Track Listing:

01. Lamplighter
02. Fog
03. Grace
04. Flags
05. Objects At Rest + Motion
06. Fimbulwinter
07. Span
08. Insulate
09. Music for 5 Electromechancal Pianos - Part I
10. Music for 5 Electromechanical Pianos - Part II
11. Music for 5 Electromechanical Pianos - Part III
12. Mother Ship + Hive Mind
13. Chorale

There's no question that AK1200 is responsible for some of the most captivating music in a genre that is too often formulaic. At Close Range showcases talent that is well deserving of wider recognition. Called ""the foundation of the American drum'n'bass scene,"" by no less an authority than Dieselboy. Particular moments will catch your attention often enough to justify the purchase.

Any production LP including just one of the following names -- Rob Playford, Danny Breaks, Dominic ""Dom & Roland"" Angus -- would deserve a second look for jungle fans. All three appear here, and Playford, arguably the best producer in jungle history, co-produces (with AK) no less than seven of the 12 tracks. Shoot to Kill is that rare latter-day drum'n'bass album: one that advances the craft while still pulling in potential new converts.

"Earth Lens", the follow up to the critically acclaimed self titled debut album by ALT -CTRL-SLEEP.

Tracklisting

01. Ghost
02. Moonstruck
03. Claire de Louvre
04. Due East
05. The Room
06. Your Wish Is High Demand
07. Silence
08. Yesterday
09. December
10. When You’re Left In Outer Space
11. You And Me Are The Sun
12. Wisteria
13. End Of Message
14. Improvilegislation

Alt-Ctrl-Sleep Joe Diaco began playing piano as a child and by age 14 had picked up the guitar and began experimenting with new and exciting soundscapes and textures. In 2001 Joe and April met, sparks few, and she began teaching herself to play drums, and honing her skills as a song writer. With their love for starry-eyed sounds and melodic simplicity, in January of 2006 the duo started recording the music in that would be known as Alt-Ctrl-Sleep. Their demos were soon discovered on MySpace by Lakeshore Records and their debut album is now due in early 2008. If you love The Flaming Lips, Mazzy Starr, Jeff Buckley, Sigur Ros or Thom Yorke you just might love Alt-Ctrl-Sleep.

Album Track Listing:

01. Take Care
02. Good Times
03. Ones And Zeros
04. Catching Up To You
05. You Alone
06. Kandy
07. Nothing
08. Lies
09. Divine Beloved (Ho Hum Song)
10. Dream
11. Satellites (Venus To Mars)
12. Stay
13. Hold On
14. Closer To Me
15. In The End
16. Sleep

Black Moustache mastermind Spencer Product's particular preen has enough posing character to carry Moustache past novelty into total fun. This self-titled debut’s thumping, chilly dance beats; wizzy synths; and sleazy shards of punk guitar, coupled with Product's post-Fred Schneider honk on the mic, is as much cheap, silly fun as, say, singing along with the lyrics ""Hot monkey/Hot ass/Cold beer/No class"" while wrapping a favorite member of the opposite sex in cheesecloth. Since all of this makes the music secondary to artifice, it's refreshing that this Moustache looks as good as it does.

Featuring original songs as well as reworked versions of some all time classic's, Bob Forrest steps out from behind leading the seminal Los Angeles based punk rock band Thelonious Monster to get a little more personal on this long awaited solo debut. Album features guest appearances by John Frusciante, Flea, Victoria Williams, Zander Schloss (Circle Jerks), Ikie Owens (The Mars Volta) and Chris Vrenna (Former NIN).

Candiria continues to remain one of hardcore's most exciting and unpredictable bands on The C.O.M.A. Imprint, an album that deserves all the praise it receives. From the offsetting guitar experimentation to frontman Carley Coma's unique vocal delivery, the music on display is mindblowing at the very least.

In the quickly moving world of electronica, Doug Rimerman continues to be an innovative, clever producer. On All Things Change he delivers the rugged sound of early-'90s ambient techno (B12, Autechre, Black Dog) and glitch-heavy programming with a graceful understated flair.

This album by Cousteau alumnus Davey Ray Moor is a fantastic piece of work. The lush melodies are the perfect companion to those classic Cousteau records and if you like soulful brit pop, this is the record for you.

