So, it's been almost 15 years since the first Family Vineyard release Strict -- an album from MX-80 members Bruce Anderson (guitar), Dale Sophiea (sampler) and their usual cohorts Dave Mahoney (drums), Jim Hrabetin (guitar) and Marc Weinstein (drums). The CD was released under their names, but the project later (re)morphed into O-Type, a badge they'd been using since the mid-1980s. So it's a gas, and a helluva surprise, to find out Milvia Sun have just reissued O-Type's 1988 cassette Darling as a 300-edition LP in screened covers. Now Darling is no musique concrète revision of Mr. Anderson's guitar styling as Strict was/is. Instead, Darling is post-MX-vision rock with Anderson taking the mic at times to sound like a "gruff, drunken, almost sick sounding barrage, coming a little too close to the far-beyond-gone state of Bobby Soxx at the dead end of Stick Men With Ray Guns" (or so sez our pal Doug). Nonethless, we think you oughta buy both.

What a surprise -- though, not really, ya know? -- to see two of our albums on Nuvo's 100 top Indiana records of all time. And it's fitting that John Terrill's honey-baked classic Frowny Frown is picked alongside Apache Dropout's blasted debut. Terrill has been a heavy influence -- musically, spiritually and in libation -- to many of the Hoosier underground. As the Mad Monk, Terrill has collaborated with Apache Dropout in the past years (check out 2012's year's My Wild Life 7-inch) bringing this whole guru-teacher-student-thing full circle.

While we gotta say there are some harsh omittance on Nuvo's list -- no Suni McGrath?!, no Sardnia?!, no Hoosier Hysteria!?!? and no Problematics?! -- we aint gonna seeth too much. 

City scapes were a hallmark of Loren Connors early 1990s work -- his guitar offten telling the stories of New York City past and present. My Brooklyn is a return, of sorts, in vein. Released by the  Japanese label Analogpath, the 500-edition CD collects two live performances: The Stone (1/7/12) and Zebulon (2/26/12). It is available here. 

One of our favorite duos took to the stage at Issue Project Room this week -- Alan Licht & Aki Onda. They also revived their trio with pianist Michael Snow. Hoping for another album from these gents. Photo from IPR's Instagram feed.