ROCKFORD KABINE Xero OST (Clockwork / Cobra) cd + dvd 19.98
We first discovered amazing German duo Rockford Kabine via their debut full length, Italian Music: 31 Invalid Movie Themes, which on the surface played like a series of micro snippets of actual Italian soundtrack music, interspersed with snippets of dialogue, brief excerpts from what we can only assume are in fact real films, the music the perfect compliment, wah wah guitars, Morricone-ish twang, smoky synths, spooky rhythmic dronescapes. It was an incredible collection of music that very well could have been soundtrack music, but was in fact an original creation, imagined music for imaginary Italian films. And we were blown away. Not soon after, the band contacted us to let us know that they were already working on a follow up, this one an ACTUAL soundtrack, to some sort of arty XXX adult film, yep, a porno, which in some weird way made sense, what with RK's ability to conjure up super sultry and sexy sounds, that draw from all sorts of different sources, their music already cinematic on its own, seemingly perfect to be wedded to visuals, and heck, when the visuals turn out to consist of sexy women, some wielding daggers, wearing World War 2 style gasmasks and leather bodysuits and well, it's tough to argue with that.
But since the soundtrack was to be available ONLY as a bonus disc with the movie itself, it required some wrangling, and contacting an actual adult film distributor down in SoCal to get our hands on copies. But we're so glad we did. Even removed from the visuals, like all great soundtrack music, Rockford Kabine's score for XERO is incredible, haunting, mysterious, groovy, funky, abstract, cinematic for sure, but also lush and experimental and moody and mysterious. The strange thing too is that the film seems quite European, almost like some Inglorious Basterds style Tarantino war pic (or maybe that's just the aforementioned gas mask get up getting to us), but the music is very Eastern, in fact all the titles seem to be in Japanese, which only adds to the mystique of Rockford Kabine's fantastic soundworld.
So we'll discuss the film in a bit, but as aQ is a record store, and this is in fact our Record Of The Week, it's probably best to discuss the soundtrack/score all on its own first. Like Italian Music before it, XERO is a series of shortish tracks, between 1 and 2 minutes, each super distinctive, with the duo conjuring up incredible mysterious moods in a manner of seconds, leaving the listener in most cases wanting more more more. And like their Italian Music, this does play out like some sort of DJ Shadow style sonic collage, still drawing from Morricone, and the Italian giallo tradition, but also from classic '70s porno music, with some funk and groove, but instead of the oft ridiculed wah wah guitar style porn kitsch, this is much more evocative, and dark, guitars are slithery, basslines low slung, undulating, bells chimes, notes drift through fields of reverb, riffs chug and churn only to dissipate in a field of chimes, spaced out drones collide with almost Tangerine Dream like synths, flutes flit and flutter, the rhythms are minimal and motorik, some tracks playing out like some krautrock groove (reminding us that Can made softcore soundtracks too, way back when), others like some lost cosmic disco. It's actually quite hard to describe XERO, there are so many different sounds and styles, and it's hard to imagine them working as a soundtrack, especially to an super stylized XXX art film, but removed from the film, the music, as varied and constantly shifting as it is, somehow plays out cohesively, like an album proper, guitar twang is laced over a minimal footstep like rhythm, organs wheeze, everything sounds softly woozy and lysergic, exotic percussion collides with gamelan like melodies, minimal hip hop beats are wrapped around stuttering loops, occasionally coalescing into some seriously fuzzy hairy funk, other times drifting into Goblin style almost new wave sounding synthscapes, acoustic guitars unfurl some Western strum, but woven in are some haunting synth melodies, even some mysterious voices, soaring strings and sorrowful piano, tense droned out ambience, skittery almost Portishead style downtempo beats, bells and chimes, all sorts of strange production, the sound sometimes crystal clear and lush and lovely, other times hazy and druggy and gorgeously washed out, a kaleidoscopic sonic journey through some imaginary world of naked women, gasmasks and daggers, weird Asian masks, furry shag rugs, a world that would have stayed imaginary had these sounds not been used to edit the film of the same name.
The film is indeed pornographic, and XXX. It's all female-on-female, there's very little actual hardcore sex though. And while it IS a porno, with no plot to speak of, it's almost more like it's about the music. Indeed, the movie was edited to the music, much like Sergio Leone used to blast Morricone's scores on the set and have the actors move to the music, so the film here is a series of impressionistic tableaus, the colors acid drenched and super saturated, long slow stripteases, even the actual sex is strangely arty and not traditionally sexy, but the strange constantly shifting images, the cool, always changing music, work together, creating something much more than a porno, in fact, the film seemed more like something the band would project behind them when they performed live, strange masks, the aforementioned rubberclad gasmasked mystery woman, another woman who looks a bit like a sexier female version of Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name, long duster, big hat, face obscured by hair, and as the back cover proclaims, "See the shocking ending the censors didn't want you to witness", and we can definitely attest to the fact that the ending is really weird, depressing and violent, and not at all sexy, but in some way, that makes this whole project more interesting, and bizarre, and pretty much perfect for Rockford Kabine's incredible soundtrack. Though of course you don't HAVE to watch it, the prudish can enjoy the soundtrack fully without reference to the visuals.
Needless to say, this is TOTALLY RECOMMENDED, but, since the soundtrack cd does in fact come with an XXX rated adult dvd, thus is required some unaccustomed legalese on our part, as follows... This is only to be purchased by adults, and by purchasing this, and/or adding it to your online shopping cart, you are hereby agreeing to these stipulations: that you are an in fact an adult, being of legal age, 18 or 21, in your legal jurisdiction to view adult oriented material that may be sexual or graphical in nature. (Local laws vary throughout the United States, so if you are not 100 percent sure of the laws applicable to you, you are advised to check before purchasing.) Further, you agree that you will not redistribute this material to anyone for which it is illegal for them to view or possess such material, nor will you permit any minor, or any person who would find this personally offensive, to view this material, and finally that you will hold harmless aQuarius recOrds, its officers, ISP, and employees, from and against any claims, liability, losses, costs, damages, or expenses (including attorney's fees) arising from you use of the images contained on the dvd. Furthermore, you will defend aQuarius recOrds against all claims of impropriety regarding your purchase of this item. Phew. We'd have put all that in small print if we could.
MPEG Stream: "Dangai"
MPEG Stream: "Hana Gin"
MPEG Stream: "Pantsu Etchi Na"
MPEG Stream: "Saigo No Kisu Wa"
MPEG Stream: "Hotto Ni Naru"
MPEG Stream: "Rorikon"
MPEG Stream: "Xero Vs.The Black Angel"

