Deutsche elektronische musik, Isis.
Compilations are usually hit-and-miss affairs, so it's wonderful to discover one that is just faultless, from first track to the last. Out on the always-reliable Soul Jazz label, 'Deutsche elektronische musik', is a blazing two disc compilation of some essential Krautrock tracks from the early years. With tracks from luminaries such as Can, Faust, Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Tempel, Cluster and Neu! It would be my absolute first choice pick for anyone wanting to investigate the world of psychedelic German motorik rock. The album features both previously released and more obscure tracks and is a flawless jaunt through the undiscovered world of proto-punk and electronica, experimental space-bound jaunts, and of course the murky void of ambience and drone. Highly recommended for the uninitiated and the jaded. (Craig)

Foxbase alpha (deluxe edition), Saint Etienne.
Originally released in 1992, 'Foxbase Alpha' was Saint Etienne's debut album. Still not fully formed as a band, as singer Sarah Cracknell had yet to become a full time member, 'Foxbase Alpha' was the sound of former music journo's Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs tinkering around in the studio, figuring things out as they went along - fusing elements of the then current house music scene, dub, experimental noodlings, odd samples, kitsch dialogue snippets, and of course a love for Dusty Springfield & the 60's pop sound. In the end it's more interesting as a precursor for what was to come than any unified statement, as it only hints at the consistently high quality output and lasting impact Saint Etienne would make over the next 15 years. This 2009 deluxe edition features a second disc of fairly solid demos, B-sides, and other unreleased noodlings. Has some great liner notes also. (Mark)

Blood Oath, Suffocation.
New York death metal titans Suffocation have been churning out solid old-skool metal for near on twenty years now and although their latest release, Blood Oath, doesn't add anything particularly new to their mix of cookie monster growls and head-down stomping blast beats, it does happen to be something of a high mark for the band. While death metal is not a realm known for its subtleties, Blood Oath just happens to be the kind of album that gets a little more rewarding each time you listen. Perhaps it's the clinical precision of it all, or maybe it's the fact they're just so tenacious, it's admirable after all that a band with two decades of releases behind still manages to write some furious and innovative riffs whilst still sounding enthusiastic. Whatever the case, if it's dense, fast, heavy and rudimentary death metal you're after then Blood Oath is a fine choice. Teaching those young upstarts a few lessons still. (Craig)

All the blue changes : an anthology 1988-2003, No-Man.
Porcupine Tree's front man Steven Wilson began No-Man with singer Tim Bowness in 1987, in the same year he formed Talk Talk more, and in fact, they are the only artists who can fill the absence of Mark Hollis. (Shinji)

Jesus dread : 1972-1977, Yabby You.
I was really sad to hear of the passing of dub and reggae star Yabby You earlier this year and thought it time to revisit some of his best work. Yabby was a bit of an enigma in the dub scene because he held onto his Christian beliefs rather than take on Rastafarianism and his best work, captured here on the Blood and Fire labels Jesus Dread compilation is a fabulous collection of some of the finest righteous sounds ever to emanate from Jamaica. Everyone argues about who is the best, but in my mind Yabby sits right up there in my book next to Big Youth and Prince Far-I, although not as well known as some dub superstars, his work speaks for itself, I heartily recommend this album for no reason other than it is simply divine, or as Yabby says, "like a strange ting, inside a my thoughts - like an angel a sing". (Craig)

Quarantine the past, Pavement.
A Pavement 'greatest hits' CD seems a tad ironic, given the band went to great lengths not to have anything resembling an actual commercial 'hit song'; however this roundup of the groups 5 album output is a fitting testament to the greatest indie rock band of the 90's, perhaps of all time really. Creating a virtual 'indie' template, no other band that followed has managed to capture the angular melodies, subversive song structures, fractured guitar riffs, and cryptic wordplay that defined Pavement's sound; and what becomes apparent as the 23 songs unfold is firstly just how many are familiar, even if you were only ever a casual fan of 90's alternative music, but also just how fresh & engaging they still sound. With 'indie-rock' having achieved mainstream status in music, it also brings into focus the samey anonymous nature of so many of today's indie bands and also how, with the changing nature of music dissemination from PitchforkMedia to music blogs breaking bands like Arcade Fire, The Fleet Foxes, and Grizzly Bear to great success, that Pavement never achieved their full due. 'Quarantine the past' is a good place to start if you've never listened to the band before and if you have, it's a reminder of just how great they were. (Mark)

