New music acquisitions

So, what have recently entered the Rullsenberg and Cloud household?

This listing dates from mid-August and the Summer Sundae weekender 2007 to the end of September 2007.

The Summer Sundae Showdown

• Tom Russell: Song of the West - The Cowboy Collection


• Tom Russell: Love and Fear


• Various Artists: Wounded Heart of America (Tom Russell Songs)

We had a fabulous time in the company of Tom Russell at Summer Sundae and ran off to withdraw money especially to purchase some of his works. He certainly warrants all the plaudits he has garnered over the years.

The LA Pick-up

• Steve Reich: Phases

A box set of 5 CDs providing a Nonesuch retrospective of Reich's work, this was irresistable (not least for the weakened US dollar). Beautiful sounds.

The Slow Boat Splurge

• La Gloria: Jeramiad

Soundscapes made with such items as Roto mikes, Shimshaw, and Pickup Transducers... Sounds up our street and it is sure is!


• Alastair Galbraith / Matt de Gennaro: From the Dark (South Island) - Long Wires in Dark Museums Vol.2

Reading the description of this from the (actually rather substantial "New Zealand - Experimental" section in Slow Boat, we had to pick this up. Cue an at-the-counter additional run through as to what the work involved. This gives a nice understanding:

Alastair Galbraith is the glue that binds the New Zealand underground. His work ranges from achingly lyrical violin for artists as disparate as Peter Jefferies and the Bats, to the feedback squall she conjures as a member of A Handful of Dust, to the other worldly minatures he crafts for his own solo albums. However, in recent years, Galbraith, along with American Matt de Gennaro, has developed another remarkable performance idiom, one that is positioned closer to the sounding sculptures of Harry Bertoia. In From the Dark (South Island), architectural idiosyncrasies are transformed into nuanced and hypnotic audio. Wires - some as long as 100 feet - are affixed throughout a building. When the wires are taut and stroked with roisined hands or a piece of leather, longitudinal vibrations are sent to the points of attachment, creating a natural resonator. It is not the wires that make the sound, but the wall, railing or window frames at their end: wire length and room acoustics determine the pitch. THe result, achieved in a veil of total darkness, is a beautiful and eeries confluence of chance and accident, architecture and improvisation. As Galbraith puts it, "There is some quite magical feeling of communion turning the lights off and making the building sing."



• Rosy Tin Tea Caddy - Blind Leading the Blind

Cloud picked this up after seeing it at the counter in Slow Boat and reading the following remarks from its inside sleeve:


Billy Earl and Betty Grey met as youngsters. Since then they have surrounded kitchen tables with cheap wine, old laughter, fresh pasta, dirty children, guitars, a computer and endless cups of tea.

Now who could resist THAT!?


• Magnolia Electric Co.: Fading Trails

We heard some very nice music whilst I was buying a beautifully tailored suit from Ziggurat and promptly queried who it was by. Finding it to be Jason Molina's Magnolia Electric Co., we promptly picked up something of theirs from Slow Boat just up the road.


• Tape Man Goes To Outer Space!

What can I say? We like the quirky and will take a gamble on all manner of stuff...!


• Lambchop: Tools in the Dryer


• Lambchop: The Decline of Country and Western Civilisation Part II: The Woodwind Years (Australia/NZ Edition includes bonus disc - The 'CoLab' EP)

One can never have too much of the 'Chop. The dulcit tones of Kurt Wagner on these respective compilations of A-sides, B-sides, live tracks and remixes, and also of A-sides, B-sides, compilation tracks and unreleased songs are particular joys.


• Two t-shirts, including one advertising Slow Boat Records especially for wearing when visiting Selectadisc.

The Swordfish Snaffle

• Alastair Galbraith: Talisman

Captivated by the acquisition of From the Dark, I thought I would indulge in more from this NZ artiste.


• The Elysian Quartet: Gabriel Prokofiev String Quartet No.1 with remixes by Edwin Lalio, Boxsaga, David Schweitzer and Max de Wardener

At time of typing I still haven't had chance to play this but it just sounded so intriguing!


• Tunng: Good Arrows

This was playing in the store and their unique style was instantly recognisable. Yep: we'll have some more of that!


• Thelonius Monk Quartet with John Coltrane: At Carnegie Hall

Cloud felt almost ill at realising he had NO Monk in his collection. We rectified that with this double-whammy gem featuring Coltrane as well...

The Selectadisc Raid

• Various Artists: The End of the Fear of God

69 artistes. A totally mad and typical CD inset commentary from the shop (why don't they let you keep a note of those?!). Had to be done.


• David Grubbs and Susan Howe: Souls of the Labardie Tract

I'll be honest here, I basically picked this up (a) because I knew David Grubbs from a FatCat compilation of super-duper stuff and (b) because a friend did her PhD on the poetry of Susan Howe. It's actually rather beautiful, especially with the weird noises and interludes of Grubbs sounds...


• Mira Calix: Eyes Set Against the Sun

Nope, no idea what to expect but selected from the soothing gems of the Post-Rock section I'm sure it can't be all bad...


• Colleen: Les Ondres Silencieuses

Yet more totally bought on a whim material. I want to be surprised! Quiet or loud, I like to take an occasional gamble.


• Monopolka: Noise Wendy

How can one resist a CD whose packaging is hand-made for each one and features cut-up pieces of cassette tape?!

[There was an additional item which I don't want to mention here because it may become a birthay present for a friend! But its a music DVD I also quite fancy having... decisions, decisions!]


Neil's selection

• Scritti Politti: Early

Neil's historic love for Green Gartside could not resist picking this up.


• Patti Smith: Land (1975-2002)

Yes, we should buy Smith's ouevre, but for the moment this sampler gives us a top up on our current CD owned material by her (vinyl, yep: CD, we hadn't ... apart from a key George selected gem!)


• Arise Rootsman: Jamaican Roots 1965-1983

Cannot resist getting some Trojan dub classics.


• Final Fantasy: He Poos Clouds

It's an Arcade Fire offspring record. That surely explains the purchase? That and the quirky name that amused Cloud...

George and Sonia's selections

• One From the Heart [Soundtrack album]

A classic bit of Waits and Gayle. Sonia needed to replace her worn/lost tape. Bargain.


• Rough Guide to the Music of Iran

Stretching out beyond western music - even if our selections push the barriers of 'music' fullstop! - this is a fine selection of tracks that shames me into realising how we need to keep expanding our musical horizons.


• Ethiopiques - the Very Best of Ethiopiques: Hypnotic Grooves from the Legendary Series

Like the fabulous Getatchew Mekurya bringing Eithiopian sax to the fore, this collection promised a full range of gems!


• Various Artists: Warrior Dubz

Magnificent collection of weird and wonderful works in a dub-hip-hop-rap-stylee.


• John Wiese: Black Magic Pond

Simply so grating that its hypnotically compelling and beautiful. A real find!


• Evan Parker: Time Lapse

Jazz man. It's jazz.


• Ooioo: Ooeyioo - eyioo remix [EP]

Hard to type but suitably on the scale of quirky electronic.


• Free sampler with Plan B magazine

Is that it? I think it may be. I'll try and get links on as many as possible but stay with me folks; this catch up is taking me some time!