JEFFREY MORGAN’S MEDIA BLACKOUT #688.408.9!

The Beatles – Turn Me On Dead Man (Vigotone) :: Before he died of cancer, not only did Abbey Road engineer John Barrett secretly make hours of pristine cassette dubs of unreleased Beatles songs direct from the original multitrack masters, he also actually remixed many familiar classics. So take this bootleg, brother, may it serve you well.

Tamara Bedricky – Through These Eyes (self-released) :: Poignant easy-listening pop ballads aren’t usually my cup of tea, but I know a good voice when I hear one, and this Detroit songwriter has the pristine pipes to go the distance.

Project Oragnge – Megaphobe (BMG Canada) :: These mothercanuckers keep Canada united by recording their vapid songs in both official languages so the French can be just as bored as the English.

Yowie – Cryptooology (Skin Graft) :: Finally, a garage band that plays nothing but mental instrumentals that sound like the schizoid diagrams on the back of an Anthony Braxton album.

Paul Reddick – Villanelle (Northern Blues) :: Producer Colin Linden gives Reddick’s exceptional new album the rough echoing distorto sound of a vintage field recording. Very uncanny and very good.

The Dollyrots – Eat My Heart Out (Panic Button) :: Sky-high production values, a streetwise attitude, the chirpiest female vocalist this side of Stiff Records and album art to die for. Literally.

Mike Kenally Band – Dog (Exowax) :: Imagine if Freddie Mercury had played killer guitar and formed both the Mothers Of Invention and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Now go listen and treat yourself.

SIZZLING PLATTER OF THE WEEK: The John Butler Trio – What You Want (Lava) :: By mixing spiritually sublime orchestrations with heavy lowdown hoedowns, this sampler serves notice that guitarist Butler is a future force to be reckoned with.

Be seeing you!