II, Lindstrom.
Sometimes you just want to bliss out and sometimes you just want to groove. It's the in-between that's difficult to soundtrack. Thankfully Lindstrom and Thomas have successfully come up with a solution. 'II' is an album that cruises along with sultry electronica, a touch of house here, a bit or world music there, drop down into some trance for a bit and then off to ambient land for a while. It's got everything, and best of all it shares absolutely nothing with any of the generic soft-pop-electronic garbage you'd normally associate with a word such as 'relaxing'. It's great, insightful, surprising, a definitely clever and fine album for anyone looking for a little something in the middle that's not going to insult their intelligence. (Craig)

Battle studies, John Mayer.
Break-ups, make-ups, goodbyes, crossroads, friends & lovers, make up this catalogue of songs aptly titled 'Battle studies' and in classic John Mayer melodies, character and style, he keeps us absorbed in his lyrics. Leading the way is the single 'Heartbreak Warfare'. While his guitar gently weeps, blues/pop and soul I think is this mix. (Ethel)

Cosmogenesis, Obscura.
If you're after something a lot more technical than Suffocations latest bludgeoning assault then perhaps Obsucra will do the trick. This young German band, made up from ex-members of such revered death metal outfits as Necrophagist and Pestilence, released this album in 2009 to massive -MASSIVE- critical acclaim. It's a technical metal triumph of whip snapping, often discordant, riffs and infinite multi-layered solos. It's all almost too much, too clever, too fast and far too calculated, but if you're a fan of jaw dropping fret work and drop tuned heaviness mixed with those deathly guttural chants then it's absolutely perfect. If you're after some impressive metal prowess then this is the one. Das ist gut mein freund. (Craig)

Xinti, Sara Tavares.
The Portuguese singer-song-writer Sara Tavares, whose parents are from western Africa's island, Cape Verde, became a star in her native country with the album Yusa as both have created a hybrid contemporary black music led by their own acoustic guitars. While not sensational, this is a lovely listen. (Shinji)

Love Comes Close, Cold Cave.
Cold Cave is fronted by former hardcore vocalist Wesley Eisold, but you can forget any connection to his past on this release. Cold Cave is his experimental synth/electronic project, and about as far removed from his previous work as you can get. 'Love Comes Close' is essentially waves of indistinct vocals smashed up against the soft/loud dynamics of euro-trash pop and electro, all being smothered in an ice-cold ambience. There's something refreshing about this album; perhaps it is Eisolds desire to take essential pop elements and distort them which makes the project so deliciously insidious, or maybe it's simply that I admire his courage in deconstructing what could have so easily been a simple electro-clash album. Whichever it is this is a great album, loaded with intelligent electronica designed to make one pause and consider. (Craig)

Aboriginal soul
The soul of Indigenous Australia, visualize the body paint, the magical sound of the didgeridoo, features contemporary indigenous music as well as established artists. Songs inspired by their history expressed with pride, passion and some despair. A mix of English and Aborigine, some bush poetry, hints of rock and jazz with electronic influences, country and folk, but all embracing this album... is contemporary Soul! (Ethel)

The red sea, Isis.
'The Red Sea' was an early e.p from Isis, and this re-release sees the original Isis demo tagged on as well. There is nothing of the sophisticated post-rock ambience or quiet/loud dynamics associated with Isis these days on this release - this is very much a work which reflects an Isis still finding their feet in the world of avant-metal. There is plenty of sludgy grinding metal and there are hints of what is to come with the riffs weighty and thick, but this is a far more direct and furious Isis than we find on their later works. Not to suggest their lack of finesse on this e.p is in anyway detrimental, because it is not. Red sea is raw, it is definitely massive, and like many bands early works it is passionate and sincere. (Craig).