There's something ineffably Western (not to mention a taste of the Mexican border) about Stephen Collins’ compositions, a feel for the desert and open spaces that fill the West, without ever resorting to outlaw mythology. Collins is a writer with a sense of depth and history, which he demonstrates on Deadman's Paramour. A small masterpiece of Americana.

Freaky Chakra’s follow-up to Blacklight Fantasty, Moonroof Operator is a must hear! Definitely a master of technique who rises above his tools and a true musician that packs a spiritual and emotional punch.

An impressive mix of Yo La Tengo's more melodious thrashes and Grandaddy's own dusty restlessness, A Pretty Mess by This One Band is one of the greatest messes from America's indie underground.

Grandaddy's Concrete Dunes is a compilation of rare and critically acclaimed recordings that have heralded a movement towards the group's vintage electronic textures. The collection includes 2 previously unreleased songs in addition to 6 import only tracks plus select tracks off their debut E.P., A Pretty Mess By This One Band. Also included is an out of print gem, "Why Would I Want to Die". Concrete Dunes documents the early development of Grandaddy's evolved space rock sounds.

Already hugely successful on MP3.com, this eminently listenable recording should take her farther as a rare example of ""haute hop."" Gretchen Lieberum offers jazz vocals and subdued trip-hop on her Brand New Morning.

From the ashes of I, Robot comes the dream pop act Homesick for Space. The four-piece derives a gauzy, emo-inspired musical sound on its debut album, Unison. It's a tender set of songs rich in melody and emotion, and much more sophisticated than your typical post-alternative stance on personal reflection.

Produced by Northwestern cult figure, Pete Drodge, Jaime Wyatt's debut EP is a most accessible and delightful discovery with her bluesy swaggering vocals and rock thunder guitars.

James Wilsey�though his name may not be known to some, his sound is well known throughout the world. His signature guitar work on Chris Isaak's single �Wicked Game� helped propel the record to #6 on the Billboard Top 100 chart and the album to multi-platinum status. After an extended retirement from live performance and recording alike, he is finally releasing his first solo album, �El Dorado� via Lakeshore Records, January 2008.

The most utterly personified rock of today, make way now for Jet Black Summer. Screaming from mountain top's, these highly diverse tunes make melody yearn and fill your mouth with a fist full of rock. May your ascension be divine. Rock and roll shall now be true!

Josh Kramon's ""Big World"" excels effortlessly, and like all great music, you find yourself humming the tunes days later. This talented musician (and erstwhile Veronica Mars composer) will someday be a household name; in the meanwhile, treat yourself to this wonderful album.

One of the finest DJs in the world, Ken Ishii bested his previous mixing masterpiece with Future In Light. Ken Ishii throws the distinctly Asian sound of YMO-styled synth pop over driving techno, with plenty of changes to keep at-home listeners happy as well. Eleven perfectly paced tracks of enchanting, slightly chilled techno.

Sun Again further develops haunting beats and loops mixed with textured sung/spoken vocals (in various languages) creating a complex sonic symphony. Equal parts ""in yer face"" and yearning introspection, Sun Again is an album whose songs make the hair on the nape of the neck rise. She has been characterized as a ""female Beck"" with PJ Harvey-esque atmospherics and a Bjork like intensity with the production savvy of Tricky. Both Alanis Morissette and Nelly Furtado have given props to Kinnie via the national press. ""Sexy, androgynous and full of 'tude. Kinnie Starr is a hip-hop, trip-hop diva with tastes that run from the Dream Warriors and De La Soul to PJ Harvey and Tricky."" -- LA Buzz Weekly.

Lo Demanche, or Lolo, first collaborated with John Bergin in mid-2000's on a song for his album with co-conspirator Brett Smith, Tertium Non Data - Hers Is Blood. The end result was "Wisdom", and the rest is history. Lolo continued to do guest appearances for Bergin while working with Monta, an electronica outfit comprised of brothers Dedric and Delaney Moore. An album concept was born and everyone banded together with different musical offerings, and "Bad Idea" was born.

