Album of the Week

Mono, Hymn To The Immortal Wind

This doesn't drop till next month, but I got a sneak listen and it's outstanding. Dare I say it, possibly one of the best albums in the post-rock genre. Been playing the first track, 'Ashes In The Snow' pretty much non-stop this week. NYC folks are in for a treat this May, when the band takes the stage for their only US appearance (thus far) with a full orchestra to celebrate their 10th year as a band. Needless to say, I wish I were going.

Title page for Fairytales From The Arabian Nights.



Title page and illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley from Le Morte d'Arthur.

After 85 years, Stacey's Books in downtown SF will be closing its doors for good come mid-march. I picked up a few goodies that, while I could've gotten them cheaper at amazon, I just wanted NOW, dammit. Nerd on.

Album of the Week

Emmylou Harris, All I Intended To Be

Wrecking Ball is still my favorite album of hers, but this one released last June is a definite contender for #2. There are some self-penned tunes mixed in with the usual interpretations of other artists' songs that Ms. Harris seems so effortlessly able to make her own, including 'Moon Song" (Patty Griffin), "All That You Have Is Your Soul" (Tracy Chapman) and "Kern River" (Merle Haggard).
Picked up the double LP version of this gem of a record, which I believe is the first of her Nonesuch albums to get the vinyl treatment. It comes packaged with a CD of the whole album, which never fails to rock my socks.

Graves At Sea • Slim's • January 11, 2008

Album(s) of the Week

Gotta love collages. The 'Person Pitch' artwork looks great in LP format, all nice and big & colorful, though I wish 'Cusp' had been given the vinyl treatment as well.

Panda Bear, Person Pitch



Everlovely Lightningheart, Cusp

Diana Krall Trio • Yoshi's • January 1, 1999