Greetings lovers of adventurous music & welcome to the first Downtown Music Gallery (DMG) newsletter.  

I am Bruce Lee Gallanter and have been managing this groovy little record/cd/zine/video store for the past 5 years. Many of you know me from my frequent attendance at the Knitting Factory, especially any gigs by John Zorn, Fred Frith, Elliott Sharp, etc. I am also an authority on the Canterbury scene (Soft Machine, Caravan & all offshoots). I helped with the Robert Wyatt book that came out a couple of years back, as well as Zorn & Laswell discographies.  

I also check out many other types of music-60's psych, world music, dub, folk, country, contemporary classical, electronic, blues...DMG reflects all this & we still sell records (yes, VINYL)!!  

Currently this store is run by myself & Mike Clark whose areas of expertise are extreme metal, noise, ambient & techno. You can always call, fax, send mail or e-mail to either of us, if you need our help. Since I go to gigs 4 or 5 nights a week, people often call me from across the land to recommend gigs while they're on vacation in NYC. No problem.  

The reason for this newsletter, which we hope to put out every other week, will be to inform those interested with lists & reviews of new downtown,avant,progressive, etc. recordings before or as they come out. I will also list concert info in advance as I stay in close contact with downtown musicians & composers.  

Below I will list some downtown releases that have come out this summer. Starting next issue I hope to review 5 of these per issue. Mike will also be doing his haiku reviews...  

• 1.Elliott Sharp & Queen Esther-Hoosegow (Homestead)  
• 2.Don Byron-No Vibe Zone (KFW)  
• 3.DJ Spooky-Songs of a Dead Dreamer (Asfodel)  
• 4.Tim Berne's Bloodcount-Memory Select/Live in Paris Vol.3 (JMT/Verve)  
• 5.Bill Laswell DJ compilation-Altered Beats (Axiom)  
• 6.Arcado String Trio-Live in Europe (Avant)  
• 7.Arto Lindsay-The Subtle Body (Bar None)  
• 8.Elliot Sharp compilation-State of the Union 2cd set (Atavistic)  
• 9.Bang-on-a-Can All Stars-Vol. 5-Cheating, Lieing, Stealing (Sony)  
• 10.William Parker Sextet-Compassion Comes to Bed Sty (Homestead)  
• 11.Andrea Parkins Trio-Cast Iron Fact (KFW)  
• 12.Roger Kleier-Klangenbang (Rift)  
• 13.Alan Licht & Loren Mazzacane-Two Nights (half recorded by me)  
• 14.Rob Brown trio-High Wire (Soul Note)  
• 15.Esta-Mediterranean Crossroads (Newance)  
• 16.Joe Fonda & Michael J. Stevens Group-The Wish (Music & Arts)  
• 17.Dim Sum Clip Job-Harmalodic Jeopardy (Avant)  
• 18.(Bill Laswell)Sacred System-Book of Entrance (ROIR)  
• 19.David Shea-Robin Rimbaud-Robert Hampton-Zulutime (Sub Rosa)  
• 20.Phillip Johnston-Flood at the Ant Farm (Black Saint)  
• 21.(Bill Laswell) Tetragrammaton-Submerge (Ion)  
• 22.James Plotkin & Mick Harris-Collapse (Sub Rosa)  
• 23.Kato Hideki-Hope & Despair (Extreme)  
• 24.John Zorn's Chamber Masada-Bar Kokbah (Tzadik)  
• 25.Zeena Parkins-Mouth=Maul=Betrayer ( " )  
• 26.Ikue Mori-The Garden ( " )  
• 27.Erik Friedlander-The Watchman ( " )  
• 28.Guy Klucevsek-Stolen Memories ( " )  
• 29.Anthony Coleman-Selfhaters ( " )  
• 30.Gisburg-Shadows in the Sky ( " )  
• 31.Rodd Keith-I Died Today ( " )  

Welcome to Mike's Space devoted to Death/Black Metal, Techno/Industrial/Ambient, Gothic/Ethereal and the random crossings of those genres into one anothers cosmic spaces. Bear with me as I also indulge into the occasional Hardcore, New Age or Lounge soapboxing as I stumble across something brilliant in those fields.  