V/A Saigon Rock & Soul - Vietnamese Classic Tracks 1968-1974 (Sublime Frequencies) 2lp 30.00
It seems like of all the Sublime Frequencies releases, all of which are incredible, many so incredible we felt compelled to make them aQ Records Of The Week, none has been as hotly anticipated as this one, ever since word of this release first surfaced, we would constantly get requests and inquiries, folks DYING to get their hands on a copy, and we'd be lying if we said we weren't pretty excited ourselves. So finally, here it is, Saigon Rock & Soul, a collection of fuzzy psychedelic Western influenced Vietnamese garage rock and pop, from the late sixties to the early seventies, heavily influenced by Western music of the time of course, but still somehow so totally and uniquely Southeast Asian.
And like most of these collections, the sounds vary greatly, from super distorted acid drenched psychedelia, to fuzz guitar funk, to wild ramshackle garage rock, to dark smoky soul ballads and pretty much every stop in between.
The history of this music, and the story of its creation, is as amazing as the music itself, as all of these tracks were recorded while the Vietnam war raged, recorded in makeshift studios, sometimes in US Army, camps, released as super limited 45's and tapes, the sounds constantly evolving as local musicians were exposed to the music American G.I.'s would bring over with them, from the surf rock of the Ventures and the Shadows, to stuff like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, James Brown, Santana, Deep Purple, Blue Cheer, Jimi Hendrix, hence the heaviness of some of these tracks, with bands emulating that super distorted guitar tone and that druggy sixties psychedelic vibe.
And some of this stuff really is heavy, the record opens with CBC Band's "Tinh Tuyet Voi", which explodes out of the gate with some seriously fuzzed out caustic guitar riffing, and then there's the "yeah yeah yeah" chorus, that almost sounds like the record is skipping, totally psychedelic and mesmerizing, wild drumming, lysergic leads - here's hoping Sublime Frequencies has a CBC Band reissue in the works!
The rest of the tracks, while maybe not quite as heavy, are still super fuzzy and rocking and groovy, from wild horn drenched exotica, to organ driven garage rock grooves, to funky psychedelic soul, horns all over the place, wild psych guitar leads, super distorted fuzz basslines, pounded piano, loose chaotic drumming, lots of distortion and reverb, even some sampled birdsong (!), the vocals wailed and howled and growled, some of the tracks getting all dark and soulful and smoky, no doubt a nod to the Motown sound, also a huge influence on Vietnamese music of the time, but for the most part, the sound of Saigon at the time was fuzzy and buzzy, wild and rambunctious, rocking and totally psychedelic. Fantastic stuff, and while many of the groups featured here are some of the most popular artists in Vietnam at the time, most of them have remained pretty much entirely unheard by Western ears, until now.
SUPER LIMITED of course, vinyl-only, and it's pressed on nice heavy vinyl, and housed in a thick full color gatefold sleeve, with extensive liner notes on the music, the musicians, and the era, as well as some amazing photos.