Contra, Vampire Weekend.
A worthy follow-up to the band's self titled debut album, 'Contra' is eccentric, eclectic and musically exciting. It is a fun, well thought out album which is a pleasure to listen to. Great guitar and bass sound too, which is a credit to band member Rostam Batmanglij who produced 'Contra'. (Rowan)

Dos, Wooden Shjips.
Wooden Shjips create dirty psychedelic tumble weed rock. It is outsider desert rock galore over these two albums, with Dos being their official second album and Vol 2 a collection of rarities and live tracks. There is nothing wildly different between the two albums, Vol 2 being a touch rawer due to the split e.p tracks and singles on it, but both albums are essentially the sound of band who has spent a long time wandering the stony hills of Nevada, ingesting some very interesting substances. Big fat riffs, smokey overdriven tones, you know the score, and fuzzy blurry stoner jams. If you are at all a fan of Fu Manchu and Kyuss you should definitely check either of these two albums out for some dusty ragged glory. (Craig)

Zii e zie, Caetano Veloso.
Caetano Veloso is undoubtedly one of the greatest artists Brazil - which abounds with musical talents - has ever produced. He has addicted fans all over the world and has been admired and respected by many artists including David Byrne, Beck and Nelly Furtado, to name but a few. Pedro Almodovar is also a big fan of him and you may remember him singing in Almodovar's movie 'Talk to Her'. In the 90s he achieved utmost elegant, impeccable music, but in 2006 at the age of 64, he began a 4 piece rock band with talented young musicians and issued the album 'Ce'. This 2009 album is the much anticipated follow up album by the same band. The word 'TRANSAMBAS' is on the jacket and it perhaps indicates that samba is the hidden key of this album, however there is no typical samba or rock 'n' roll numbers. The sound here is rather simple and eliminates unnecessary gloss to use space. The guitarist Pedro Sa takes a huge role to create this radical Caetano-ic alternative rock. Caetano Veloso's music is often profound. Some of his albums in the 60s and 70s did not get warm receptions at that time but they are now regarded as masterpieces. This Latin Grammy award winning album may not give you a big impression on the first listen, but I know I will be still listening in 10 years time. (Shinji).

Operation Mindcrime, Queensryche.
'Operation Mindcrime' is the greatest concept album ever recorded. No seriously, it is. The tale of a streetwise criminal turned junkie, his saviour, a dubious doctor, and there's a priest, and nun and some other folks in there to somewhere. I'll be honest, like the best concept albums it makes little sense, but who cares, it's just a load of wiggly solos and crashing drum magnificence. 'Operation Mindcrime' was a smash hit in the 80's for Queensryche, an epic bombastic overload of operatic vocals layered around some of the best prog-metal available. Fast forward to the 90's and Queensryche, somewhat in need of a career boost, decided to record a sequel kudos to them as well, they used the same equipment and recording techniques as the first album to give it that fulsome 80's feel. Both albums are perfect heavy metal masterpieces, loaded with ridiculous amounts of pomp and cliché there's no finer examples of the excess and superfluousness of progressive pursuits. (Craig).

Conditions, Temper Trap.
'Conditions', the first full length album from Melbourne band 'The Temper Trap' features soaring guitars and angelic vocals - most people would have heard their debut single 'Sweet Disposition', which featured on the '(500) Days of Summer soundtrack'. (Rowan).

By the Throat, Ben Frost.
Ben Frost's 'By the Throat' is a dark ambient droning trip into the nether world of eerie experimental electronica. Combining elements of doom with equal measures of intimate drone this is a headphone masterpiece. Immensely creepy and utterly beautiful in parts, 'By The Throat', was a critical underground favourite in 2009, topping the best-of lists of many experimental and alternative music sites and magazines. Dashes of noise, found sounds and spiralling disjointed orchestral pieces are mixed with the howls of wolves, the squeal of IDM, and the blasting grimness of bands such as Merzbow or Sunn O))) . A fascinating and original work, easily the best experimental album from 2009; for fans of intense dark cinematic soundscapes you'll not find better. (Craig).

One-armed bandit, Jaga Jazzist.
Since their debut from the major label in 2001, Jaga Jazzist's unique sound has attracted not only music fans and the media but big artists such as Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of The Mars Volta and Flying Lotus, and John McEntire did the mixing for this new album. They are the biggest album selling artist in Norway and a great live act as well (all 9 musicians play several instruments on stage). Electronica and jazz are the obvious elements of their music but categorising would be nothing but useless. Apparently they tried to integrate Fela Kuti and Wagner for this new album but the music here is, as usual, like a toy box of all sorts of music. However, it is well organised with interesting arrangements. All instruments - horns, woodwinds, electric guitars, vibraphone, bass, keyboards and colourful electronics - are well controlled and mixed organically to create superb groove and danceable sound. Fun to listen to. (Shinji).

