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One of the best records of the post rock 90s – the masterful Directions In Music from Bundy K Brown, Doug Sharin and James Warden – a record that will sound fresh and insistent for as long as anyone's listening to it! This one stands up to the passing of time as well as any other instrumental avant rock album of any period. It's 8 untitled pieces with guitar, bass and drums at the core of the sound, but with subtle, angular touches and textural manipulation adding depth without it ever getting too arty or difficult just for the sake of it – there's not a unnecessary particle or element to be found. Mesmerizing all the way!

A split LP by 2 of the better psyche folk bands in modern rock – Hush Arbors and Arbouretum – a team effort that makes sense stylistically on top of the conveniently alliterate band names! Hush Arbors' 5 songs kick it off in timeless, insistently melodic fashion. Arbouretum deliver 3 longer tracks to close, nicely akin to the preceding Hush Arbour tracks, though with more hypnotic vibe. Both bands have a nice bit of fuzz in the guitars. Great stuff! The Includes "Lovely Ghost", "Prayer Of Forgetfulness", "Up Yr Coast", "People & Places" and "The Sleeper" by Hush Arbors. Arbouretum's tracks includes "New Scarab", "The Black Sun" and "St Anthony's Fire".

The first solo album from folk-country singer and songwriter Catherine Irwin in a decade – and as much as we wish she'd put one out every year, we'll take what we can get – especially if the occasional record is as moving and beautiful as Little Heater! If you don't know this already, Catherine is the other principle voice of Freakwater – a band that doesn't get nearly as much credit for turning city folk onto country-leaning folk music as they've deserved over the years. There's a wearily soulful quality to Catherine's songs that sets her pretty clearly apart from other writers – which is especially impressive, given that she draws from traditional influences – and comes up with a mood that's really all her own. Recorded by Tara Jane O'Neil. Titles include "Mockingbird", "Dusty Groove" (Irwin's Dusty Springfield-inspired song that Kelly Hogan adapted into a gorgeous country soul anthem. . .and it's done by Catherine herself as a stripped-down, beautiful folk ballad), "Hoopskirt", "Sinner Saves A Saint", "We Must Also Love The Thieves", "To Break Your Heart", "Nightshade", "Pale Horse/Pale Rider", "The Whole Of The Law", "The Banks Of The Ohio" and more.

Great sounds from Sidi Toure – a record that's deep in Malian roots, but which has a slightly different feel than some of the more mainstream artists you might know from the scene! Toure's definitely got an ear for the bluesy elements you'd find in Mali, but he also plays with this lightly lyrical mode too – working his acoustic guitar through these great rhythmic progressions that dance along with small group backing on calabash, soukou, and bass. Sidi's lead vocals are wonderful – often inflected in these down-turning lines that are really great, and supported by additional singing from Leila Ahimidi Gobbi, whose sweeter tones provide a nice contrast. Titles include "Maimouna", "Ishi Tanmaha", "Euzo", "Tondi Karaa", "Kalaa Ay Makoiy", "Koima", and "Woy Tiladio".

A beautiful set of Sahel Folk from guitarist Sidi Toure & friends – certainly as beautiful sounding as anything we've heard from Sidi! Toure is on guitar and lead vocal swith varying guitar and vocal accompaniment from song-to-song – with guests including Dourra Cisse, Douma Maiga, Jambala Maiga, Jiba Akolane, Toure and Yehiya Arby. Recorded in Gao, Mali in February of 2009, and both the guitars and voices are impeccably well recorded. One of the most rewarding new, yet timeless albums of African folk we've heard in a while! Includes "Bon Koum", "Adema", "Djari Ber", "Sinji", "Taray Kongo", "Haalah", "Wayey Zarrabo" and "Artiatanat".

Warm bell tones and smooth sine waves lay underneath the skittering pitter patter of electronic percussion of MOM's lates offering of Cologne soundscapes. 15 tracks of happy machinery bubbling and squeaking, including "Snap Bar", "Rerelease Hysteresis", 'High Court & Low Cut" and "Glim".

A departure for Sam Prekop – the breezy voice of the Sea & Cake and his own terrific previous solo material on Thrill Jockey – going to another realm here, sans vocals and a full scale tapestry of electronic instrumentalism! Old Punch Card has no vocals, no guitars and no conventional beats. Much of the music was created on a modular synthesizer, with oddly tuneful bits of melody and acres of atmosphere. Nor does it strike as a creative departure as a self concious stunt...Sam doesn't strike us as that pretentious of a fellow, and if you've paid attention to the Sea & Cake over the years, with all of those textural touches on the outer edges of the songs – those deserve a spotlight focus, right? Titles include "Old Punch Card", "Array Wicket", "Knitting Needles", "Brambles", "Tell Work", "A Places", "Lazy House", "The Silhoutettes" and more.

A posthumous record from Baltimore's great post-punk/hardcore combo Double Dagger – plus a DVD!

The boys turn the whimsy back up a notch for their sweetly synth-soaked latest effort, and Prekop's voice has never been so confident and out front. The tunes seem longer and have a more languorous feel than their last couple records, but the hooks are just as sweet. It took a long while to come to the realization, but we don't know what we'd do without a new Sea & Cake record every couple of years – each one fits like a favorite sweater. As kind of a bonus track there's a nice electronic cover of Bowie's "Sound And Vision" that sounds really out of character for the usually predictable (but no less enjoyable) group. Other tracks include "Four Corners", "Left Side Clouded", "Hotel Tell", "Shoulder Length", "One Bedroom", "Interiors", "Mr. F", and "Try Nothing".

Maybe the warmest record by the Sea & Cake – drawing a lot more from their earlier The Biz and Sam Prekop's solo album than their previous The Fawn, adding strings to a lot of the melodies instead of the electronic sounds. Sunny avant pop that manages to pull off a little bit of soulfulness with their trademark laidback charm. Tracks include "Afternoon Speaker", "All The Photos", "You Beautiful Bastard", "The Colony Room", "The Leaf", "Everyday", "Two Dolphins", "Midtown", "Seemingly", and "I Missed The Glance".