Wow, this has got to besome of the best hip-hop I've heard in years. I'll admit that I don'tknow much about Mos Def, but I do know that this album is amazing andit makes me want to find out more about him.

When Wire split in 1980,Bruce Gilbert and Graham Lewis became a powerhouse team, releasingmusic under aliases like 8 Time, Duet Emmo, He Said, P'O, Mzui, as wellas producing albums from folks like The The and Angela Conway.

I literally cannot stoplistening to this CD. Although it's only been a few days, it's quicklybecoming one of my favourite Current 93 pieces ever.

I'll admit, this is my first introduction to Mark Nelson's project, Pan•American. Even though I had read a little blurb concerning his first album in Magnet, I imagined that I would be hearing something very similar to Nelson's other musical venture, Labradford.

"Hey, who put dub in my elitist drones?" The most dreadded release of the last few years by v/vm has finally materialized.

Now I'm fucking pissedoff, seriously. I had nearly completed the review of this CD when mygoddamned machine crashed. I was describing how hateful and loathingthis disc is, how spiteful to the human condition and obsessed withanger and hatred it seems.

For what it takes years and a few releases to get to, Scott Heren has reached on his debut CD.

Since their first album,one that cultivated the cinematic-influenced emo sound of bands such asJune Of 44, until now, Cerberus Shoal has grown into a beautiful beast.

"The Somniloquist" (meaning 'one who talks in his sleep') is a limitededition (2000) 73 minute spoken word album by former SWANS and TheAngels of Light leader Michael Gira available signed direct from theSWANS web site.

When's the last time you bought a compilation with 500 tracks by 500artists? Never right? You can now. This LP features just that ... 500locked groove tracks, 250 per side.

Actually, the full titleis the CIVIL warS: a tree is best measured when it is down, but who'sgoing to read an article with such a lengthy tagline? And yes, I knowthat perhaps some of you are thinking that it's quite a lengthy titlefor someone who pioneered the concept of minimalism, but this disc isanything but that.

While Savath+Savalas could have taken more development time, David Kristian could have taken a bit less.

Delicately pakaged in abooklet of black construction paper, this release marks the first fulllength as Molasses - a collected "folk noir" group from Montreal whichincludes members of the Shalbi Effect and godspeed you black emperor!

Yet another bit ofinteresting packaging this week. The disc comes in a regular jewel casebut the booklet is the shape and approximate dimensions and a decentreplica of Can Oral's Turkish passport - equipped with US Visa andeverything.

Keeping with Mute'stradition of making sure music is made readily available for those whowant it, here's the US version of "And the Ass Saw the Angel."

Okay, I know this albumis about five years old but I strongly think it's worth mentioning. Acouple weeks ago I found a place online where I could order the UKpressing of this disc, which I had always known was clearly a differentversion than the US release which I have owned for years. I was notready for such an incredibly pleasant and drastic surprise.Everything's beefed up and played out with the force and energy thatblows the US release away completely. Although Justin Warfield's rap isweak, the opening tune, "Bug Powder Dust" hits hundreds of times harderwith a powerful pounding driving bass line and an incredible melodycompletely missing on the one I already had. Other guests and othertracks follow suit with an abrasive side of dub completely void on theother version, currently collecting dust in my collection. Playingthroughout the disc on nearly all of the tracks is a star-studded teamof various Dub Syndicate veterans Skip MacDonald, Doug Wimbish, KeithLeBlanc and Bim Sherman. Guest vocalists and players include SineadO'Connor, Jah Wobble and other singers. An 11th track, "5ml. Barrel," aspoken word piece from Will Self backed by some incredible music wasn'teven on the US version. It's no wonder to me, looking back how thisdisc bombed in North America.

samples:

• Bug Powder Dust (the better version - from the UK CD)
• Sleepyhead (with Bim Sherman)
• Somewhere
• Bug Powder Dust (the crummy US CD version - just for comparison sake)

Nearly everybody who'sfamiliar with Sylvian has an opinion on him - either he's too mindnumbingly nauseating and pretentious or he's an unrecognized genius.

Finally, this is the album we all knew Matt Elliot could make.

With their latestrelease--their 6th or 7th perhaps?--the Austin via Houston duo ofChristina and Tom Carter have created a disc of subtle psychedelia,imbued with reverberating guitar echoes and luscious drones.

I really had no idea what to expect when I put this disc on, and was quickly blown (okay, washed) away.