First off, just a reminder that this week we begin winter hours from Monday thru Wednesday, inclusive. We open at 10am as always but close at 8pm. Thursday through Saturday we're still open until 10pm. Sundays hold strong at 6pm.

Next off, a bunch of you have been asking when we're getting more from Mississippi Records. Soon. And hopefully I'll have some news to announce about that as well.

Finally, finally, we got our shipment of Root Strata titles. They will hit the floor Wednesday. Here's what we've got; everything is CD except the Zelienople, which is vinyl; links go to Root Strata's site, where you can read up on each release and listen to a track or two off most of them:

Grouper - Cover The Windows And the Walls*
Ilyas Ahmed - Goner* (Grouper on one track)
Good Stuff House - Endless Bummer
Zelienople - Stone Academy (vinyl; out of print)
Zach Wallace - Glass Armonica
Scott Goodwin - Off Light
Metal Rouge - Three For Malachi Ritscher
Taiga Remains - Ribbons Of Dust
Steven R. Smith - Anchorite
RV Paintings - Trinity Rivers
Starving Weirdos - Shrine Of The Post-Hypnotic
Bonus - On Earth
Danny Paul Grody - Fountain

The label is selling most of these titles to Canadians for us$18. In line with the "introductory pricing" we've offered on Numero, Mississippi, and Digitalis, we've got Root Strata titles at C$12.99 each.

Note that the majority of these CDs are limited to 300 copies though some had runs of 500 or 1000. If you pre-ordered, your discs are aside under your name. If you didn't, sorry, but we can't do holds on these as we have such small stock it wouldn't be fair. First come first served.

*Note that the Grouper and the Ilyas Ahmed are in our new Listening Station, mounted on the wall above the Jazz.

And I guess while I've got your ear (eye?), I'll mention that a conversation with a regular customer reminded me about Miasmah, a label I brought in on vinyl in the summer. They do very small print runs and little is still available, even on CD. I do have these titles coming in this week, however:

Gultskra Artikler - Kasha Iz
Kreng - L' Autopsie Phenomenale de Dieu (Allmusic Review)
Simon Scott - Navigare

What year is it? Oh, yes.

About 16 years ago or so I was at a Bonnie "Prince" Billy Will Oldham Palace concert at Lee's. I was with a guy named Don Wilkie. We'd been introduced by a mutual friend who knew we both liked interesting music. The show was pretty good and I remember Don, who I think was a stockbroker or in some money-related profession, commented about how much pleasure good music brought him. He said he was sick of his work and wanted to start a record label--something I think I've said myself about a hundred times. The difference is that Don, who moved to Montreal shortly after our conversation, did it.

Constellation Records is one of North America's most interesting and influential labels. They put out wonderful records in beautiful packages by bands with unique voices--bands who, with the exception of quality, have little in common.

When Vortex began bringing in new vinyl last summer, Constellation was the second label we focused on--the first being Drag City, Palace Will Oldham Bonnie "Prince" Billy's label.

Today we expect a large shipment of their titles and they'll take center stage between our Digitalis focus and the upcoming Root Strata titles, should that box ever show up.

Here's some of the artists/titles:

Godspeed You! Black Emperor
From Constellation's site: "Godspeed You! Black Emperor began with Efrim, Mauro and Moya in the early 90s, playing a handful of shows and recording a self-released cassette as a trio before deciding to transform the group into a large band. Recruiting numerous Montreal musicians through 1995-1996, GYBE mounted sense-rattling wall-of-sound performances, featuring as many as 14 musicians and several 16mm film projectors, before recording their debut vinyl-only Constellation album in 1997."

I believe I first saw them in 1998 at a small club whose name I forget on Spadina in Chinatown. I'm pretty sure another mutual friend, Anousha, booked them and told me about the show. I'd been kicking myself for missing a Stars of the Lid show she'd booked at the same club a few months earlier. As a result, I made sure to catch the gig. They were a fantastic live band and I made sure to see them every chance I got thereafter.

