esoteric

If you buy one CD this season, make it some "Best of Pavarotti" compilation. When you're done being stupid, shelve it next to your Gregorian chant discs, simonize that mark left by your "Support the Troops" magnet and pick up Bronx hero Percee P's eternally awaited debut. Madlib handled the complete production reel here; and while that might seem presumptuous since this is P's first full-length after 20-plus years of popping rhymes on New York street corners, the result is a Purple Heart-worthy vet gem on par with Masta Ace's Disposable Arts. [myspace.com/perceep]



PJ HARVEY | WHITE CHALK | 9.25

"Devil." "Piano." "Mountain." Sheesh. With the epic pain and sweeping arm gestures White Chalk's track lists suggests, you may already be exhausted. The three-year lapse since Uh Huh Her hasn't helped things. But considering how the alt-rock icon has been combing through her deliciously raw live recordings lately (to assemble The Peel Sessions: 1991-2004 last November), it's doubtful Harvey will return to the polish of Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, which her fans fear most. Then again, who can guess what's coming next from the master of musical mood swings? [pjharvey.net]



SPECIAL TEAMZ | STEREOTYPEZ | 9.25

Edo G has a little Danny Ainge in him. Like the Celtics GM, Edo moved to restore the Bean's legacy by signing big-ticket talent -- Jaysaun (of the Kreators) and Southie lyricist Slaine -- to run a vicious triangle offense on mainstream wackness called Special Teamz. Backed by DJ JayCeeOh and production from DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Young Cee and others, their debut LP, Stereotypez, sounds plenty hot, as expected; but the masterful blend of sharp delivery and rugged intellect amongst the three unique stars on tracks like the incendiary "Race Riot" is what makes it a true contender. [myspace.com/specialteamzboston]



BEIRUT | THE FLYING CLUB CUP | 10.9

Along with fellow pseudo-gypsies Gogol Bordello and A Hawk And A Hacksaw, Zach Condon and his band of (roughly) eight have channeled the folk traditions of Eastern and Southeastern Europe so pleasingly that even the annoyingly meaningless "world" label has swollen in hipness. While Club Cup doesn't come out in real life until next month, it's been flyin' round the ninner-nets like crazy. In comparisons to Beirut's 2006 debut, Gulag Orkestar, both the band and their messageboard-dwelling fans focus on the new album's French elements; so this time, expect more Amélie than Everything Is Illuminated. [beirutband.com]



JENS LEKMAN | NIGHT FALLS OVER KORTEDALA | 10.9

Like Katie Holmes, Oprah Winfrey and SpongeBob SquarePants, Jens Lekman has a real knack for coming off as really, really happy, even as his soul is being torn into messy strips by a strange and persistent misery. Lucky for him, Lekman's contribution to the world is far less irritating -- it's actually quite beautiful. When he takes his little sister down to the ocean to show her the emptiness of the world and has his plans foiled by little crabs crawling out of seashells in "The Opposite of Hallelujah," you'll just want to skip through the sand with the dude -- even as he continues walking right out into the sea. [jenslekman.com]



9TH WONDER | THE DREAM MERCHANT, VOL. 2 | 10.16

If hip-hop were a city block, the streets would be crawling with more hustlers than Yawkey Way; Jay-Z has nightclubs, 50 Cent has sneakers and Lil Jon has some energy drink that gets you crunker than a Levitra-and-Jack cocktail. Ex-Little Brother producer 9th Wonder made his name hustling soul-soaked Pete Rock-esque beats by the pound to the likes of Jay-Z and Destiny's Child, and his solo debut offers a variety of tastes, from the Royce da 5'9"'s raw revival on "The Last Time" to the smoothed out "Saved" with Saigon. His deft touch even revitalizes chronic underachiever Memphis Bleek on "Crooklyn Dodgers 3," which puts 9th at damn near miracle-worker status. [myspace.com/9thwondermusic]



