Album Leaf - Chorus of Storytellers (Sub Pop)

A Chorus of Storytellers was recorded by Ryan Hadlock in the frosty month of February 2009 at Bear Creek Studio just outside of Seattle. It was mixed in the decidedly warmer month of June in Reykjavik, Iceland by Birgir Jon Birgisson (of Sigur Ros). For the first time in five albums, The Album Leaf recorded as a whole band. In the past, almost every instrument was performed by principal songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jimmy LaValle. This time the whole band was invited to participate and the result is their best record yet.

Robert Lester Folsom - Music and Dreams LP (Mexican Summer)

One of the first of many reissues on the Mexican Summer slate brings forth a 1976 private press affair from Georgia's Robert Lester Folsom, a high-quality and shimmering, unbuttoned-collar collection of marina rock and sunset ballads. Long out of print and worth a small fortune on eBay, this release is a perfect companion to your copies of "Something/Anything", "If Only I Could Remember My Name" and your Bobb Trimble reissues. Vaguely psychedelic and professionally rendered, this is a strong and consistent brace of rock, staid yet breezy.

Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba - I Speak Fula (Next Ambiance)

Malian maestro Bassekou Kouyate is a virtuoso picker and visionary whose work blurs the lines between West African and American roots music. Bassekou's intrument, the ngoni, is a "spike lute" and an ancestor of the banjo. Kouyate leads his band Ngoni Ba, the first-ever group built around not one but 4 ngonis - all played by members of his family. Guests include several pan-Malian notables, Toumani Diabate, Kasse Mady Diabate, Zoumana Tereta and Vieux Farka Toure.

Lil Wayne - Rebirth (Cash Money)

A crossover Rock album from the self-proclaimed 'greatest rapper of all time'. Lil Wayne's previous full-length, the Grammy Award-winning The Carter III has been certified triple platinum with over one million sold in it's first week of release! Rebirth, his long rumored Rock album, is still Rap heavy and features guest appearances from Eminem, Shanell (AKA SNL), Kevin Rudolf, Nicki Minaj and others. Includes the first single 'Prom Queen'.

Malachai - Ugly Side of Love (Domino)

Malachai is Hebrew for angel. It's also the name of the red-haired kid from Children Of The Corn. From which the band's name is derived. Why we're not exactly sure. Malachai, strictly speaking, are a duo from Bristol, UK. They aren't part of a scene, but they reflect the Bristol vibe these days: groups with dubstep running through their bones, hip hop in the fingers, 60s psychedelia in the heart. At times, the album sounds like a Jamaican garage rock band. Other time it sounds like Merseybeat if the beats were supplied by RZA. Or like Dick Dale surfing the River Severn.

Midlake - The Courage of Others (Bella Union)

The Courage of Others is the lusted after follow-up to Midlake's 2006 cult classic The Trials of Van Occupanther. Existing outside the plane of trends and even time, Midlake has once again conjured a novel world, but one that seems to have existed forever. Looms of intricately textured keyboards, flute, guitars and voice are woven into broad cloaks of sound, all riding the wave of songwriter Tim Smith's sweeping vocals.

The Orkustra - Adventures In Experimental Electric Orchestra From The San Francisco Underground LP (Mexican Summer)

A mighty set of archival recordings from the legendary Bobby BeauSoleil's proto-psych collective. Incredible packaging including an 18 page booklet with hand-written liner notes and original paintings from BeauSoleli. A perfect production from an infamous, iconoclastic legend who worked with everyone from Arthur Lee to Kenneth Anger. Staggeringly re-mastered, pressed on high-quality vinyl. "A youthful improvising ensemble attempting something outside of the tie-dyed, standard-rock format of 60s San Francisco." - Signal To Noise

Pierced Arrows - Descending Shadows (Vice)

Portland-based trio comprised of legendary members Fred and Toody Cole of the seminal punk band Dead Moon. Descending Shadows expands on their fervently rough signature sound, recorded at Portland's Buzz or Howl Studios and mastered to vinyl lacquer per tradition at Fred and Toody's home. Promising to herald a new generation of fans steeped in the progeny which Dead Moon influenced, Descending Shadows will provide longtime followers of the Cole's work with a new vital installment of what Fred once described as 'rock'n'roll that's rough, ragged, and honest', a sincere answer to the void of emotion lacking in today's era.

