Genesis Breyer P-Orridge and Thee Early Worm - Early Worm

1. Joint Effort

2. Firesong
3. Mourning To The Dusk
4. Waltz Of The Newt
5. Prelude
6. Clockword Cloud
7. Rather Hard To Libel
8. A Very Short Middle
9. Balloon
10.Lament

Early Worm is a transfixingly lo-fi recording of the first to tape experiments by Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV figurehead Genesis P-Orridge. Recorded in his parents attic in 1968 in suburban England, P-Orridge and his group of local teenage freaks, weaned on a steady diet of Burroughs/Gysin cut ups, ESP records and emerging psychedelia, married their absurdity and dada to whatever they could find. The results interestingly enough are far more acoustic-based than one would imagine from a founding father of industrial music. Often times the melodies and detuned melodies are reminiscent of Jandek but tweaked using homemade solutions like paperclips and tape feedback. The general feel is akin to far outside loners and goes beyond the feel of what would come later but shows the personality of a individual. One gets the feel of being a fly on the wall to these live, one take experiments. Originally pressed as a single copy acetate back in the day, the original master reels were found by Dias label founder Ryan Gelik and is presented here on LP to the curious public for the first time. Most interestingly bizarre is P-Orridge’s father’s harmonica performance on the track “Lament”. Seems as though askew ran in the blood. While certainly not the most coherent statement Early Worm is an interesting recording of bizarre tribal home-made weirdness despite whoever is involved.

The Low Frequency In Stereo - Futuro

1. Turnpike

2. Texas Fox

3. Geordie la forge

4. Mt. Pinatubo

5. Starstruck

6. Sparkle Drive

7. The End Is the End

8. Solar System

From the Eastern-tinged pop flirt of ”Startruck” to the near 10 minute cosmic groove-trip that is ”Solar System”, the new album from this excellent group finds them on top form and taking a big leap from their previous, Norwegian Grammy nominated album. A sharper and more focused effort without a weak track in sight, ”Futuro” is both industrial and rough as well as polished and streamlined. There are nods to fellow Norwegians 120 Days as well as Stereolab, Can, Doors, Joy Divison and even B-52´s, but first of all this is a group that with their fourth album have perfected their own sound.www.runegrammofon.com

Wavves - Wavvves

01. Rainbow Everywhere
02. Beach Demon
03. To the Dregs
04. Sun Opens My Eyes
05. Gun in the Sun
06. So Bored
07. Goth Girls
08. No Hope Kids
09. Weed Demon
10. California Goths
11. Summer Goth
12. Ghost Ramp
13. Killr Punx, Scary Demons
14. Surf Goth

Nathan Williams from San Diego is the current toast of the blogs but, if the name is unfamiliar, you might recognise him from his musical moniker Wavves. His debut album is a delight of bedroom pop drenched in dirty, overamped, fuzzy guitars. It’s punk marinaded in surf-pop, drawing on the Beach Boys, Wipers, Beat Happening and the Pixies, and taking its cue from the K Records’ DIY dynamic. There are a couple of departures into playful space-prog wibbling and pitchshifting electronica but the majority of the record is some form of brutally distorted guitar pop: from catchy punk (‘Here’s To The Sun’) to frenetic, driving Pixiepop (‘Teenage Super Party’) to Wire-like spikiness (‘Side Yr On’). It sounds as inspired and underproduced as punk rock records from 1976 with the same amphetamine frenzy. It may be raw but it’s powerful and satisfying stuff, best listened to very loud....www.soundsxp.com

Faust - C'est Com... Com... Compliqué

01. Kundalini Tremolos
02. Accroch‚ Tes Levres
03. Ce Chemin Est le Bon
04. Stimmen
05. Petits Sons Appetissants
06. Bonjour Gioacchino
07. En Veux-Tu des Effets, en Voila
08. Lass Mich, Version Originale
09. C’est… Com… Com…. Compliqué