LITTLE BROTHER | GET BACK | 10.23

When we last left Little Brother, their video for "Lovin' It" was being blackballed by BET, whose high aesthetic standards regarded the clip as "too intelligent" (i.e., "not dumb enough") to fit in between playing "Throw Some D's" 40,000 times. Their new LP shows how little they've learned (or is it dumbed?); soulful production, witty rhymes and easygoing charm get you great music, not video rotation. Even without their former producer 9th Wonder, Phonte and Big Pooh deliver another potent dose of real hip-hop that's, like, all smart and shit. [myspace.com/littlebrother]



BLACK DICE | LOAD BLOWN | 10.23

Where most pop songs are like delicately spun yarns, Black Dice tracks are like bolts of impractical scratchy fabric. You'll hear a lot about how these noisy Brooklyneers have veered toward a poppieIf you buy one CD this season, make it some "Best of Pavarotti" compilation. When you're done being stupid, shelve it next to your Gregorian chant discs, simonize that mark left by your "Support the Troops" magnet and pick up Bronx hero Percee P's eternally awaited debut. Madlib handled the complete production reel here; and while that might seem presumptuous since this is P's first full-length after 20-plus years of popping rhymes on New York street corners, the result is a Purple Heart-worthy vet gem on par with Masta Ace's Disposable Arts. [myspace.com/perceep]



PJ HARVEY | WHITE CHALK | 9.25

"Devil." "Piano." "Mountain." Sheesh. With the epic pain and sweeping arm gestures White Chalk's track lists suggests, you may already be exhausted. The three-year lapse since Uh Huh Her hasn't helped things. But considering how the alt-rock icon has been combing through her deliciously raw live recordings lately (to assemble The Peel Sessions: 1991-2004 last November), it's doubtful Harvey will return to the polish of Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, which her fans fear most. Then again, who can guess what's coming next from the master of musical mood swings? [pjharvey.net]



SPECIAL TEAMZ | STEREOTYPEZ | 9.25

Edo G has a little Danny Ainge in him. Like the Celtics GM, Edo moved to restore the Bean's legacy by signing big-ticket talent -- Jaysaun (of the Kreators) and Southie lyricist Slaine -- to run a vicious triangle offense on mainstream wackness called Special Teamz. Backed by DJ JayCeeOh and production from DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Young Cee and others, their debut LP, Stereotypez, sounds plenty hot, as expected; but the masterful blend of sharp delivery and rugged intellect amongst the three unique stars on tracks like the incendiary "Race Riot" is what makes it a true contender. [myspace.com/specialteamzboston]



BEIRUT | THE FLYING CLUB CUP | 10.9

Along with fellow pseudo-gypsies Gogol Bordello and A Hawk And A Hacksaw, Zach Condon and his band of (roughly) eight have channeled the folk traditions of Eastern and Southeastern Europe so pleasingly that even the annoyingly meaningless "world" label has swollen in hipness. While Club Cup doesn't come out in real life until next month, it's been flyin' round the ninner-nets like crazy. In comparisons to Beirut's 2006 debut, Gulag Orkestar, both the band and their messageboard-dwelling fans focus on the new album's French elements; so this time, expect more Amélie than Everything Is Illuminated. [beirutband.com]



JENS LEKMAN | NIGHT FALLS OVER KORTEDALA | 10.9

Like Katie Holmes, Oprah Winfrey and SpongeBob SquarePants, Jens Lekman has a real knack for coming off as really, really happy, even as his soul is being torn into messy strips by a strange and persistent misery. Lucky for him, Lekman's contribution to the world is far less irritating -- it's actually quite beautiful. When he takes his little sister down to the ocean to show her the emptiness of the world and has his plans foiled by little crabs crawling out of seashells in "The Opposite of Hallelujah," you'll just want to skip through the sand with the dude -- even as he continues walking right out into the sea. [jenslekman.com]