Under the jaguar sun, Nadja.
Nadja specialize in feedback soaked shoegaze from the heavier end of the spectrum. They are incredibly prolific, and Jaguar Sun was one of three album releases for 2009. A double CD, comprising two movements; Tezcatlipoca/Darkness, on the first disc and, Quetzalcoatl/Wind, on the second, the album unfolds with a slackened, claustrophobic pace. Nadja are masters of manipulation and density, and this album, like all their others, is rich with textural changes and sifting layers of distortion and amplified trickery. Obviously the album is a homage to ancient gods, and although there is nothing historical in their approach, Jaguar Sun, still manages to express a sense of reverence and mystery. Smothered in all that feedback and murk there's a tale being told. I'm none the wiser after listening but the journey itself was mesmerizing. (Craig).

Love in motion, Anika Moa.
This is Anika's fourth Album. The lead single 'Running through the fire' currently hitting the airwaves is catchy and appealing and all tracks relate to 'Love in Motion' of some kind. Her third album 'In swings the tide' is a Country/Pop mix. This one I think is more Pop/Easy listening; in typical Anika 'out there' fashion, she describes it as "choice". It is good, and easy to listen to. Relax, sit back, enjoy. (Ethel).

Superfuzz bigmuff, Mudhoney.
A thrashing 1988 Mudhoney masterpiece re-released, with extras tagged on: Mudhoney weren't the first 'grunge' band by any means, but their retro sub Stooges and MC5 sludgy punk certainly put Sub Pop and Seattle rock on the map. To mark Superfuzz's twentieth anniversary Sub Pop has expanded the original E.P. out to a thirty six-song sloppy guitar dirge, plus an entire live gig from Germany in 1988. It's a glorious trip back to when rock wasn't afraid to get down and dirty, and one's influences were bold and to the fore. Forget all those second wave grunge superstars and take a lesson from the masters of fuzz. (Craig).

End Times, Eels.
Less than a year after the loose 'Hombre lobo : 12 songs of desire', the E man is back with another CD. Unfortunately it's all a bit of a downer, as 'End Times' is E's 'Heartbreaker', his 'Tunnel of Love' divorce album. Chronicling the scope of his relationship from its sweet beginnings ('The Beginning'), to arguments & recriminations ('A Line in the Dirt'), to the loneliness, mortality & regrets of 'Little Bird'. Pretty gloomy for the most part, but Everett's skill as a writer is always in the small details of life, so while this is somewhat depressing it never wallows in extreme self pity. And E can still see the funny side of things - like having to whizz in the garden because his missus has locked herself in the bathroom. The closing track 'On My Feet' sets up a final hopeful tone, but man, this guy sure has his share of bad luck and then some. (Mark).

De mysteriis dom Sathanas, Mayhem.
Evil personified finally arrives on the catalogue, with a crucial album from the most notorious black metal band ever. The history of black metal is replete with enough murder, sinful pandemonium and malevolence to fill a book, actually it did, Lords of Chaos, available right now on the catalogue!. But the history of Mayhem themselves is ungodliness taken to the extreme. Coupled with their raw, and absolutely brilliant, primitive musical assault, De Mysteriis is a seminal album, released not long after the after the murder of founder Euronymous, it is an essential, massively influential release from their early years. Waves of wickedly blurred riffs smother smudged aural blackness overlaid with shrieking unintelligible wailing. Wonderful stuff, indeed. (Craig).