SINGH, CHARANJIT Synthesizing: Ten Ragas To A Disco Beat (Bombay Connection) cd 17.98
Now available on compact disc!!! The vinyl version was limited or something (perhaps being repressed), but now that this is on cd, and we've got plenty, we can make it Record Of The Week! As it should be, since it gets played here at least several times a day.
This is so absolutely brilliant and bonkers, that when we first heard it, we thought it must be fake, some modern day Rephlex artist putting everyone on, taking the piss, with a "raga-techno" album supposedly from the early '80s. But, no joke, this is the real thing! In 1982, Charanjit Singh, a famous Bollywood composer (he was featured on Sublime Frequencies amazing Bollywood Steel Guitar compilation), had a plan to translate ancient traditional Indian classical ragas to the synthesizer. Using the very synths that would later define Acid House (Rolands TB-303 and TR-808!), Singh unwittingly created a proto-acid masterpiece, before the techno genre ever existed. Since only a hundred or less copies were made originally, this release was mostly a rumor since its creation. We vaguely remember Drew Daniel from Matmos talking about it on Pitchfork, a couple of years back, saying someone should reissue it, but we weren't ready for how incredible and ahead of its time it sounds. Imagine if Kraftwerk (or even Oneohtrix Point Never) started composing music for a Bollywood Rave. Or imagine a more raga-inspired take on another proto-acid classic, Manuel Gottsching's epic E2-E4. While the "disco" rhythms are fast and frenetic and don't really vary that much between tracks (they're not really disco beats per se, but more akin to acid's trancey bounce), the synth flourishes and squelches of the raga over the top are soaring and floaty, making the tracks deliriously hypnotic. Capturing acid house's lysergic transcendence but with an outsider's economy that refuses to date it specifically to the era. We guarantee there is not another release quite like this one in your collection. Highest Recommendation!
MPEG Stream: "Raga Bhairav"
MPEG Stream: "Raga Madhuvanti"

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AHMED, ILYAS Live At On Land 2009 (Root Strata) 10" 100.00
Yep, this is in fact a 10", and it does indeed cost $100, and heck we're not even marking it up at all! We're just giving folks a chance to nab one of these, which are limited to JUST 25 COPIES, to help Root Strata pay for this year's On Land Festival. Last year was incredible, and this year looks to be even better (you can read more about it in the intro to this week's list!). But a four day festival, with bands from all over the world, is a massive undertaking, and costs a lot of money, so every little bit helps, thus we have this, an insanely limited, and pricey object / artifact, two sides of droned out blissful psychedelic drift, Ilyas Ahmed recorded live last year at the On Land festival.
Thick swaths of humid guitar drone, muted muddy vocalizing, spidery melodies, skittery percussion, all blurred into swirling clouds of psychedelic shimmer, with the B-side getting heavy, the band locking into some serious space rock throb, before blissing right back out, the sound sprawling into a smoldering rage flecked drone-psych driftscape, so nice.
Only a very few of the 25 left, these are obviously mostly for obsessive Ahmed fans, folks who want to help support the On Land Festival, folks with money to burn, or some combination of the three!
Sweet packaging too.
MPEG Stream: "Side 1 (excerpt)"
MPEG Stream: "Side 2 (excerpt)"