I will make every effort to have for sale those things that I mention here but I am limited by store space and bank account restraints. We do, however, have no problem placing special orders at no extra cost.  

I will start today with REVIEW HAIKU- all releases will be listed as [artist-title-label]  

Brighter Death Now- Innerwar- Cold Meat/Relapse  

Chilling in its touch  
Noise across the aural scope  
Good but not pleasant  

The Teargarden- To be an Angel Blind...- Nettwerk  

Synth use is small now  
Edward makes spring days seem sad  
Prefer the old stuff  

Chimera- Earth Loop- Grass  

Pretty but hard too  
Voice makes me miss The Sundays  
Cocteau meets Helmet  

Ancient- The Cainian Chronicles- Metal Blade  

Kiss/Clown faced members  
Well produced Black Metal sound  
Satan must be pleased  

Wesley Willis- Fabian Road Warrior- American Recordings  

What can one say here  
You either love or hate him  
Wesley is Godlike  

Masonna- Inner Mind Mystique- Relapse  

White Noise Pink Noise scrape  
Screams penetrate the painsongs  
Japanese hatesound  

Merzbow- Pulse Demon- Relapse  

(see above)  

Mick Harris/James Plotkin- Collapse- Asphodel  

Slow and unhappy  
Scorn meets OLD in the sleeptime  
Watch dark ice melt here  

On to my CURRENT LISTENING FAVORITES. This section is pure indulgence and should in no way influence your purchasing decisions as it consists of the things I listen to repeatedly some of which are somewhat old. In no particular order or length they are  

• 1. My Dying Bride- Angel and the Dark River  
• 2. Emperor- In the Nightside Eclipse  
• 3. Skinny Puppy- Too Dark Park  
• 4. neurosis- Through Silver In Blood  
• 5. Wesley Willis- (anything, as it is mostly the same)  
• 6. V/A- Welcome to the Ultra Lounge (promo only sampler)  
• 7. Dubtribe- Selene Songs  
• 8. V/A- ...and Even the Wolves Hid Their Teeth (CMI sampler)  
• 9. Cosmic Baby- Thinking About Myself  
• 10. Malevolent Creation- Joe Black  
• 11. Broken Hope- Repulsive Conception  
• 12. Immortal- Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism  
• 13. Aghast- (some German title I can't remember)  
• 14. Mourning Cloak- In Dreams You See  
• 15. V/A The Future Sound of Jazz  
• 16. V/A Dimensions in Ambience  
• 17. Raison d'Etre- Prospectus 1  
• 18. Steve Roach- Structures From Silence  
• 19. Frontline Assembly- Tactical Neural Implant  
• 20. Enslaved- Frost  
• 21. Love Spirals Downward- Idylls  
• 22. Vanessa Daou- Zipless  
• 23. Bel Canto- Shimmerimg, Warm and Bright  
• 24. Meshuggah- Destroy, Erase, Improve  

• 1. Lara Flynn Boyle (check out Threesome and see what I mean)  
• 2. Lisa Kudrow (I no longer watch Friends, but I will always love this woman)  
• 3. Cameron Diaz (drool)  
• 4. Salma Hayek (yes, I know, she's #4, but check her out in Desperado and tell me you'd leave her off your list)  

When you're in the area please check out these stores-  

Us here at DMG,  
Accidental CDs at 131 Ave A,  
Norman's Sound & Vision on Cooper Sq. betw. 7th St. & St. Marks Pl.  

Check out Cartoon Planet (Cartoon Network, 11:30 pm, weeknights). If you like stupidity and total non-sequitur humor, this is for you.  

Spank you.