Album Track Listing:

01. Without You
02. Distant
03. Luna
04. XA
05. Don’t Know
06. Pointless
07. We’ll Manage That
08. Bad Idea
09. Burning Mother
10. Feeding The Flame
11. Boy

Riding high on the success of its initial releases, Madrid de los Austrias delivered its full-length debut in grand fashion. The Vienna duo known for its flamenco-infused downbeat style compiled its numerous previously released singles and threw in seven new tracks that share a similarly Spanish sound, resulting in a sure-fire album that should please everyone. Listeners already familiar with the singles will enjoy the new recordings, and those new to Madrid de los Austrias are surely in for a wonderful surprise here.

Armed Audio Warfare indeed! What a perfect title for this massively punishing collection of rare and previously unreleased songs that give a glimpse into what Meat Beat Manifesto's debut album might have sounded like had its masters not been destroyed in a fire. A slice of maverick genius. Armed Audio Warfare is an accessible and stunning masterpiece.

One of the U.K.'s original digital warriors, Jack Dangers' Meat Beat Manifesto has continually served as an introductory step into the vast world of electronic music. This remix of Dangers' 2002 album RUOK? might lead the charge of techno advancement, having been recorded as a 5.1 Surround Sound DVD, as well as regular audio disc, but the real excitement comes not from the technological gimmickry, but rather the elaborate mix of dub, dancehall, and good old-fashioned electronica that nobody does better than Dangers himself.

Visionary, forefather, innovator...these are terms that get thrown around all to loosely in the world of electronic music, but for certain individuals, these descriptions apply without question. Jack Dangers, the veteran composer and sound sculptor behind Meat Beat Manifesto, is one of these individuals. R.U.O.K? , MBM's seventh album and first in 4 years, represents a healthy growth in the innovative Meat Beat sound, and includes collaborations with turntablist Z-Trip, and ambient legend Alex Paterson of The Orb. ""A career defining gem"" URB Magazine. ""Intriguing and intimidating"" Rolling Stone

After Jack Dangers and Jonny Stephens, released the original Storm the Studio recording in 1989, its mix of dub, hip-hop, and incipient techno was an influence on many of the later trip-hop and drum'n'bass artists who emerged throughout the '90s. With Mixes by DJ Spooky, DJ Swamp, Jonah Sharp, and Dangers himself, this tribute is a consistently entertaining collection of remixes that covers every nook and cranny of the techno/EM map.

In stores: 2/16/10
Digital: 02/02/10

Melissa Dougherty
Volume 1

01. The Moon
02. The Blue Group
03. Two
04. Maggie May
05. Buttons
06. Harvesting Frames
07. Fading Camera
08. The Sound That Resounds
09. Childish Things
10. Luciano’s Eyes

In stores: 2/16/10
Digital: 02/02/10

Melissa Dougherty
Volume 2

01. D
02. I.C.M.
03. I Wanna Be Your Dog
04. Jigsawed
05. Late Night Radio
06. Come Knockin’
07. Underground
08. An Arsenal Of I Love You’s
09. Home Is Where You Are
10. 23 San Jose Ave.
11. So Sorry Dear
12. Sing A Song
13. A Line
14. How It Feels To Be Lost In Something
15. Focus Don’t Fade Just Try To Dissolve

Following the mostly acoustic Kevin Kolankowski album, the Miracle of 86 plug in for their second full-length. They straddle the fence of emo (""Dance Dance Revolution""), indie rock (""Every Famous Last Word""), and pop-punk (""Keep on Charging the Enemy Until There Is No More Life""). Guitarist Mike Robertson gets the mic on ""Southern State,"" a noteworthy rocker which ends up sounding like a tame Jawbreaker. And that's a good thing

At its release, Soul Rush was widely compared to Van Morrison's Astral Weeks, both for the sound and for the idea of using a jazz band, in this case Esbjörn Svenssons Trio, for playing rock. And just like in the case of Astral Weeks, the result is brilliant. The orchestra manages to create an incredibly organic sound, and even if some tracks include strings, horns, and piano, they all sound simple and easy, in a strictly positive sense. This sound builds up to the ecstasy that is the chief mode of the album, sneaking into even the sad songs, becoming almost triumphant on the title track. Dunger's voice is one of his biggest assets, from the warm humming of ""Pass the Chains"" to the slightly shrill shouting of ""Ballad of a Relationship.""