9TH WONDER | THE DREAM MERCHANT, VOL. 2 | 10.16

If hip-hop were a city block, the streets would be crawling with more hustlers than Yawkey Way; Jay-Z has nightclubs, 50 Cent has sneakers and Lil Jon has some energy drink that gets you crunker than a Levitra-and-Jack cocktail. Ex-Little Brother producer 9th Wonder made his name hustling soul-soaked Pete Rock-esque beats by the pound to the likes of Jay-Z and Destiny's Child, and his solo debut offers a variety of tastes, from the Royce da 5'9"'s raw revival on "The Last Time" to the smoothed out "Saved" with Saigon. His deft touch even revitalizes chronic underachiever Memphis Bleek on "Crooklyn Dodgers 3," which puts 9th at damn near miracle-worker status. [myspace.com/9thwondermusic]



LITTLE BROTHER | GET BACK | 10.23

When we last left Little Brother, their video for "Lovin' It" was being blackballed by BET, whose high aesthetic standards regarded the clip as "too intelligent" (i.e., "not dumb enough") to fit in between playing "Throw Some D's" 40,000 times. Their new LP shows how little they've learned (or is it dumbed?); soulful production, witty rhymes and easygoing charm get you great music, not video rotation. Even without their former producer 9th Wonder, Phonte and Big Pooh deliver another potent dose of real hip-hop that's, like, all smart and shit. [myspace.com/littlebrother]



BLACK DICE | LOAD BLOWN | 10.23

Where most pop songs are like delicately spun yarns, Black Dice tracks are like bolts of impractical scratchy fabric. You'll hear a lot about how these noisy Brooklyneers have veered toward a poppier sensibility on this, their fourth full-length; but Load Blown is as big a kick to the Shins as any of their past excursions in genrecide. Recorded over an 18-month bout of compositional vertigo and cobbled from three vinyl EP's worth of analog abuse, Load Blown feels less like a survey of the trio's potential than it does a live culture of rock's current condition. Most of you will hate it. [blackdice.net]



ESOTERIC | EGOCLAPPER | 10.23

As indie rap fans become more and more liberal with their illegal downloading, subterranean stars such as Esoteric have to infiltrate alt-beat circles to get paid. Still, while 7L&ES's trend-splitting experimental outing A New Dope, was both critically and commercially celebrated, Boston's flow assassin hasn't turned his backpack on snap-rap diehards. Egoclapper doesn't just pack in 16 new-school throwbacks; to highlight his return to form, Esoteric (never one to pass up good posse opps) teams with Termanology, Raydar Ellis and Vinnie Paz on a memorable addition to what's fast becoming one of underground hip-hop's most extensive catalogues. [myspace.com/7lesoteric]



AMY WINEHOUSE | FRANK | 11.13

Like you, we haven't been able to decide if Amy Winehouse's uncomfortably sudden stateside fame compromises her tremendous talent for impersonating 350-pound black women. We're also not yet sThree tool system helps ingrain muscle memory with correct putting stroke

The most popular and effective putting system in Europe made its U.S. debut at the 2007 PGA Expo in Las Vegas and was received with resounding results. Esoteric Golf Technology, which has had a tremendous influence on the putting accuracy of more than 165 Tour players around the world, is bringing their complete putting system stateside.

"We knew coming into the Fall Expo that we had three remarkable products that have proven themselves winners time and time again on the European market," said Lars Samuelsson, Esoteric Golf Technology U.S. Business and Sales Development. "As successful as our putting system has been in Europe, we believe that it will be more so in the United States. Our goal is to help golfers throughout the world become better putters and we know that our products will help make that happen."

This unique training system features three tools the Putting Guide, the Path Finder and the Square Triangle, that help ingrain muscle memory of the correct putting stroke.

The Putting Guide? is an effective tool giving the golfer the feeling for the putting stroke. It's built to suit everyone from the elite teams to the golf playing family, no matter the length, age or experience. Although it mostly sells as part of the Putting Guide Pro Training System described below, it will also be made available in other configurations (only for practicing with your own putter or solely for custom-fitting purposes).

The Path Finder is a simpler training device that helps you find a better putting stroke, better ball impact and better alignment. It features tapering triangular lines pointed to the hole side of the plate. On the plate, the golfer can attach six magnetic carbon fiber pins along the side of the plate. If the putter deviates from the desired line of the stroke, it will strike one of the pins making a clear sound and the pin bends and immediately rises again. As golfers improve using the Path Finder, they can move the pins closer to the putter line, which yields less tolerance for offline strokes. In addition the Path Finder features a mirror on the plate that golfers line up with their eyes and are trained to keep their head still during the putting stroke. Included with the Path Finder is an instructional book as well as a DVD.