We should have all of their releases in this next shipment. If you like Yndi Halda or Explosions in the Sky, you will love GY!BE. In fact, I think it's pretty safe to say that if Godspeed had never happened, there'd be no Yndi Halda or EiTS.

Do Make Say Think
From Wikipedia: "Do Make Say Think came together in Toronto in 1995-96 and self-released their self-recorded, self-titled debut CD in 1997. Constellation Records re-issued this record the following year and have worked with the band ever since."

I believe I first saw them when they opened for Danko Jones at Ted's Wrecking Yard, probably in 1996. This shipment will bring four of their records on vinyl: Other Truths, their latest, You, You're a History in Rust, & Yet & Yet, and Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn.

Elizabeth Anka Vajagic
From AllMusic Guide: "Unlike the searching yet opaque confessionals of Cat Power, Vajagic is startlingly forward, like an angry widow berating God's decision-making process..."

Vajagic is a Montreal-based singer/songwriter/guitar-player. We're bringing in both of her releases on vinyl and her first release, Stand With The Stillness Of This Day, on CD.

Glissandro 70
Probably my favorite release from 2006. Glissandro 70 is Craig Dunsmuir and Sandro Perri (aka Polmo Polpo). They've only one release so far. We'll have it on CD and vinyl. Here's a sample:



Eric Chenaux
Chiefly known as the singer/guitarist for Phleg Camp and Life Like Weeds, two influential Toronto bands in the 90s, Eric Chenaux has two releases on Constellation. We'll have them both on vinyl.

Sandro Perri
Sandro Perri used to record and play live under the name Polmo Polpo. I think I first saw him open for Stars of the Lid at the Rivoli. His music changed rather radically when he started recording under his own name and Tiny Mirrors, the album we have on order, is a lovely affair.

Feu Therese
Ça Va Cogner is one hell of an album. Says Allmusic in their 4.5 star review: "Even without the context of the multi-faceted musical reference points that are mined here, and whether they're being perpetrated in smirking semi-seriousness or sincere heartfelt homage, it's still a stunning album, an expansive and all-encompassing effort, an absolute tour de force."

Land of Kush
Sam Shalabi's latest output. Here's a sample:



Vic Chesnutt
Vic was a well-loved singer of what most folks would probably call country or Americana. He recorded from the late 80s until 2009. His last album was released a few months before his death this past Christmas. Only two of his dozen or so records are on Constellation but both of those recordings are among his best. At The Cut, his most recent release, will be in on vinyl.

A Silver Mt. Zion
SMZ is a Godspeed-offshoot, but with a completely different feel. Whereas Godspeed is known primarily as a post-rock outfit, Silver Mt. Zion has more of a contemporary classical bent to them. I've often heard them compared to Rachel's, but I don't think they're that similar myself--though both prominently feature cello and other stringed instruments--SMZ also has more vocal in it. A sample:



We've had all SMZ releases in the shop in the past 5 months or so and this order features only their new album, which has more of a rock bent. It'll be on sale next Tuesday, it's official release date. We've got the limited edition version that comes with a book.

Tindersticks
If you're a regular customer, you'll have heard us play Tindersticks, or lead singer Stuart Staples' wonderful solo album, Leaving Songs. They get a lot of airtime at the shop. We've got their last album, Hungry Saw, in on CD and LP, and will also have their new release, Falling Down a Mountain, on CD or LP+CD with limited edition poster. It also comes out next Tuesday.

The album was released a few weeks ago in the UK and has already garnered much praise:

"Stunning….exquisite….gorgeous." - MOJO

"A band on top form." - The Sunday Times

"...a band with restored self-belief, again loving doing what they do better than anyone else." - Uncut

Today we received our first shipment of Daptone Records vinyl items. CDs should arrive shortly. Here's what we've got available:

Antibalas - Who is this America?
The Budos Band - II
The Budos Band - s/t
The Budos Band - EP
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - Naturally
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - Dap Dappin'
The Daktaris - Soul Explosion
The Sugarman 3 - Soul Donkey
The Sugarman 3 - Sugar's Boogaloo
The Sugarman 3 - Pure Cane Sugar
Pax Nicholas and The Nettey Family - Na Teef Know De Road of Teef

Where possible, I've linked each of the record titles to reviews at Allmusic Guide. If you're unfamiliar with these releases, they're choice items.