BATHS Cerulean (Anticon) cd 14.98
We actually thought this was going to be the SF band Baths we've been hearing so much about but turns out there is actually a Baths from LA who are way different but totally awesome as well (the San Francisco Baths are changing their name and we're anxious to hear a record from them one of these days too). This Baths is a one man warped electro-hip-hop artist out of Los Angeles who fits so perfectly on Anticon. This is a record that really does sound like the natural progression for the label and its sound really needed and deserved. Approaching left field pop with the same kind of vision that folks like Black Moth Super Rainbow/Tobacco have, infusing hip-hop production and beats into a much more nuanced and Technicolor soaked melodicism. Crazy to think this guy is only 21, as the music he makes sounds so assured flows so flawlessly. Armed with J Dilla like beats and Neon Indian sounding production, this is totally hitting the spot right now!!
MPEG Stream: "Maximalist"
MPEG Stream: "Hall"
MPEG Stream: "Apologetic Shoulder Blades"

BATHS Cerulean (Anticon) lp 14.98
We actually thought this was going to be the SF band Baths we've been hearing so much about but turns out there is actually a Baths from LA who are way different but totally awesome as well (the San Francisco Baths are changing their name and we're anxious to hear a record from them one of these days too). This Baths is a one man warped electro-hip-hop artist out of Los Angeles who fits so perfectly on Anticon. This is a record that really does sound like the natural progression for the label and its sound really needed and deserved. Approaching left field pop with the same kind of vision that folks like Black Moth Super Rainbow/Tobacco have, infusing hip-hop production and beats into a much more nuanced and Technicolor soaked melodicism. Crazy to think this guy is only 21, as the music he makes sounds so assured flows so flawlessly. Armed with J Dilla like beats and Neon Indian sounding production, this is totally hitting the spot right now!!
MPEG Stream: "Maximalist"
MPEG Stream: "Hall"
MPEG Stream: "Apologetic Shoulder Blades"

BERRY, KEITH The Cartesian Plane (Elevator Bath) picture disc 17.98
It's been way too long since Keith Berry has put anything out. The last time we had one of his records in stock, it was the impeccable 2005 album The Ear That Was Sold To A Fish, which was housed in an oversized box filled with fragrant flower petals. On that album, Berry's somber ambient constructions looked forward to the hauntological wash of Leyland Kirby, but also ran parallel to Thomas Koner's isolationism and the miniscule musicality of the later works of Bernhard Gunter. There had been rumors of an album to appear on The Helen Scarsdale Agency; for reasons unknown, the album never surfaced. Outside of a compilation track here and there, this British artist has kept a very low profile until this breathtaking album, released as a part of Elevator Bath's ongoing series of picture discs. Berry presents five extended pieces of soft-focus ambience, whose elegant suspension of sound gently bends along a majestic orbit with huge expanses of sounds undulating with ghostly melodies transmitting from way back behind Berry's dense fog. Where Kirby imbues his work with a maudlin strain, Berry's casts an eye into heart of the sublime. Something beautiful is afoot here, and at same time, the feeling is darkened and just unsettled enough. Let's hope that it's not another 5 years between albums, as Berry is too good a composer to be forgotten about! Limited to 233 copies.

BLUTCH Materia (At A Loss Recordings) cd 10.98
This is not new, but we only just discovered these guys and holy shit! Blutch are a Belgian trio who specialize in extreme heaviness, crushing downtuned sludge, but not ultradoom like Moss or Bunkur, instead, these guys go the Melvins route, spitting out, weirdly loping, almost groovy slabs of lurching, lumbering heaviness. Think the Melvins, Harvey Milk, even a little Torche. The Melvins comparison is especially apt, as the vocals tend toward that Buzz Osbourne sort of hushed croon, laid over stuttering start/stop chug, the songs loping and meandering, like some huge black wounded beast.
Some of the tracks slow down to a near funereal crawl, the guitars sprawling into clouds of SUNNO)))-like thrum, the drums less propulsive and more abstract, chords ringing out, riffs unfurling in thick black swells, peppered with little squalls of tangled guitar gnarl, or brief bursts of chug and thud, sometimes building to something almost epic and soaring, other times slowing down to a near glacial drone. The band lock into killer slow motion grooves, and the music begins to sound looped, totally hypnotic and mesmerizing, trancelike, the sound slowly, almost imperceptibly shifting, sucking you in, before an avalanche of crumbling distortion and collapsing riffage buries you alive. Here and there the tempo is jacked up and Blutch begin to sound like some classic death metal band playing at 16 rpm, but even then the songs usually morph into some tripped out abstract exercise in mathy metallic tension and release, or explode in a frenzy of almost grind level screamo fury, but always slipping back into some sort of blackened crawl.
The final track, at nearly 10 minutes, is the prettiest, yet least metal of the bunch, a swirling sprawl of blackened guitar buzz, of shimmering thrum and whir, strange reverbed percussion, moaning minimal melodies, all blurred into an epic slow motion crawl, the production muted and muddy and murky, adding even more to the lugubrious subterranean sound.
If this record wasn't 4 years old, we'd probably be screaming 'metal record of the year', but even still, since like us, probably most of you missed out on this entirely, no reason not to dig it like it was brand new, and like it really could/should be metal record of the year, cuz for those of you who aren't sticklers about such things, release dates and year end lists, well, no matter when a record came out, it's new when you hear it for the first time, even years after the fact, and based on how much we've been digging this heaviness, it's giving most of 2010's heavy releases a serious run for their money...
MPEG Stream: "Smile"
MPEG Stream: "Cut A Hand"
MPEG Stream: "Beguiling Comer"
MPEG Stream: "Burst"

