Tim Bugbee: October 7, 2007

1. 
   
   Suishou no Fune – The Light of Dark Night (Archive) and live at PA’s Lounge (Somerville MA), September 25, 2007

   Black, soul-searing psychedelia doled out by Japanese musicians; what’s not to like? Not as frighteningly stark as Keiji Haino, not as heavy as LSD March, but just as essential. The cd on Archive is uniformly excellent, and once again Scott Slimm comes up with a visually striking graphical presentation. One of the more essential record labels going today.

2. Alasehir – The Stone Sentinels (Archive) and live at PA’s Lounge (Somerville MA, September 25, 2007

   Side project from third eye gazers Bardo Pond guitar players and brothers John and Michael Gibbons, featuring all the guitar smoke and haze you could possibly handle. Dreamy in all the right ways.

3. Sunnyboys – Sunnyboys (Mushroom)

   Excellent power-pop (more emphasis on power than pop) from this early 1980’s Australian band. Really catchy, hard-driving songs.

4. Acid Mothers Guru Guru live at the Middle East (Cambridge MA), August 31, 2007

   Noted guitar strangler Makoto Kawabata and bass cohort Tsuyama Atsushi from Acid Mothers Temple join forces with krautrock drummer Mani Neumaier of early 1970s Swiss psych band Guru Guru for an evening of reaching for, and crushing, the heavenly constellations.

5. Phantom Family Halo live at the Middle East (Cambridge MA), August 31, 2007

   Openers for AMGG, and a band I knew nothing about. Later I found out that they have shared membership with Louisville’s Sapat, excellent loose and free psych band. Standup drummer pounds out a tribal beat, and free guitar, keyboard and percussion fits neatly over the top.

6. MONO – Gone (Temporary Residence)

   A really nice package of various odds and ends from Japan’s MONO, skilled practitioners of the ebb and flow dynamic game. Three slabs of vinyl, excellent packaging, and an unbeatable price of $20. Jeremy @ TRL does it again.

7. Octoberfest, Harpoon Brewery (Boston)

   Not typically a fan of these brown, maltier ales, but Harpoon’s produced a stellar version. If only the Fall weather would get here…

8. Thurston Moore – _Trees Outside The Academy (Ecstatic Peace!) and live at the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), Thursday Sept 27, 2007

   Excellent song-oriented solo release from Sonic Youth’s front man, more noted for his avant-leanings, especially outside the band’s camp. Fellow western MA resident J Mascis lends some scorching guitar work to a few tracks, but wasn’t part of the live band. Chris Brokaw filled in more than admirably.

9. Crippled Black Phoenix A Love Of Shared Disasters (Invada)

   Side project from UK metal band Electric Wizard and post-rock notables Mogwai, sounding a lot more like the latter. Lots of space, slow burn tension and texture to this one.

10. Gravenhurst – “Diane” (from Black Holes In The Sand (WARP)

    I’ve decided that a regular feature of my top 10 will be a cover version, and to kick if off, i’ve selected this excellent acoustic version of the harrowing tale of abduction and rape first done by Hüsker Dü, on the Metal Circus EP. Gravenhurst present it in a far gentler package, but the lyrics still sear and crackle.