I've been threatening for a while to bring in a bunch of new ambient / drone / experimental / folk. Many of you have tried to stop me. Anyone visiting the store from here on out will be a testament to your failure.

As I've done in the past when bringing a new batch from a new supplier, I've put them at quote unquote introductory prices, so gobble them up. I've seen one or two of the titles at other shops but no one stocks this many and we've got them at absolutely the cheapest price I've seen them for anywhere in town. These are almost all limited edition CDs. Available today:

Valerio Cosi - Heavy Electronic Pacific Rock
"What Valerio Cosi coaxes from his saxophone on Heavy Electronic Pacific Rock is unparalleled. ... Cosi's captivating sonics sit alongside the greats of experimental music … it's so fresh that calling it ‘free’ limits its potential and blemishes the sound … genres bend to the will of Cosi and his feverish imagination" - Tiny Mix Tapes

Black to Comm - Charlemagne & Pippin
“Starting with a microcosm of a drone, the piece largely develops itself as an extended crescendo, continuously moving steadily forward into ever deeper waters … an intoxicating and immersive experience akin to the very MC5 song it is named after. Not in sound perhaps, but certainly in attitude and scope.” - Brainwashed

Barn Owl - From Our Mouths A Perpetual Light
"Some might label this as garden variety stoner rock, but it transcends those genre misgivings. Barn Owl's ultimate value lies within the subtlety of their approach, reminiscent almost of Indian classical music." - Cokemachineglow
"It's as though the first layer of American settlers has been reactivated through the music and Barn Owl are transmitters." - Julian Cope

Ilyas Ahmed - The Vertigo of Dawn
“Heavy, jamming, acoustic guitar licks, eastern grooving hand percussions, stoned backwards or fuzzed-out electric guitar splatters, and subtle creaky drones. The vocals are nearly unintelligible but swirl beautifully through the songs like floating, smoky ripples. Woozy, head-bobbing, and completely there.” – Brad Rose (Digitalis)

Ilyas Ahmed - Between Two Skies / Towards The Night
"These primitive recordings house some remarkably beautiful sounds, largely focussed on Ahmed's solo guitar playing and mournfully howling voice." - Boomkat
"Call it abandon, a facility for letting go, for moving on; either way Ahmed's music is gone. And all we have are the recordings, scattered notes to prove that he once existed and felt it all as deeply and miraculously as any of us. And right now, from where I'm calling from, I wouldn't ask for anything more." - David Keenan, from the liner notes

Evan Caminiti - Psychic Mud Shrine (Caminiti is one half of Avant Metal band Barn Owl)
“Four towering guitar pieces that move beyond the pursuit of drone and sludge and take on a more slippery, mystical quality.” - Boomkat

Elm - Nemcatacoa - (Jon Porras (Elm) is one half of Barn Owl)
“Achingly beautiful album fusing elements of everything from Earth to Windy & Carl, Stephen O'Malley, My Bloody Valentine, Fennesz, Keith Fullerton Whitman and Emeralds. … Incredible.” – Boomkat

Turner Cody - Buds of May (Turner is the bassist for Herman Dune.)
“I think he's a really gifted songwriter. Whatever it is, I think he has it … If you can track down his Buds of May, that's where it's at!” – Wooden Wand “Cody is pre-war, Old Testament & A Confederate General from Big Sur.” - Glenn Donaldson (Jewelled Antler / Skygreen Leopards)

Concern – Truth & Distance
“Despite the heavily processed sound of this material, the three long tracks here were constructed almost entirely out of acoustic instrumentation … almost unspeakably beautiful.” - Boomkat

