Update: Silver Jew David Berman has started a blog.

Here's another spotlight on some of the alternative/indie stuff currently in the new arrivals. And here's parts one and two.

In addition, I've had a few emails from people asking if any of these titles are available for special order on vinyl. A number of them are, yes. Just shoot me an .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with a list of what you're keen on and I'll let you know.

When Brainiac singer Timmy Taylor died in 1997, guitarist John Schmersal created Enon with Steve Calhoon and Rick Lee of Skeleton Key. Calhoon didn't stick around too long and was replaced by Toko Yasuda (there's a nice picture of her on our Facebook), ex of Blonde Redhead and The Van Pelt. At the moment we've got two of their CDs, including High Society, their second and best release. I've often described the band as having a schizophrenic sound because it's hard to categorize while always remaining Enon. Here's a couple tracks:

Enon - "Natural Disasters" from High Society


Enon - "Dr. Freeze" from Grass Geyers / Carbon Clouds


Joe Pernice is a native of Massachusetts and outside of his solo releases, he's best known as the writer-frontman for the excellent Scud Mountain Boys (though he was also in Chappaquiddick Skyline). Scud's three albums are all worth owning if you like your music with an alt-country flavour. After the band disbanded, Joe formed The Pernice Brothers and released seven albums, one as recently as last year. They're all nice pop gems and we usually have stock on them all. What we see less of is Pernice's two eponymous releases: Big Tobacco and It Feels So Good When I Stop. (If that last title sounds familiar it might be because it's also the title of Pernice's debut novel.) That rambling intro is to tell you that Big Tobacco's in the shop at the moment. Incidentally, Pernice now lives in Toronto with his wife, Laura Stein of Halifax's Jale. To make this come full circle, Jale once had a video directed by Ann-Marie Fleming and I used to own a video label that distributed Fleming's early films.

Scud Mountain Boys - "In a Ditch" from Massachusetts


Pernice Brothers - "Baby In Two" from Yours, Mine, & Ours


Jim O'Rourke is a Chicago native and has played with a veritable who's who of the town's musicians (not to mention his ongoing association with non-Chicagoans Sonic Youth). Check some of these names: Merzbow, Derek Baily, Thurston Moore, Flying Saucer Attack, Fennesz, Joanna Newsom, Loren Connors, Gastr Del Sol... those are just off the top of my head. He's also produced or mixed some of the best releases from bands like Wilco, Stereolab, Superchunk, Smog, Beth Orton, Faust, The Red Krayola, and John Fahey. He has numerous solo releases, some of them electronic, some soaring pop, some a little avant garde... my favourites are the pop records and my favourite of those favourites is Eureka, which contains this stunner:

Jim O'Rourke - "Movie On the Way Down" from Eureka


We've also got O'Rourke's Insignificance in stock. It's rockier:

Jim O'Rourke - "All Downhill from Here" from Insignificance


Damien Jurado wrote what is probably my fave song about madness: the heartbreaking "Medication". (Okay, maybe it's tied with Songs: Ohia's Blue Chicago Moon). We don't see Jurado stuff used super often but at the moment we've got I Break Chairs ("Sets a new standard for his work" -- Allmusic), which opens with Paper Wings:

Damien Jurado - "Paper Wings" from I Break Chairs


Damien Jurado - "Medication" from Ghost of David


Songs: Ohia - "Blue Chicago Moon" from Didn't It Rain


It would be disrespectful to start a mention of Silver Jews by stating that main Jew, singer-songwriter-poet David Berman, was a crack addict for many years. Nonetheless, I've done it. In 2003 Berman attempted to kill himself by OD'ing on crack, alcohol, and Xanax. When that didn't work, he found Judaism, which he credits with saving his life. In addition to being one of the most idiosyncratic and talented songwriters of the past twenty years--with a very distinct intonation--he's also a published poet: Actual Air is a fantastic collection. Check out The Charm of 5:30 as an example of the work it contains. In stock now, three Silver Jews CDs: Starlite Walker, The Natural Bridge, and American Water. Here's a track from each:

Silver Jews - "Pan American Blues" from Starlite Walker


Silver Jews - "Black and Brown Blues" from The Natural Bridge


Silver Jews - "Smith and Jones Forever" from American Water


I mentioned Archers of Loaf in Part One of this series. They were one of the 90s better alt-rock acts, but after they disbanded, singer Eric Bachmann started recording under a couple names: Barry Black and Crooked Fingers. We don't see a lot of either entities' releases too often but we've got a few from both at the moment. The gem among them is the five-song Crooked Fingers EP, Reservoir Songs. It consists of covers of Kris Kristofferson, Neil Diamond, Springsteen, Queen/Bowie, and this Prince track:

Crooked Fingers - "When You Were Mine" from Reservoir Songs


I forgot to write down which Casiotone for the Painfully Alone CDs we got in--one was definitely Pocket Symphonies for Lonely Subway Cars (there were two and we rarely see any of Portland-based artist's albums come in), but regardless, I'm going to offer up my favorite track by the man:

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - "Bobby Malone Moves Home" from Bobby Malone Moves Home


Allmusic describes Deerhoof thusly: "San Francisco's strident Deerhoof is a much-loved deconstructionist art-pop outfit. The band is part no wave skronk, part Yoko Ono meets the B-52's, and part weirdo J-pop, and continues to push the musical envelope on each new recording." You be the judge. Here's "The Magnificent Bird Will Rise" from Reveille, just one of the four Deerhoof CDs we got in:



Here's another live track:



Gotta love how some random youtuber describe's the music: "This is jazz for punk rock. Fucking godly. I bet they play this shit at the bottom of the Ocean. While your spirit lies in a sunken ship, you listen to this."

With that, I'll wrap up the post. Thanks for reading!