HAWKWIND In Search of Space (UNITED ARTISTS)
HAWKWIND Doremi Fasol Latido (UNITED ARTISTS)
THELONIOUS MONK The Best of Thelonious Monk (BLUE NOTE)
DUKE ELLINGTON The Best of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (CAPITOL)
WNUR played "Sonic Reducer" by Rocket From The Tombs on the drive home from work
BOB DYLAN s/t (COLUMBIA)
CARL CRAIG & MORITZ VON OSWALD ReComposed (DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON)
BILL ORCUTT A New Way To Pay Old Debts (PALILALIA)
CHANDELIERS Dirty Moves (HBSP-2X)

Of my two favorite Hawkwind albums, I always liked Doremi better than In Search of Space. The tempo never really seems to get off the ground on the latter, earlier album, at least not for the rather lugubrious 15-minute opener, but listening to Doremi right after it, I start thinking that its tempos never really pick up either, and that In Search of might in fact be the deeper document. Either way, side two deep cut "We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago" is a good one, blown-out street-style eco-punk protest song with some killer hand percussion.

WNUR played "Sonic Reducer" by Rocket From The Tombs on the drive home from work.

First Bob Dylan album still rules.

As for newer music, this 2008 Craig/Von Oswald disc is as fantastic as advertised, and if by chance the endless heraldic classical micro-melodies via high-pressure post-Riley trumpet loops that is "Movement 2" freak you out a little, go straight to "Movement 4" for some of the most killer chill-funk I've heard in awhile, with textural linkage to the wide-open arrangements of the current Moritz Von Oswald Trio, and an incredible 2-minute segue into the following track "Interlude."

Bill Orcutt LP has been turning heads and it is a serious piece of work. His guitar lines are both as noisy as ever and more fluidly complicated, a devastating combination. Just listen to the appropriately titled side two opener "My Reckless Parts." But even with that, this is not strictly a 'guitar' solo record... unless wild overtones are playing tricks on me (and they very well may be), I think it's more of a 'singing guitarist' solo record (his credit is "4 String Kay, Voice"), and that's the real ear-turner here.

Chandeliers are a Chicago group I've heard some actual 'local buzz' on, and they had some good myspace tunes, so I picked up this edition-of-250 Dirty Moves album at Reckless. Before needle hits groove I'm slightly concerned that they'll be a little on the jazzy/quirky side, mainly because they're using the 'lots and lots of equally short songs' LP template... anytime an album goes over 20 songs, I frankly worry a little... not many great non-compilation and/or non-grindcore albums with that many songs, are there? Rare examples of success would be Double Nickels On A Dime (21.5 per LP), Bee Thousand (20), God Bless The Red Krayola And All Who Sail With Them (20), and.... I can't think of anymore right now. There' s not even any great hardcore records that are over 20 songs, are there? And here the Chandeliers album has a whopping 31 tracks, and one of them on Side B is even titled "Ravecrunk," but then I finally play the thing and, just a couple minutes in, I'm already won over because these guys are here to play music. No vocals to really speak of, no tricky stops and starts or sudden silences, just hardcore instrumental grooves. There are some overly cutesy electronics here and there that indeed confirm suspected quirk potential, but only in a couple places, and tastefully fleeting; mostly these are hardcore focused grooves of funky, grubby, exciting new trance electric rock music. Next I'd like to hear 'em hone in on fewer grooves, perhaps with something like a 45RPM 12" approach, but hey, maybe that's just not them... either way, I'll be paying attention.