Scott Tuma – Not For Nobody (Scott is Ex-Boxhead Ensemble & a member of Zelienople)
“This album is too good to be true. It captures some of the finest elements of music and places these notes and passages in contexts that are at once instantly familiar and yet new. A truly unique work.” – Boomkat

Taiga Remains – Wax Canopy
“Neither sedate enough to fall into the ambient category nor ferocious enough to sit alongside Yellow Swans and the like, Wax Canopy resides somewhere in the blurry betweenness, at times bringing to mind Lichens, Birdshow and perhaps even the rainforest collages of Francisco Lopez.” – Boomkat

Cursillistas – Wasp Stings the Last Bitter Flavor
“…sounds like an intimate secret whispered in the listener's ear.” – Brad Rose (Digitalis)
“…sweet, abstract narratives in a lowest-ever-fi setting… otherworldly folk and esoteric song warping, with one foot in the outsider undergrowth and the other firmly rooted in more traditional soils.” - Boomkat

Chriss Sutherland – Me in a Field (Chriss is a founding member of Cerberus Shoal)
“Fans of Sufjan Stevens, Akron/Family or just good 'ole fashioned American Primitive folk music would do well to check this without any further ado - I'm off to grab a bottle of moonshine, last week's Sunday paper and a rockin' chair.” – Boomkat

Ensemble Economique – At the Foot of Nameless Roads (Brian Pyle (ee) is in Starving Weirdos and RV Paintings)
“This is vivid, haunting music that leaves a trail of gold in its wake. – Brad Rose (Digitalis)

Rutger Zuydervelt (Machinefabriek) / Mariska Baars (soccer Committee) / Wouter Van Veldhoven – Zeeg
“A glorious forty-minute epic of a track … melts into gut-churning bass drones and a dense brick-wall of hissing, reverberating sound. All this is slowly piped through the tape machine again and again before the calmer elements start to wade through the fog and calm is restored. Highly Recommended.” – Boomkat

The Green Blossoms - Whiskey Leaves
“Aiko Koga’s voice is the real focal point of the album. Soft and restrained, even when you can't understand her words (some of the lyrics are in Japanese), you are hooked from the get-go. Hours later, you find yourself humming her melodies while her ghostly incantations are stuck in the back of your mind. … Beautiful.” – Brad Rose (Digitalis)

Theo Angell & the Tabernacle Hillside Singers - Auraplinth (Theo Angell has worked with Hall of Fame & Jackie-O Motherfucker.)
“There's a feel to this album perhaps best described as Manson-esque.” – Boomkat

(VxPxC) - Porchmass
“These guys are a three-man scene, and a joy to follow.” – Dusted Magazine
“The wordless vocals flicker like volcanic ash falling from a sunkissed sky. There's so many things at odds with each other throughout these pieces that the resulting dichotomies and trichotomies create an entirely new sound.” - Brad Rose (Digitalis)

Milton Cross - Light in the West (Cross is in Tarentel, Dial Square, & Party of Doom)
“Cross does his best work when he's playing his violin or harmonium. He's classically trained and his skill is immediately apparent. Both instruments permeate the album, adding a thick layer of glowing warmth to the songs which they haunt.” – Brad Rose (Digitalis)

Jeremy Kelly - s/t
“A hypnotic Middle-Eastern jam that feels baked in the scorching desert sand. Add in some blues-infused acoustic ragas that throw a nod to Ben Chasny's Six Organs of Admittance and glazed walls of analog noise, and you're somewhere in the ballpark of this album.” – Brad Rose (Digitalis)

Fabio Orsi & Gianluca Becuzzi - The Stones Know Everything
“Crafting something this immense puts these two musicians into the realm of Stars of the Lid, Birchville Cat Motel and Growing, creating several intense worlds of ambient splendor, juxtaposing the sounds of everyday life with jetstreams of microtones and pulses of audible light.” – Brad Rose (Digitalis)