New Releases - First Week 2005

This week sees a reissue of a classic Nina Simone LP on 180 gram vinyl, a new one from Bettye LaVette and more Buddha machines.

Via ForcedExposure.com:

SIMONE, NINA: The Amazing Nina Simone LP (4M 126LP) 15.00
"Nina's second LP, originally released in 1959, The Amazing Nina Simone features a repertoire ranging from a swinging 'Stompin' at the Savoy' and an emotional 'It Might as Well Be Spring' to an English folk ballad ('Tomorrow'), spirituals, and an R&B song ('You've Been Gone Too Long') and is backed by a subtle orchestra arranged by Bob Mersey that effectively showcases her top-form vocals. 180 gram vinyl."


LAVETTE, BETTY: I've Got My Own Hell to Raise LP (DBK 116LP) 13.00
"Great lost soul singer Bettye LaVette returns with an amazing album produced by Joe Henry (the man behind Solomon Burke's Grammy-winning 2002 comeback). Elvis Costello says it best: 'You've got a singer here who is willing to stretch and not content to live in the safety zone. Bettye Lavette's voice is the superb line that connects Lucinda Williams' 'Joy' to Dolly Parton's 'Little Sparrow' via numbers by Sinead O'Connor and Joan Armatrading. Those songs never sounded better and neither has one of R&B's greatest under-acknowledged vocalists.'."

FM3: Buddha Machine Soundbox (BUDDHA 001) 23.00
Restocked! 2nd edition now available. A unique 'soundbox' from China, which is causing senstation worldwide. A totally dazzling item which causes jaw-dropping delight everywhere -- Alan Bishop bought twenty-four of these on sight, Brian Eno bought eight (how's that for apocalyptical math?). FM3 are a duo of Christiaan Virant and Chinese keyboardist and computer musician Zhang Jian -- based in Beijing. The Buddha Machine is a hardware loop player, built kind of like a little AM radio (available in 6 different colors, shipped randomly), but without all the nonsense -- total genius from out of nowhere. More info/pictures at: www.fm3.com.cn [there's also a definitive FM3 interview at: www.rarefrequency.com]. Comes with 2 x AA batteries. "The Buddha Machine is a small soundbox made in China which comes with an integrated speaker, a volume control, mini jack-out and a switch to choose between nine different loops which are stored on a small chip and can be directly played by this mini soundsystem."

WIRE, THE: #263 January 2006 MAG (WIRE 263) 8.00
"On the cover: Rewind 2005 (Eyes down for The Wire's annual selection of the year's best music, plus critics' and musician's reflections). Features: Burning Star Core (Bruce Russell descends into the subterranean drone-disco run by Ohio violinist C Spencer Yeh); Dan Wilson (The songwriter and radio artist conducts acts of poetic subversion from Meadow House); Yannis Kyriakides (Cold War geopolitics, philosophy and Improv are all mixed up in the output of this Greek composer); Invisible Jukebox: Nurse With Wound; Tetuzi Akiyama (Armed with a guitar and samurai sword, the Tokyo Improv warrior tells Clive Bell why he wants us to boogie); Noah Howard (Decades after migrating to France in a squall of free jazz, the alto sax master is still blowing strong); Volcano The Bear (Keith Molin� tries to keep order among the good humoured sprawl of Leicester's finest free rock troupe)."

Aquarius Staff Favorites: http://aquariusrecords.org/2005faves.html

And BompRecords.com has some swell stuff:


WIPERS - REBEL WITH A CAUSE Euro release. First
time on vinyl. Excellent compilation of demos and
studio outtakes from 1979-1982.. IMPORT LP $18

DAMON ``SONG OF A GYPSY (LP+7")`` Originally
recorded in 1969 and released in some
micro-quantity of non-distributed LPs, the album
documents Damon's travelling-gypsy-psych
concoction . Lovely zap-fuzz psych guitar This
record is also in Paul Major's "Top Five of Weird
Underground Psych/Folk", as revealed in Vice
magazine. GOLD EMBOSSED GATEFOLD COVER W/4 TRACK
33RPM EP W/INSERT. ALL COPIES HAVE DAMON'S
SIGNATURE. TRUE PSYCH. LP $32

SCIENTISTS Human Jukebox- 1984-1986- 14 track
companion to the "Blood Red River" release of
last year. Pure genious Australian swampy dirty
r'n'r CD $12

SCIENTISTS- Pissed on Another Planet DBL CD
Chronicles THE SCIENTISTS early experiments
1978-1980. previously unreleased material
included. CD $16


RADIO BIRDMAN PEPPER, ANGIE - Res Ipsa
Loquitor. First solo album by ex-vocalist of
Australia's legendary PASSENGERS; this time Angie
is backed by the DENIZ TEK GROUP and DONOVAN'S
BRAIN, among others. Includes a great cover of
"Hindu Gods of Love", originally recorded by
Sydney's infamous LIPSTICK KILLERS. CD $12