The Bureau B label breaks into new territory and presents a newly-recorded album by Krautrock legends, Faust. "There is no group more mythical than Faust." Thus wrote English musician and eccentric Julian Cope in his classic of the genre, Krautrocksampler. Which says it all really -- neither the habitus nor the music of the six-piece Hamburg group is easy to grasp. Formed in Hamburg in 1970, some lauded Faust as the best thing that ever happened to rock, others dismissed them as shameless dilettantes. Their collage of Dadaism, avant-garde rock and free improvisation radically divided opinion. Their legend was built on the fact that, in the early days, they addressed the media through their producer and manager Uwe Nettelbeck. Precious little was known about the musicians themselves. When the first LP was unleashed on the world in 1971, Faust were very much the prophets in their own land, as the saying goes: few were interested in listening to their music -- in Germany. Not so across the Channel: this is where Faust's career really kick-started. These monoliths of avant-garde rock sold a phenomenal 100,000 copies of their third album The Faust Tapes, one of the first releases on the Virgin label, then in its infancy. Now that Krautrock has been revived, Faust have become one of the biggest names to drop, worldwide. Their concerts in the USA, Middle East, Japan and Europe invariably sell out. Almost 40 years since they began, Faust are issuing a brand new studio album. Original members Jean-Hervé Peron and Werner "Zappi" Diermaier were joined in the Electric Avenue studio by Amaury Cambuzat (from the French post-rock combo Ulan Bator). Star indie producer Tobias Levin recorded. The results sound fantastic! Typically Dadaist lyrics (mostly in French) accompany repetitive, sporadically overflowing patterns. Faust's music combines seemingly contradictory elements: it rages, yet is gentle; it is monotonous yet melodic, earthy and still ethereal. Safe to say, it is unique. The Bureau B label have previously concentrated on re-releases and compilations, but presented with the opportunity of releasing new works by Krautrock gods Faust, the only possible outcome was to say YES....www.ear-rational.com

Headless Heroes - The Silence of Love

01. True Love Will Find You In The End 

02. Just One Time 

03. Here Before 

04. Just Like Honey 

05. To You 

06. Blues Run The Game 

07. Hey, Who Really Cares? 

08. Nobody's Baby Now 

09. The North Wind Blew South 

10. See My Love

With an under-loved folk singer (Alela Diane), a bunch of top-notch musos (Joey Waronker, Josh Klinghoffer, etc) and a covers album full of lost classics and obscure gems, what could possibly go wrong?

Not much, actually. This is a tasteful and entirely pleasant run-through of great songs from the likes of Vashti Bunyan, Daniel Johnston, the Jesus and Mary Chain and I Am Kloot. The only thing missing is one moment of jaw-dropping, risk-taking audacity...www.indepedent.co.uk

Stuart & Caan - The Mayfly Dance

1. Lalita 

2. I Waited So Long 

3. Big White Boat 

4. Rosemary 

5. Isn't It Wonderful 

6. Lord Of The Cosmos 

7. Look To The Sky 

8. God Song 

9. Holy Moment 

10. Do You Want To 

11. Set Sail 

12. Land Of Stone

Stuart and Caan's The Mayfly Dance came to Knw-Yr-Own from England thanks to friends Little Wings and Devendra Banhart. After opening for the two bands on the Hair Fairies Tour, Banhart invited the gents to come over and play the United States. Needless to say, Stuart and Caan fell smartly into the middle of the new weird America musical movement, taking it all in (until they were deported). With pastoral guitars, heartbreaking melodies, and a rare sense of wide-eyed wonder, The Mayfly Dance spins a timeless Anglo-folk sound...www.insound.com

El Goodo - Coyote

1. Feel So Fine
2. Aren’t You Grand
3. Don’t Worry Marie
4. I Saw Her Today
5. Information Overload
6. Talking to the Birds
7. Pete
8. I Can’t Make It
9. Be My Girl
10. Oh, to Sleep
11. I Only Dream

With the complete embodiment of late 60s-early 70s pop/rock—there’s even a Ringo throwaway on here—El Goodo fashion an imitable sound on their second album, Coyote. With an album title that doesn’t fit the music it’s depicting, in any sense of form, El Goodo try way too hard on this album’s insipid music. And though, for the first few times, this comes off as a novel and somewhat pleasant listen, repeated ventures reveal a trite idea gone wrong.