Cartography, Arve Henriksen.
A key member of jazz/avant-garde group 'Supersilent', Arve Henriksen is probably the most unique trumpeter we have seen. His trumpet play sometimes sounds like the shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute) - I didn't think it was trumpet on my first listen. His name has become increasingly recognisable for music fans, as he appeared on David Sylvian's project album 'Nine Horses' and Tunisian singer Dhafer Youssef's 'Divine Shadows'. He is also familiar to ECM fans for his work with Trygve Seim and Jon Balke amongst others. Releasing his own album through ECM was a surprise because he and Supersilent are the stars of wonderful Norwegian label, 'Rune Grammofon'. He is an excellent architect of sound as well as a good trumpeter, and this album, his fourth but first for ECM, is woven by number of different recordings and discrete pieces. Skilful post production has been applied and creates a lyrical but somehow cool soundscape. It's almost beatless and atmospheric but David Sylvian's poetry reading and choir give variety. It's the darkest outing by him to date and a little bit too ECM-ish but still, a beautiful collage work of music. (Shinji).

What we all come to need, Pelican.
Chicago instru-metal band Pelican have been pumping out sub metal and post-rock dirges for a number of years now and on their latest album nothing much has changed except for the tone, and that is the key. Dynamics always play a role in great instrumental rock, and Pelican have perfected their tone on this album with a heavier, more intense vibe than their previous few. Signing to Southern Lord, home of such luminaries as Sunn O))) obviously helped, there's a renewed focus on honing their song structures rather than just getting flashy with their leads which makes for a more listenable, complete album. If you're a fan of Mogwai of Jakob's heavier moments you should definitely check this out for a taste of some wondrous overwrought riff escapism. (Craig)

Tuesday night music club : deluxe edition, Sheryl Crow.
In a move that would never happen today, Sheryl Crow & her record company agreed to shelve her first album, a slick pop album produced by Hugh Padgham (who had gotten her signed to the label) that supposedly cost around $40,000. Instead she hooked up with a casual collective of LA musicians who would meet for jam sessions at the studio of producer Bill Bottrell. After time these sessions became cantered around Crow, the only one of whom had a current recording contract. Released in 1993 'Tuesday Night Music Club' didn't make much headway, until the summer single 'All I Wanna Do' hit big, launching the album, which went on to sell millions, & establish Crow's career. This 2009 'Deluxe Edition' includes some catchy B-sides, contributions to 'The X-Files' Soundtrack & a Led Zep. tribute album, & 4 tracks recorded with Bottrell for a follow up album, that remained unreleased when the two fell out. Being such a collaborative effort, the original album sounds at times like a bunch of unfinished jam sessions, but it still retains a ramshackle charm today. (Mark)

Kiss my sweet apocalypse, Black Sheep.
Post-punk weirdo supreme Juilan Cope returns with a bunch of bearded malcontents to produce an album of improvisational space tinged political rock. By no means a cohesive or a frankly sensible album, Black Sheep's debut reeks of anarchism and anachronisms with every conceivable instrument thrown into a stew of Kraut-metal-experimental-folk-psychedelic escapist rock. A homage to the disgruntled, the stirrers and the revolutionary, the album works best when you're tuned in to Mr Cope's militancy and ready to indulge in a journey often without end. (Craig)

3, Susanna and Magical Orchestra.
Despite the name, this is a duo unit by singer, Susanna Wallumrod and keyboard player, Morten Qvenlid. Their biggest influence is jazz but their music seems to be beyond jazz and it's more like ambient singer/songwriter or new age folk music. The world made up from Morten's subtle and profound sound settings and Susanna's dark, delicate but resolute vocals have already been well established. For this new album, a number of guests including Helge Sten (Supersilent) and Andreas Mjas (Jaga Jazzist) are invited and more melancholic, colourful sounds than the previous albums are featured here, yet still, it's quite intimate. Whatever the sound productions may be, the driving force of the music is always Susanna's vocals. It's still but powerful, like the beauty of the night sky. Stargazing music? (Shinji)

12 Crass songs, Jeffrey Lewis.
Jeffery just made it all up as he went along, half remembered punk from the most critical crust band ever. A hugely entertaining acoustic trip back to when bands mattered. (Craig)