BORFUL TANG Herd And Unherd (Gigante Sound) cd-r 7.98
At long last, a new release from the elusive and mysterious Borful Tang (for his head scratching back history, please refer to our reviews for his Root cd and On The Back Of A Dying Beast 2cd-r). A mischievous sound collagist, he's like some peculiar sonic macrame'd synthesis of Negativland, John Oswald's Plunderphonics, BBC Radiophonic Workshop, and the Sun City Girls / Sublime Frequencies camp... but he doesn't stop there! He then can match immersive wits with the best of the dronologists too. At times Herd And Unherded is languidly lulling, at others it's a barrel of percolating loopiness, while still at others sinisterly possessed. Mr. Tang is clearly something of an obsessive collector of sound sources. He's amassed a vaultful of tapes and vinyl - field recordings, video game soundtracks, religious AM radio broadcasts and other disembodied voices to name just a few. He consults with them, meticulously pares and processes 'em, and the pieces are then refashioned into something which is altogether new, yet haunted by the eclectic phantoms of the past. Add to this sonic palette an arsenal of a homemade electronic gadgets, and you have something festooned with mad scientist goggles and soldering goo. Go on, give your ears a wild feast to munch on. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Xevious"
MPEG Stream: "Herd And Unherd"

BORIS / TORCHE split (Hydra Head) 10" 15.98
What more do you need to know? Two new songs, one from sludge pop masters Torche, and one from Japanese psychedelic post doom drone metallers Boris. The Torche track is of course incredible, taking their crushing downtuned pop and stretching it WAY out into a sprawling downtuned prog-pop, post-metal epic, with bursts of frenzied riffing, pounding drumming, weird almost industrial sounding percussion, constantly shifting tempos, slipping from weird doomed out feedback drenched crush, to Melvins-y lurch and lumber, to full on power-pop-in-metal's-clothing, to pounding relentless metallic chug. It's only 6 minutes but there's plenty of Torche-y goodness crammed into those 6 minutes...
The Boris track is twice the length, and takes its sweet time, a brooding slow build, all minimal skeletal guitars, and strange distant grinding ambient whirr, before exploding into a washed out woozy slowcore, that goes right into a full on black metal blast beat, accompanied by barely audible insectoid riffing, while over the top, dreamy sweet pop vocals are draped, making for just about the strangest juxtaposition ever. But it works, it's bizarre, and unexpected, but it sounds like some weird black metal / dream pop hybrid, and it sort of slips back and forth for the rest of the song, the blackened shoegaze side often bleeding into the lumbering slowcore side, the various elements constantly shifting, but that strange black metal pop thing making this really really rad. After a long stretch of shimmering ambient drift, the song shifts gears yet again, and the band get all sludge-y and doomy, their monstrous plod laced with both melody and bursts of grinding hissing noise, before blinking out as if the tape suddenly ran out.
Killer artwork from Hydra Head's Aaron Turner, and of course crazy crazy limited, we got a bunch of these, but are not sure if we'll be able to get more once they sell out, so get one while you can, and we apologize in advance if you can't...
BTW: This is the same Boris / Torche record that was released in Japan last year, only now getting a domestic release, same music, but new artwork! So if you plunked down for the expensive import, you already have this, and don't need another one, unless of course like most Boris fanatics you need multiple versions of the same release. But for everyone else, do not hesitate, this rules, and you most definitely NEED it!

