Courtesy Desk: Turntable Report #083 PART TWO
Me again!
As promised, here is part 2 of my newest Turntable Report. For those who are new around here, I tend to do these every 3 months (so two in two days is definitely not the norm) and it reflects my new and newly reissued favorite independent music from around the world. My small online record store Courtesy Desk features many of the bands I write about here. I try to focus on the music that mainstream music publications and record stores are likely not covering.
Ever wonder who else is reading my reports? My subscribers are typically dedicated fans of eclectic underground sounds like me, but many are also radio DJs, record store folks, music licensing people, talent bookers, music journalists, record label employees/owners, music distributors, photographers, musicians, promoters, and fellow industry lifers I have known through my 35+ years in independent music. This community of friends and peers also inspire many of the things I write about, so I can’t really take all the credit for these picks. It feels more like a collective effort of many people with amazing ears for interesting and exciting new music. It takes a village y’all!
A new radio show should be coming by the end of the week too.
Enjoy what is left of the summer,
Tracy
New in and shipping now for this Friday’s street date:
-Wendy & Bonnie - Genesis LP (Sundazed/USA)
-Birdie - Some Dusty LP (Slumberland/USA)
-Kava Kon - Departure Exotica LP (Mellow Exotica/USA)
-SML - Small Medium Large LP (International Anthem Recording Co./US)
- Even more new releases and restocks will be coming to the shop by Friday so check back again later this week.
The Hygrades - Psychedelic Afro Funk (Dig This Way Records) A whole lot James Brown funky, and a little bit uptight mod soul with a dash of the blues, these mysterious Nigerian rockers from the early ‘70s produced some killer singles, compiled here in limited reissue form. We may not know about the musicians, but these songs scream their legacy.
Jah Thomas - Dance the Corner (Radiation) Mixed by Tubby, Jammy, and Scientist., this early dancehall star is one of my favorite Deejay voices, no less backed by the legendary Roots Radics and for you deep dub lovers. No summer should be spent without this on your turntable at least once weekly. Back in stock soon.
Ashby - Power Ballads (Marina) If The Cardigans played on one side of a festival stage while Stereolab played at the other end, and you stood in the center of the action between the two stages, I think it might sound a whole lot like this Boston duo’s album from 1981, now re-released.for the first time on vinyl. Stress free listening, it's like being hugged by giant mylar pillows. In stock.
Jeremy Harmer - Idiosyncratic and Swallows Wings (Sommor) This UK orchestrated folk album sprinkled with choral vocals is a white whale among record collectors as the original pressing was rumored to be just 99 copies. Finally affordable and reissued, Davis Costa of the Trees joins Harmer on guitar for each track making this a gorgeous, fine as lace psych-folk album for fans of Incredible String Band, Trees, and Nick Drake. In stock.
Wendy & Bonnie - Genesis (Sundazed) Cal Tjader's goddaughters, two California sisters (also psych band Crystal Fountain members) making lovely tropical adjacent acid-folk with the help of Tjader and legendary guitarist Gabor Szabo in 1969 and is found here in reissue form on green vinyl. They are soft rock cult legends and this album is regarded as a must own by folks like Stereolab, High Llamas, Jarvis Cocker and Broadcast. In stock.
Ruby Andrews - Black Ruby (Charly Acquisitions) Orchestrated Chicago soul with a voice that packs the punch of dynamite. I don’t know how a person can carry a “wall of sound” in their voice (think Ike + Tina with Phil Spector or Betty Davis in a hurricane), but Ruby Andrews has that kind of power and dynamics in her lungs. Thanks to this 2024 reissue, this new to me record is now a forever favorite.
Airsoft - New Eyes (Earth Girl Tapes) Kicking off with a Bobby (King of the) Hill sample (yessss), loud-lofi technical pop that answers the question of what AM radio hits would sound like in a mosh pit.
Puppet Wipes - Live at Pompeii II (No Label NZ) Puppet Wipes are easily the most talked about/played artists among my trusted, damaged DIY loving peers. This Canadian art punk trio has that je ne sais quoi cool quality; shambolic melodies consumed by dissonance that labels like Siltbreeze and 12XU have been hyping for ages or music you have heard on radio shows from Dynamite Hemorrhage or Erika at MRR. If you like pop music that sounds like it has been dumpster-dived to be reclaimed and given an exceptional new life, this is the band for you.
Gokcen Kaynatan - Moda/Firtinia 7” (Slovenly) Some of you might recall a recent Finders Keepers collection of groundbreaking electronic music from the Turkish composer, but here we find his first ever release from 1966 as a groovy surf loving teenager. Once painfully rare, Slovenly has pressed up 1000 copies of this summertime dancefloor powerhouse.
Plexi Stad - Siren Dance (Mangel) Belgian post-punk that smashes funk into angular shards with the vocal equivalent of someone hopping across hot coals barefoot.
AW - Simple Songs (self released) Andrew Wilson long know and loved for this efforts in New Zealand’s two decade running atmospheric post-punk group Die! Die! Die! has released an emotional EP on the heels of recovering from major surgery. Those of you who are fond of Lync/Sam Jayne’s lower energy songs I think will connect with the emotional charge of these noisy, but still melodic 8-track songs.
The Sewerheads - Diary of a Priest/Man of Finite Sorrow 7” (Office Boy) A debut single from a Pittsburgh 4 piece (members of The Gotobeds, Empty Beings, and Rave Ami) that has the bittersweet bite of Silkworm’ at their most moodiest, the sad bastard energy of Rolan S. Howard, and a violin that brings the whole thing to a beautiful, heart aching boil. I had the good fortune of playing a show with them a few months ago, and their live set is not to be missed.
Mahogany - A Scaffold/Polyvalence (Renovo) Caffeinated shoegazery that drones like a dandelion fluff with an airhorn. We have waited over a decade for new music from this dreampop duo, however these two songs sound so enormous, it seems impossible it is produced by just two people. This 12” single really has me looking forward to more new music coming from them this fall.
Other sounds in my summer soundtrack: Neutrals (in stock), Fir Cone Children, Slum Village, Wavy Bagels with Driveby, The Objections (in stock), Clickbait, D.R. Hooker, Clear Channel, The Wendys, The Drin (in stock soon), The Bookshop Band, Loma, Steak Blake, Immersion (in stock), Broken Telepathy, The Sheaves (coming soon), Ghost Dubs (coming soon), The Aislers Set Peel Session, Orua, Greg Saunier (of Deerhoof), Dead Fink, La Luz (also coming to a city near you), R.N.A. Organism, Camille (coming soon), and Homeboy Sandman.
Courtesy Desk: Good news, my web store is open 24/7!
Link Tree: links to all the things: radio shows, playlists, interviews, and whatever else may strike me. BNDCMPR appears to be down currently. Hopefully my playlists will be accessible again soon.
Lastly, I would like to offer a correction to yesterday’s report: The full artist credit for Muzak From the Karova Milkbar should be The Galaxy Electric & Droog Mulholland.