A strange arrangement, Mayer Hawthorne.
Interesting stab at recreating the classic sound of 60's soul. 'Mayer Hawthorne' is the pseudonym of DJ/Producer/songwriter Andrew Cohen, & was signed by Hip-Hop label 'Stones Throw' when the label head thought he was listening to a bunch of lost soul singles. It's hard to fault the musicianship on display, as Hawthorne plays most of the instruments himself, and the songs themselves evoke everyone from the Temptations, to Al Green, Smokey Robinson & Curtis Mayfield. There is an obvious love for the genre at play, and as a whole it veers more into a tribute to the classic soul sound, rather than incorporating a lot of the more hybrid influences of 'Neo-soul'. At the end of the day it all sounds good...but it does tend to beg the question as to why you would want to listen to a facsimile of a Smokey Robinson or Temptations track, say, when you could just actually listen to a real Smokey Robinson or Temptations track. Anyway, worth a listen if you like that classic soul sound. (Mark)

Fighting the world, Manowar.
It goes like, "fighting the world every single day, fighting the world for the right to play, HEAVY METAL in my brain, I'm fighting for metal cause it's here to stay!" Quite who Manowar were fighting is up for debate because they were on one of the world's major record labels when they wrote that in the 1980s but don't let irony, or stupidity, stop you from indulging in some metal the way it's supposed to be played. Manowar are the loudest band in the world, and they still are partial to oiling themselves up and throwing on the furry loincloth for a photo shoot, plus they are HUGE in Germany. Big dumb blasting 80s riffs, absolutely ridiculous lyrics and motorbikes on stage. It doesn't get any better, or hairier. An essential album to complete any true metal fans collection. (Craig)

Playing, Bugge Wesseltoft.
In Japan there are cafes called jazz kissa (jazz café) where jazz is always played. In the late 90s, one jazz kissa owner stated that every time he played Bugge Wesseltoft's 'New Conception of Jazz' the customers stopped what they were doing with wondering faces and often asked him what it was. His New Conception of Jazz series, which roughly described is acoustic jazz plus house and techno elements, are great works that expand the area for jazz, and somehow give you an illusion that time has stopped or that the temperature's dropped. Wesseltoft is a key person in the Norwegian jazz scene as a pianist, producer and the owner of the intriguing jazz label 'Jazzland'. He has been concentrating on solo performance in recent years. This 2009 effort is also a solo album with acoustic piano accompanied by percussion, electronics, vocals, etc. Although everything is performed by him, the album offers colourful sound textures; from his spare but stunningly beautiful piano solo to the piano as a percussion tune. He never forgets humour, either. There is a most unusual cover of 'Take Five' and a tune with his funky call, "Oh, Yeah". He is a versatile artist and this is just one of many sides he offers - but worth checking out. (Shinji)

The boy who knew too much, Mika.
I really like the Rain of Mika's album 'The boy who knew too much'. He is very entertaining and like a breath of fresh air. He writes all his own material and is very intelligent so that's all folks!!! (Max)

Earthly delights, Lightning bolt.
Bringing the noise once again Providence, RI, based Lightning Bolt layer on the simplest of set ups to create some murky, blasting furious noise. Bass and drums, and more bass and drums, a few other squeals thrown in, and that's all it takes to make a cacophony of tracks with a propulsive core. Alt, indie or experimental, who cares, when you're thoroughly sick of the mundane, and totally bored with your own existence there's nothing like a dose of the Lightning Bolt to remind you there's always time to get up and thrash about. (Craig)

At the cut, Vic Chesnutt.
There is some edge to this final collection of Vic Chenutt's. I hear Vic Chesnutt loved a good collaboration and the person who decided that Guy Pichioto of Fugazi and band 'God Speed you Black Emperor,' should reunite as they did on 'North Star Deserter' has earned my undying adulation and adoration. 'North Star..' roared and was over produced but 'At the Cut,' is like a fine dinner - every ingredient has been thought through; the guitar platter can be spicy to start but delicate when required; Vic's voice is piquant and adaptable to most courses, possibly a bit raw but that's why we like it; the lyrics are tangy, juicy and honest, simple, but aren't the words well chosen - fresh produce from Athens Georgia, no less. Not everything on the plate is as palatable - 'It is What It is' explores a man's life in mid-life and finds him still fighting. 'Flirted with you all my life' takes on death and even suicide and finds a man, '..not ready.' The woozy, lazy, delicious 'When the bottom fell out,' bows out in understated style - as Vic would have wanted, '... and when I finally crash into that verdant grass/I will say it's been pretty great to know you.' (Monty)