Super Furry Animals are a band that have ingeniously captured an essence and have branded that admirable style into something all their own. El Goodo’s press release attempts to familiarize one band with the other but it’s a blunt fact that the former is in another league. Take the album’s closer, “I Only Dream,” which features a worthless ten-minute gap of silence. The music begins with a folksy guitar before the band reaches for hazy vocals and lush atmospherics that The Mamas and Papas already accomplished decades ago. The ending is a swirling, baffling mash of sounds that neither impress, let alone confuse.

However, there is a good batch of songs to keep a listener locked in for a while. “Don’t Worry Marie” and “Information Overload” are sweet shuffles of earnest vocals and music that recall Spaghetti western soundtracks. While “Aren’t You Grand” is bluesy stomp, with some harmonica and harmonizing vocals for good measure. The problem lies within the band’s own identity: are they trying to sound like Jet or like Jet trying to be The Byrds? Either way, neither are good inspirations.

“Pete” is one of the few tunes that have a hint of sincerity floating around. With a crafty melody and uprising vocal progression, the song swims by with precise ease. And the album’s opener, “Feel So Fine” is a fine introduction, where even the noisy feedback is a smart move. The drums pound away as the multi-tracked vocals and fast-paced guitar take over.

With the right set of musicians and ideas, this type of sound could have surely achieved greatness. But when you get down to it, these are ideas that have not only been done before, but they were absolutely mastered, many, many years ago. And with an album that lacks any kind of bite, any sort of ferocity and a clear avoidance on bark, Coyote is a letdown. It’s this kind of music that makes some dreadful fodder like The Beep Seals seem approachable...www.adequacy.net

zZz - Running with the Beast

01 Lover
02 Grip
03 Spoil The Party
04 Sign Of Love
05 Majeur
06 Running With The Beast
07 Amanda
08 Loverboy
09 The Movies
10 Angel
11 Islands

zZz are band made up of an organist and a drummer who doubles up as a vocalist, and both members make one heck of a racket, but a very dark, danceable one that will appeal to the nu-wave aficionado. The group take elements of electro and goth for a weird and wonderful amalgamation of sounds; think of The Doorsin a triple-threat match alongside The Killers and The Cult and you’re nearly there. 

'Lover' is a dark and funk-infused effort that can only be appreciated at full volume. 'Grip', by contrast, is a track that has got the band some attention recently appearing on a FIAT commercial and it deserves more praise. With haunting organ drones and a militaristic drumming this tune is a great standout that really helps zZz to separate themselves from the current crop of pretenders and establish themselves as real contenders for '09. 'Spoil The Party' is an upbeat anthem with funky keys and resounding electronic elements. 'Sign Of Love'follows up nicely and is a little heavier than previous material, reminiscent of Joy Division at their most chaotic and captivating. 'Majeur' is much the same, and by this point the only criticism one could have of the two-piece is that it all does sound very similar, but there is enough variation in here to appease lovers of the growing crossover genre. Changing tactics slightly on the title track 'Running With The Beast', zZz turn it up to 11 and concentrate on a more acoustic effort focusing on the drums; it's here they do well, sounding like a more substantial and much cooler Interpol. 

