Psychedelic music has been getting a lot of attention lately, but I'mhard pressed to find anything with such a tag to be truly psychedelic.The first side of this LP from the duo of Brian Sullivan and NateNelson was refreshing for that reason. A vaguely rhythmic series ofchoppy and sloppy hi-hat smacks and tom pops lays out the framework forvibrating guitar noise and deeply running bass hums throughout thefirst side of Loam.

I have to admit that I'd previously never been a huge fan of Tarwater, despite their being an integral part of the German electro/pop scene with a direct connection to one of my favorite groups in the last five or so years: To Rococo Rot.

The fifth full length from Australia's own Severed Heads lies somewhat comfortably on the timeline of the project's natural progression from dark industrial (Dead Eyes Opened 83) towards more accessible dance (Dead Eyes Opened 94). Released in 1989 on the Nettwerk and Volition labels, the album spawned a trio of dancefloor designed singles that by themselves warrant this reissue by the highly regarded LTM Publishing imprint, known for giving similar treatment to albums from Section 25 and 23 Skidoo.

This marks the fifth in Die Stadt's ongoing Tietchens reissue campaignand the last of the artist's early works to be released initially bySky Records. The sound is similar to the previous Sky discs and closestto the best of the five, Biotop and Spät Europa.

This is the first in a projected series collecting studio material thatappeared on singles, compilations and other formats. This first volumecompiles seven tracks that were originally available briefly as freeMP3 downloads from Bardo Pond's website.

Since their formation in 1996, the only thing that has stayed the same about Piano Magic is how much they've changed. That and Glen Johnson, the only fixture of the group, which includes a revolving door lineup of musicians who come and go like breathing over the course of the project's numerous albums, EPs, soundtracks and compilations.

While the Aeolian String Ensemble might not be a household name aroundthese parts, David Kenny, the man behind the "ensemble," should berecognized from the credits of some of the fans' most favorite Current93 and Nurse With Wound releases as well as production on SPK's "InFlagrante Delicto" and the first Cyclobe record. "Espacios" opens thisthree-song release like a fog drifting into the dark night.

Eluvium differs from his fellow electronically-damaged guitar virtuosos(Fennesz, Remedios, et alii) by his insistence on repetition. He findsa hook and sticks with it, unapologetically and uncompromisingly. Thisisn't to say that Matthew Cooper's songs sound repetitive. There can berepetition without attaching the stigma of repetitive dreariness.

Aside from her quirky, yet laid back style of songwriting andperformance, the thing that stands out on Berlin-basedsinger/songwriter Masha Qrella's second solo recording, Unsolved Remained, is the distinct care and quality put into its production. Her 2003 debut, Luck,had been recorded mostly in secret at her home with little outsidehelp.

This is one of the best, most expertly crafted releases I have heard inquite some time. The artist formerly known as Hazard (Nilsen) andStilluppsteypa (recently reduced to a duo of Sigtryggur B. Sigmarssonand Helgi Thorsson) combine sounds that evoke panoramic landscapes.

The first thing I noticed upon picking up this disc was the cover,startling in its divergence from Touch photographer Jon Wozencroft'stypically blue-toned design. The majority of images here are gradationsupon a white scale, slow and detailed blends like the windowledge-fragment on the front, juxtaposed with the dramatic plunge intopure white of the tree silhouette on the inner sleeve.

At first I thought, "Great, another duo playing guitar and drums isreleasing music with the intent of resurrecting the lost heart and soulof lead-lined rock." This time around it's Jared Warren of Karp playingbass guitar and singing with drummer Coady Willis from Murder CityDevils. The most immediately obvious and awesome feature of Head for the Shallowis its neutron-thick production.

The ever revolving cast of characters that form Smegma grew out of theLos Angeles Free Music Society in the mid-70s and has not stoppedreocrding or performing since. This, however, is their first "proper"album in over ten years. Rumblingsincludes a cast of familiar characters, but also includes the infamousRichard Meltzer (known for his writing and for his involvement in theBlue Oyster Cult).

This album is going to make a lot of people very happy. Jesuis the first full-length, all-cylinders-firing rock-oriented releasefrom Justin Broadrick in quite a while, following a long period of timeduring which the former Napalm Death guitarist and Godflesh founderindulged his interest in hip-hop, dub and other, more experimental,less satisfying projects.

In a proper offering of respect, LTM has assembled three releases(including a double CD) collecting all of the Field Mice's output whichhas been out of print for a number of years. The majority of songs arelicensed from the now defunct Sarah Records, a label which was createdfor the very specific teleology of releasing 100 singles (though inactuality they surpassed that initial vision).

More than 35 years after Bill Fay's work first surfaced on DeccaRecords, the unique singer-songwriter is finally getting his due. Isuppose its inevitable that an artist who recorded two such singularlyidiosyncratic and intensely rendered albums—1970's Bill Fay and 1971's Time of the Last Persecution—andthen permanently disappeared off the radar screen would be the subjectof much speculation.

Yuck. Thankfully this 12" from Vicious Pink Goo is not indicative ofthe depth and breadth of current trends in dance music.

In 1995, Jody Evans was a 19-year-old studio technician working on Julian Cope's dreadful 20 Mothersalbum, when the Archdrude himself caught the youngster fucking aroundwith his VCS3 synthesizer, creating a marvelous racket.Thighpaulsandra, the widely acknowledged master of all instrumentssynthetic and analog, was also at those sessions, and, similarlyimpressed by Evans' instinctive techniques, joined forces with Cope toproduce his debut album as Anal.

I think this is supposed to sound grinding, heavy, and intimidating,but the latest from Chondritic Sound's founder sounds more like a blastof dense, hot air than anything else. This single, 42 minute trackfluctuates between a frustrating stasis and short, intense barrages ofmachine noise and static. The bass-like rumble that stays through theentire album undergoes a series of modulations that becomes thicker andthicker while waves of bees, never-ending crunches, and low-endfrequencies boil over one another in an almost indistinguishable haze.

At the intersection of loopy, downtempo electronica and spoken wordpoetry sits Machine Boy and collaborator Lorian Elbert. It's awell-trodden stretch of road that their project approaches, full ofsuccessful and experimental marriages between the often uncomfortable,confrotntational and confessional vibe of a poetry slam and the more orless easy-to-swallow looped beat, sampled melody routine.