Incredibly, I managed to miss this one when it came out in June. There are no excuses, because it's quickly moving up my all time favorite albums list: Two Lone Swordsmen's latest LP The Double Gone Chapel is (and this is a huge statement) possibly one of the best postpunk albums ever. Imagine Cabaret Voltaire, Tones On Tail, Joy Division and Pornography-era Cure with a mature production quality unheard of in those days. Andrew Weatherall and Keith Tenniswood have the Warp DNA in their blood and an originality not always shared by their nostalgic peers, which creates an unexpected and satisfying blend of proto-goth funk and a contemporary sense for dark dance music that builds on 25 years of history and refinement. As one Amazon reviewer stated, "this is not only a safe buy, but an absolutely essential release." It's going to be doing serious battle with Let's Suffer and They Were Wrong, So We Drowned when its time to compile Review 04. Buy it directly from Bleep. (Huge thanks to Jon O for pointing this one out!)

I also picked up (via iTunes) the new Faint album this week. I haven't had proper time to fully digest it, but it does take a more dirty, low-fi angle akin to the no-wave mash-up of Blank Wave Arcade and is much more mature than the wonderfully fun but often grandiosely cheesy Danse Macabre. I'm eagerly anticipating their October 9th show here in Detroit with super-geniuses TV on the Radio.