams III- "Lovesick Broke & Driftin'" CD (Curb)
Restock.

Ornette Coleman- "The Shape Of Jazz To Come" CD (Atlantic)
Ornette's first album for the Atlantic label which set a new high water mark for avante garde jazz by messing with modern concepts of harmony. A legendary recording.

Dragonforce- "Inhuman Rampage" CD (Sanctuary)
Over the top power metal from these uber popular Brits. You've never heard technical guitar work like this. So fast it's funny!

The Raconteurs- "Broken Boy Soldiers" LP (V2)
Beautiful gatefold sleeve album from Brendan Benson & Jack White. This one should be gone in no time.

Radio 4- "Enemies Like This" CD (EMI)
Their 4th and brand new cd. Lotsa people hated their last album, but I think this one should be better recieved. Recommended if you like the Clash & Gang Of Four.

Willie Nelson- "The Red Headed Stranger" CD (Columbia Legacy)
The 1st ever country concept album. Recorded in a day and a half for a budget of $20,000 in 1975. Contains the great "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain" plus 4 bonus tracks not on the original. Booklet contains incisive new essay from Chet Flippo.

Ion Dissonance/Despised Icon- "Split CD" CD (Galy)
Two of the biggest Canadian technical metal powerhouses team up in this battle. Both bands unleash their very sought after demo recordings that were of course out of print until this little split came along!