Been postponing Dead Canary’s ‘bent blues’ duo Bassholes for a while. Comprised of singer/guitarist Don Howland and drummer Lamont “Bim” Thomas, the two-piece was founded in 1992. Their latest “…and without a name” on Colombus Discount is a premium blend of skronky, noisy garage blues with the right amount of fuzz, delay and harmonica .

Proper review on cowsarejustfood.

Just got the Cults virus yesterday night thanks to our pal yvynyl, infectious retro twee pop goodness. MOAR!

One of the remaining masterpieces from 2009 on the list is La Barca by the master of aural alchemy Thomas Köner. La Barca his first offering in five years, is a matchless soundscapes album; an inimitable blend of field recordings, subtle synths and voices lingering in the back and restless moods. Been guiding me to sleep for the last few months and it’s been one hell of a ride.

For example, without checking, on ‘48º 52′ N 2º 21′ E’ you could be standing in a train station in Azerbaijan, wrapped up in an intangible moment of cinematic bliss, while on ‘31º 46′ N 19º 6′ E’ one feels like a ghost in the midst of a Central American pueblo, or somewhere completely unknown. This is music ripe for the imagination, from an unrivalled mind dedicated to enhanced auditory experience and deserves undivided attention from anyone unafraid to let themselves be taken by it. Boomkat

Out on Fario, sister label to Fear Drop, limited to 600 copies.

One of last year’s best kept secrets was Mancunian trumpeter Matthew Halsall’s sophomore album Colour Yes on Gondwana.

Colour Yes will delight fans of the dreamy astral jazz played by pianist/harpist Alice Coltrane, and that of saxophonists John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders in their more reflective moments. Above all, it will bring a warm glow to enthusiasts for trumpeter Miles Davis and pianist Bill Evans circa Kind Of Blue (Columbia, 1959). They may also be grateful that Halsall does not, at this point in his career anyway, feel the need to adopt Davis’ dictum: “I always gotta change, it’s like a curse.” In the case of Colour Yes, more of the same, lovely, gently swinging, uncomplicated beauty is a blessing. AllaboutJazz

Found this one on the top 2009 list by Other Music (who else) and jah bless; the opener Colour Yes – where Nat Birchall’s Saxophone steals the spotlight from Matt – is an instant classic, and the rest of the six tracks put a spell on the listener. This is an album where everything goes click and things work effortlessly, it’s dreamy and meditative, perfect for every hour of the day and every weather, a desert island disk for not only the jazz afficionado, but to modern soulful music listener who takes equal joy from soul, nujazz, hip-hop. 4.5/5

Canadian afrobeat upcomers Souljazz Orchestra has a new offering on our favorites Strut, called Rising Sun. We’ve covered their previous albums on Toronto’s Do Right! here on undomondo, and enjoyed their part in the new wave of afrobeat revival, yet it’s safe to say that the orchestra hasn’t reached that fine point of diversity until Rising Sun which effectively marks them as a soulful afro/jazz combo. Especially like the Build an Ark-ish cosmic / spiritual soul love on some tracks. Make sure you don’t miss their European tour!

The tracks themselves flow as a sinuous whole. The reflective intro overture, Awakening, originally came to composer Pierre Chrétien in a dream; the hard Afrobeat of Agbara whips up a heavyweight groove, driven by prepared marimbas rather than traditional electric guitar lines; Negus Negast touches on dark Ethio-jazz, inspired by Strut label-mate Mulatu Astatke; Lotus Flower is a spiritual soul-jazz piece featuring the muted trumpet stylings of guest Nicholas Dyson (musician with Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Temptations and The Coasters); Mamaya moves us into heavy 12/8 Afro-jazz territory, based around traditional Guinean rhythms; the more laid back 12/8 Afro-jazz of Serenity features the flute and clarinet work of multi-instrumentalist Zakari Frantz; Consecration explores modal territory, a track composed during the very early days of the group; and the album closes with Rejoice, a storming cover in two parts of the Pharoah Sanders’ 1981 classic.

Just got hooked to Portland, Oregon based Yellow Swans‘ latest and supposedly final album Going Places, a mammoth combo of noisy soundscapes and bleak futures. Boomkat sez:

Legendary American noise unit Yellow Swans return with what is purportedly their final studio album and without doubt their most devastating collection of noise/drone recordings yet, a majestically defining album of collapsing supernova psychedelics.

Mapsadaisical sez :

But going where, exactly? And why, damn it? Listening to the last Yellow Swans album to be released after their seemingly amicable split almost two years ago, it really feels like Pete Swanson and Gabriel Mindel Salomon went their separate ways when they were still at their peak.

Totally agree, without doubt the most heart-rending noise & drone album since Burning Star Core’s Blood Lightning 2007, a testimony to the fall of an Empire, the desolation after an apocalypse, or the soundtrack to nuclear meltdown, blink and the LPs are gone. Out on Type Records.

Remember Berlin/Barcelona based MC, RQM? He’s been known to lend his vocal talent first and foremost to Jahcoozi, (who are getting a new album out on Bpitch soon) Tolcha, Al Haca!, Mochipet and Milanese. He send us his new self-released EP which just dropped on Juno a few days ago which includes remixes of Colors Fade by Chris de Luca and JF, and another track called Atomic Fusion produced by Siriusmo. Get it and listen to it with maximum bass if you like grime, dubstep or electro!!.

The monsters which Montreal has unleashed upon the world, King Khan and partner in crime Mark Sultan (BBQ)’s touring Europe right now. Their Invisible Girl album was one of the best last year, but I was stupid enough to miss it back then.

We met years ago when we were teens. I knew Khan and his pals (cum Spaceshits members) by going to various LSD parties and punk shows. I think they knew me from a ‘punk’ band I played drums for, whose violent shows used to baffle them. Back then, I lived in a room (a dead-end hallway) in Khan’s apartment when I wasn’t homeless. He went to University. I worked at Cargo Records. We were fuck ups. Not much has changed. He has a great family now. I live in squalor and I love it. Austinist

Mark Sultan provides vocals, guitar, tambourine, bass and snare drum for the duo, while King Khan, provides guitar and vocals. Everything from fuzzy garage rock to punk and doo-wop is thrown in with a fury that equals a 10 piece orchestra. Amazing!

Not to be mixed with Bibio from Warp, Biblo (trinket) is Istanbul’s own wonderwoman Pinar Süt, member of Proudpilot, best upcoming band from Istanbul. Out/Land is full of meanders in soundscape / drone land, voice manipulation, eerie synths and blissful calm. 4 pieces and free download, all her earlier works can also be checked for free via last.fm.

A few days ago our generous friend Ernest Gonzales from Exponential Music tipped us about their annual freebie compilation for SXSW. Rather than putting solely their own artists this time they’ve invited who’s who of the nu wave electronic beatmakers from labels such as Exponential, Ninja Tune, Stones Throw, Daly City, Creaked, Innovative Leisure, and Fake Four, incl. but not limited to The Heliotronics, Jahcoozi’s Robot Koch, James Pants, Sutekh, Deceptikon, Mochipet, Shlohmo and Ernest himself. Get your fix of today’s electronica.

Image nicked from some tumblr which I forgot to get the addy to, will change it to the official cover when Ernest sends me a bigger image.