The Square Triangle is an incredible alignment training aid that can be taken anywhere easily. Whether on the green or on a putting mat, the golfer adjusts the Square Triangle to fit the break of the putt that's being practiced and strokes the putt along the triangular lines on the plate. This helps not only with alignment, but with reading putts as well. The Square Triangle is available as a single item in retail packaging or also packaged as a promotional item.

Esoteric Golf also offers the Putting Guide Pro Training System that comes with the Putting Guide, an additional carriage to use with your own putter, three Path Finders, 10 Square Triangles, a Length & Lie Meter and a Binder with ideas for how to conduct putting academies for up to nine students. Because not every golfer has the same putting stroke, the Putting Guide can be adjusted to train the golfer for strokes such as the pendulum, the inside-to-square and the inside-to-inside strokes. The golfer addresses the telescopic "putter shaft" with a grip on one end and a roller on the bottom and he trains his body to repeat the same stroke by rolling the "putter head" on the tracks of the Putting Guide. The shaft can be set at the proper lie to fit the golfer's preference and most accurate position.

For more information about Esoteric Golf Technology and any of these putting tools, visit them on the Web at www.esotericgolf.com

ESOTERIC GOLF TECHNOLOGY

Esoteric Golf Technology, based in Gothenburg, Sweden, is the creator of the most effective putting system in Europe. Tomas Dahl launched the company after inventing the Putting Guide Player in 1999 and has since invented two more putting aids - the Path Finder and the Square Triangle. The training devices help ingrain muscle memory of the correct putting stroke. The training aids have had a tremendous influence on the putting accuracy of more than 165 Tour players around the world. For more information on Esoteric Golf Technology call 863-242-1998 or www.esotericgolf.com.

ure if we're down with her seeking treatment and further sodomizing a great single that's been raped and fisted by stations that play the "best" of the 80s, 90s and today. Come to drink of it, on the subject of our favorite floppy-boobed, polluted British vagrant, there's only one thing we are sure of, and it's that you can buy the UK version of her four-year-old debut album, Frank, at any decent independent record store in America right now instead of waiting for its US release in November. [amywinehouse.co.uk]



r sensibility on this, their fourth full-length; but Load Blown is as big a kick to the Shins as any of their past excursions in genrecide. Recorded over an 18-month bout of compositional vertigo and cobbled from three vinyl EP's worth of analog abuse, Load Blown feels less like a survey of the trio's potential than it does a live culture of rock's current condition. Most of you will hate it. [blackdice.net]



ESOTERIC | EGOCLAPPER | 10.23

As indie rap fans become more and more liberal with their illegal downloading, subterranean stars such as Esoteric have to infiltrate alt-beat circles to get paid. Still, while 7L&ES's trend-splitting experimental outing A New Dope, was both critically and commercially celebrated, Boston's flow assassin hasn't turned his backpack on snap-rap diehards. Egoclapper doesn't just pack in 16 new-school throwbacks; to highlight his return to form, Esoteric (never one to pass up good posse opps) teams with Termanology, Raydar Ellis and Vinnie Paz on a memorable addition to what's fast becoming one of underground hip-hop's most extensive catalogues. [myspace.com/7lesoteric]



AMY WINEHOUSE | FRANK | 11.13

Like you, we haven't been able to decide if Amy Winehouse's uncomfortably sudden stateside fame compromises her tremendous talent for impersonating 350-pound black women. We're also not yet sure if we're down with her seeking treatment and further sodomizing a great single that's been raped and fisted by stations that play the "best" of the 80s, 90s and today. Come to drink of it, on the subject of our favorite floppy-boobed, polluted British vagrant, there's only one thing we are sure of, and it's that you can buy the UK version of her four-year-old debut album, Frank, at any decent independent record store in America right now instead of waiting for its US release in November. [amywinehouse.co.uk]