Son Of Bison are Eagle Rock's local avant folk rock heroes.

Track Listing:

01. Colostomy Shopping Sacs
02. Radio’s Light
03. Lycanthropic Leanings
04. Drinking Toll
05. Leaving Town
06. Norman
07. More Than Intestines
08. Tiny Parking Lot
09. Vessel
10. February Wind
11. Berlinetta

The second full-length album (and first domestic U.S. release) by this talented Japanese ensemble, Speedomeer, continues an exploration and expansion of the limits of downtempo electronica. Funky but relaxed breakbeats, crunchy but undemanding textures, melodies that are hinted at more than explicitly stated, and all of it seasoned with the occasional pinch of sweetly layered female vocals or virtuosic turntablism. Fans of Kruder & Dorfmeister and Zero 7 will feel at home with Private, as will anyone else with an ear for adventurous chill out music.

Steve Denny Project
The Ritual

01. The Return
02. Savage Tux
03. Love Never Dies
04. Valiente
05. Alandaluz
06. Embrujo
07. Rumba Pantera
08. Lights Out
09. Tiki Torch Moon
10. Los Gatos
11. Matrix
12. The Rad
13. Malaga V-1
14. What If

The Belles are nothing if not honest. They eschew studio glossiness at all times, keep the songs simple, and take a low-key, relaxed. Tracks like ""Never Said Anything"" and ""Omertá"" have earnest vocals, wide-screen choruses, and a straightforward pop sensibility. Tracks like ""Liquid Breakfast"" and ""(Who Will Be) Here to Hear?"" are as catchy as pneumonia. The falsetto on ""You Can't Have It All,"" the whispered vocals on ""Victory Parade,"" and the lo-fi guitar and wailing vocal duet on the American Music Club-influenced ""A Thousand Ships"" show that this is a band that cares about arrangements, dynamics, and atmosphere. Tolle's vocals are the greatest strength of the band, heartfelt and emotional yet understated; they help keep the band honest and true.

The end of the playa and the gangsta may well be nigh, but in the world of The Capitol, Black Mob Group's stunning debut album, the gangsta lives on and the playa plays on. Undersiege, Taylor Boy, 4,5,6, Sinse, and the rest of the crew drop tales of coming of age, ghetto survival, and playas getting over on the dark side of Miami, Dade County. Trackmaster Tony Galvin lays down almost all of the album's tracks with a neck-breaking nod to Miami bass. Black Mob Group will appeal to fans of the ""down South"" style of icy, electronic grooves and staccato beats that meet drawling ghetto slang. They offer a potent reminder that Florida actually is part of the South.

""Imagine the love child of The Smiths and The Jesus and Mary Chain born in 2004."" - Nojesguiden (Entertainment Monthly). ""Absolutely the best band to emerge from the Swedish indie seen since The Hives."" - Swedish Pop Review. ""When they write their best up tempo songs, time stands still. Handclap, sing-a-long choruses, clattering guitars, and soul"" says The Cricket. We agree!

Formed 20 years ago from a group of friends and outcasts in Hollywood, California, Thelonious Monster came out of the same fervent scene that spawned The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane's Addiction and Fishbone. After 4 critically acclaimed releases on Epitaph, Relativity & Capitol, the band took a 10 year recording break, returning to their old punk rock roots, playing music for the music, and not for corporate success. The line-up has changed through the years. John Frusciante went on to the Chili Peppers, Martyn LeNoble to Porno for Pyro's and Jane's Addiction...but the core of Bob Forrest, Pete Weiss, and Dix Denny have been there throughout.

The debut album from Vext embodies the heart and soul of Brooklyn hardcore. Cast The First Stone is a superior mix of hard rock and melodic expression's not heard in a very long time. Vext is putting the hard rock scene back on the map!

Who said pop was dead? Mexico's Volovan obviously doesn't think so. Their self-titled album oozes pop! Gliding harmonies, airy changes, and hanging Fender Rhodes chords keep the music suspended above the ground. Thankfully, the record isn't over-produced into slickness and the ragged edges make it all the more appealing.