'Amanda' is moody, slow and romantic and it will surely inspire you in some way upon listening, coming off like The Postal Service with a black heart. While'Loverboy' and its blend of raw and high-pitched vocals tones allow for an entertaining and altogether random song that sounds like it comes straight out of'Hedwig And The Angry Inch', making it interesting to say the very least. 'The Movies' is a noisy and rather unnecessary two minute instrumental lead into the far more sonic and powerful 'Angel', which harks back to Gary Numan's glory days. It also borrows in part from more contemporary acts like She Wants Revenge, blending soft imagery with dark subject matter for a prominent and impactful song. The final track here is the emotive 'Islands' and it's the best way they could have finished this varied record, stripping everything down for a raw and soft few minutes of quality musicianship. 'Running With The Beast' will be a relief for those who inhabit the darker side of the musical spectrum, hankering for something to go deaf to for a while...www.clickmusic.co.uk

The Long Lost - The Long Lost

01. The Art Of Kissing 

02. Amiss 

03. Sibilance 

04. Overmuch 

05. Past Perfect 

06. Ballroom Dance Club 

07. Siren Song 

08. Colour 

09. Regrets Only 

10. Cat Fancy 

11. Wobegone 

12. Finders Keepers 

13. Domestics 

14. Awash

The Long Lost consists of high-school-sweethearts turned husband-&-wife Alfred (a.k.a. Daedelus) and Laura Darlington. Both hail from Santa Monica, California, where they met in the high school orchestra - he on double-bass and she on flute - and became partners in the ballroom dance club.

After 4 years apart, they formed The Long Lost during a renewed courtship in 1998. In contrast to the avant-electronics and hip-hop aesthetics of Alfred’s music as Daedelus, The Long Lost is a union of two songwriters & producers with a penchant for sad sounds and delicate, electro-acoustic melodies. These two hopeless romantics make psychedelic lullabies for lovers and the lovelorn.

A fascinating and utterly individual project, The Long Lost take the subject of love away from the cliches and hackneyed wailing of the mainstream and reconnect it to those strange and uncontrollable emotions we’re all so in thrall to...www.plugonemag.com

Lotus Plaza - The Floodlight Collective

01 Red Oak Way
02 Quicksand
03 These Years
04 Different Mirrors
05 Whiteout
06 What Grows?
07 Sunday Night
08 Antoine
09 The Floodlight Collective
10 A Threaded Needle

When Bradford Cox wants to stray from the Deerhunter herd, he has his Atlas Sound project. And when guitarist Lockett Pundt wishes to do the same? Enter Lotus Plaza. Frequent patrons of the so-called Deerhunter blog will already be familiar with the act, but Pundt is all set to step out in a big way with his debut full-length under the Lotus Plaza banner.

The Floodlight Collective shines its way into stores March 23 (a Monday, yes) courtesy of those purveyors of all things Deerhunter-related, Kranky. The 10-track offering features guest drum-work from Bradford Cox on a tune called "Different Mirrors", and mixing and some production from Brian Foote of Kranky labelmates Nudge. The rest is all Pundt.

No word yet whether Lockett will rock it in the live setting as Lotus Plaza, but when the album drops he'll be in the midst of a sizable Deerhunter European tour..www.pitchforkmedia.com

Rainbow Arabia - The Basta EP

1. Omar K

2. Let Them Dance

3. I Know I See I Love I Go

4. Hear No See No

5. The Basta

Fever Ray - Fever Ray

1. If I Had A Heart
2. When I Grow Up
3. Dry & Dusty
4. Seven
5. Triangle Walks
6. Concrete Walls
7. Now’s The Only Time I Know
8. I’m Not Done
9. Keep The Streets Empty For Me
10. Coconut

Peter Adams - I Woke With Planets In My Face

01 In the Great Green Room
02 The Observatory
03 Conversation With the Moon
04 Into the Mist
05 Sprinkler Song for Jessica
06 Ziggurat
07 I Was Looking At the Ceiling, and Then I Saw the Sky
08 Antarctica
09 Ghost in the Fen
10 Annabel Lee
11 Eyelids
12 The Seventh Seal

The Yellow Moon Band - Travels Into Several Remote Nations of the World

01 Polaris
02 Chimney
03 Entangled
04 Maybach
05 Focussed
06 Domini
07 Window
08 Lunadelica