JEFFREY MORGAN’S MEDIA BLACKOUT #501.130!

Telephone – Automatic (Cobra) :: Telephone is ringing, this exceptional rock solid rock, which sounds as if it came straight outta England’s mid-’70s new wave movement, has got me on the run. I’d accept the charges if I were you, anticipating fun.

Dälek – Deadverse Massive Vol. 1 :: Dälek Rarities 1999-2006 (Hydra Head) :: Cascading shards of sound careen across an uncanny adventurous hip-hop terrain that alternates between easy-listening ambience and archetypal electro-synthscapes.

Portugal, The Man – Church Mouth (Fearless) :: The wondrously weird ’n’ wonky solo album that Russell Mael never recorded but sure should’ve features falsetto songs that recall the early ’70s at its quirky best.

Bryan Ferry – Dylanesque (Virgin) :: He may have done the self-destruct samba on The Bride Stripped Bare, but this genial gem is El Ferranti’s best solo work since In Your Mind. And although he’s not as vociferously vocal as he was when he belted out “Hard Rain” on his first solo foray, any Roxy-related album that has the classic alliterative credits “Farfisa :: Ferry” and “Electronics :: Eno” is definitely worth your while.

Bob Dylan – Ferryesque (Columbia) :: I wish.

SIZZLING PLATTERS OF THE WEEK :: Paranoids – Obsessions Delusions & Headtrips Volumes 1 & 2 (Gaff) :: Several years ago, the Paranoids released a four track EP that contained a truly grand glam rock song called “The Party’s Over.” Now come these two ambitious discs which showcase the full scope of their mature musical ability. Volume 1 came out in 2005 and was such a quantum evolution of their usual style that I couldn’t get my head around what they were doing. But with the release of Volume 2, I finally realize (a) that the Paranoids can record pensive modern music right up there with the very best of them; and (b) that the Paranoids just might be the smart ’n’ stylish new-fangled art rock messiahs we’ve all been waiting for.

Be seeing you!