Priestess - Prior to the Fire (Tee Pee)

Unlike most hard rock/metal bands that relied solely on ballast and blast to sear their message into gray matter Priestess had a special trick up their sleeve - they could actually write a song that could walk the rope between being infectious and just downright viscous. Their incessant touring included sharing the stage with such heavy hitters as Black Label Society, Converge, Mastodon, Motorhead, Gwar and others with their sound equally comfortable sharing a stage with Iron Maiden as it was with Dinosaur Jr.

The Soft Pack - s/t (Kemado)

A brief synopsis of The Soft Pack's meteoric rise: a duo writing songs in California at the dawn of 2008 goes on to supporting The Breeders, Last Of The Shadow Puppets and Bloc Party as a quartet, and release two attention-grabbing singles, "Night Life" and "Extinction", that same year. They were the toast of CMJ in 2008 and South By Southwest in 2009, then toured alongside Franz Ferdinand, Phoenix, White Lies and Black Lips in 2009, and delivered the limited edition 12" Muslims EP to much chatter in March 2009.

Toro y Moi - Causers of This (Carpark)

This multi-cultural juggernaut gathers up the best musical elements from around the globe R&B, Indie Rock, Electronic Dance and Psychedelica and creates something-freaking-else! Over the course of his first groundbreaking full length "Causers Of This", Toro Y Moi turns the aforementioned musics upside-down with his breathtakingly innovative approach. The incendiary power of Toro Y Moi's funky synth and guitar play, pumping digital rhythms and gorgeously bright vocal harmonies makes for a formidable combination.

Wax Poetics - January/February 2010

The Africa Issue - with Fela on the front cover and Tony Allen on the back - plus pieces on The Rail Band, Orchestra Baobob, Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo, Soundway's Ghana Special and so much more! You know Wax Poetics is going to go deep, and this issue doesn't disappoint - from the pivotal Afro funk & soul of the cover artists to the Cuban-influenced vibe of Senegal's Orchestra Baobob, the griot sounds of the Rail Band and well beyond - loaded with photographs we've never seen before - Re:Discovery items on Mams & Hart, Buari's Disco Soccer and more, plus pieces on African vinyl collector Voodoo Frank, Shafiq of Sa-Ra, a Record Rundown of from African rhythms champion DJ Rich Medina.

Weekend - All American 10" (Mexican Summer)

Ear-splitting fuzz and honey-sweet melodies are the trademark of Weekend's durable, energetic sound. Shoegazer acolytes filtered through a transistor radio, they are not to be confused with the Young Marble Giants spinoff of the same name. This is the new Weekend and they are their own thing, ready to flatten you deaf, grinning ear to ear.

VA - Good God! Born Again Funk (Numero Group)

The Numero Group's 2006 release Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal examined what seemed to be a conundrum: gospel singers performing pious gospel songs, and devoutly, but doing so amid hot, sweaty, earthy sounds. Four years later, Numero returns with not quite a New Testament, rather a re-examination of a weighty tome. Born Again Funk lends new ears to a joyful strain of American composers and performers unafraid of expressing their devotion with both inspiration and invention.

The Vinyl Zone (get into the groove!)

Eat Skull - Jerusalem Mall 7" *(Woodsist)
Wanda Jackson - You Know I'm No Good 7" (Third Man)
Medication - This Town LP (HoZac)
Mess Folk - Something I Remember 7" (HoZac)
Mickey - She's So Crazy 7" (HoZac)
Myelin Sheaths - Do The Mental Twist 7" (HoZac)
Nerve City - Red Tops 7" (HoZac)
Thee Oh Sees - Quadrospazzed 12" (Castle Face)
Spacemen 3 - LP Reissues (Fire)

Also Released This Week

Tim Barry - 28th & Stonewall (Suburban Home)
Brunettes - Paper Dolls (Lil Cheif)
Ceephax Acid Crew - United Acid Emirates (Planet Mu)
Monolake - Silence (Monolake)
Vedera - Stages (Epic)
Rob Zombie - Hellbilly Deluxe 2 (Roadrunner)
VA - The Blank Generation: Blank Tapes NYC 1975-85 (Strut)
VA - Pop Ambient 2010 (Kompakt)