BRONZE The Rouge Became / Wits (World Famous In SF) 7" 9.98
In their short time as a band everything that Bronze has touched has pretty much turned to gold... er, bronze. Without even a full length out yet, they've managed to win us and so many others with their mind melting live shows and the great slabs of wax they have put out (we still have a few of the 10"s left!). This brand new picture disc 7" continues their fiery streak, both songs so driving and infectious fueled by analog synths delivered with a Silver Apples like sensation. What's so cool about Bronze is that they aren't just about nailing a certain sound or style but they seem to be really interested in creating cool songs. The vocals are prominent yet they glide and warp with the textured instrumentation, so it all becomes part of the same swaying sound. It's kind of like if you stripped early Jane's Addiction of its LA rock tendencies and wrapped it around a Sonic Boom/Experimental Audio Research soundscape. Can't wait for the debut full length, but these two songs have been keeping us flipping this chunk of wax over and over as we can't get enough of these psychedelic pop gems. Limited to 500 copies so grab one fast. So damn good!

BRUCE, MICHAEL Lo Snap b/w Fiskemelk (Poisonous Gases) 7" 5.98
Two new, 7"s of delicious skweee here folks! From the same Portland label, Poisonous Gases, that previously brought us Lazercrotch. Now they've gone and signed up a genuine Scandinavian skweeer, Daniel Savio from Sweden, as well as Portland's Michael Bruce (NOT the guy from the Alice Cooper Band we're pretty sure).
Bruce's 7" is squarely in the skweee tradition, dropping the bass and the blip-bloop of 8-bitty sci-fi video game SFX across two groovy instrumentals. Very cool, glad to see US skweee making a showing. Too bad Bruce didn't come up with a catchy monicker like Lazercrotch though, we've probably be guaranteed to sell more of 'em...

CAMINITI, EVAN West Winds (Three Lobed) lp 21.00
Another gorgeous sprawling collection of smoldering guitarscapes and warm liquid lysergic drones from Evan Caminiti, one half of psychedelic drone-doom-duo Barn Owl, and while West Winds does in fact touch on some of the same sonic territory as past solo efforts, it definitely moves in a much darker, much heavier direction, exploring blackened sonic vistas that have only been hinted at in Barn Owl but that have been gradually becoming more of a focal point on Caminiti's solo ventures. Which is obvious from the opening track, "Night Of The Archon", which begins all tranquil and serene, spidery tendrils of guitars unfurling in a reverbed expanse of billowing shimmer and layered chordal drift, before the guitars begin to rumble and grind, the distortion a living breathing thing, crumbling and glowing like sonic magma, moving glacially, and engulfing the sounds all around, spitting sparks of fragmented melody, before finally spiraling back to ground, the crush receding, leaving an ethereal cloud of chiming harmonics and distant hushed whirr.
But even with the darker vibe, and the heavier overall sound, none of the emotional resonance has been lost, even the heaving slabs of rumble and crush, are shot through with subtle harmonies, with lush layered textures, the tracks slipping from thick swells of almost post industrial sounding blackdrone to gorgeous Arvo Part sounding chorales, a constantly shifting landscape of hazy streaks of blurred melody, gauzy flecks of folk, soft tangles of reverbed twang, slow motion melodies rendered in thick slabs of coruscating guitar crunch, blissed out dronedrifts laced with almost pop like melodies, a little shoegazey, a little Morricone, a little Earth, a little SUNNO))), and a lot of Barn Owl, this is epic, expansive, highly personal music for the soul, evoking the desert, of starry nights and of the landscape painted red with the blood of an burnt orange sun, "Path To The Sea" is maybe the most propulsive, like the score to a post apocalyptic Leone flick, wheezing harmonium melodies over rumbling burnt black guitars, bits of twang laid upon a woozy almost Western lope, which leads directly into the 10+ minute closer "Black Desert Blooming", which does in fact live up to its title, the vibe arid and sun baked, the sound black and bleak, beginning as maybe the most harrowing and intense track on the record, only to blossom into the most abstract, the thick rumbling crush peeling away, leaving just soft swirls of layered guitars, to overlap and intertwine hypnotically, a minimal blurred loopscape, growing ever more indistinct, and ever more hushed, until even the guitars drift off, leaving a gradually dissipating cloud of blackened rumbles, of distant metallic blur, all keening and moaning and finally fading out completely.
LIMITED TO 600 COPIES, pressed on thick vinyl, housed in a gorgeous matte jacket with original artwork by Caminiti, includes a printed insert and a download card. Plus, it's available at aQ two weeks before the official release date!!
MPEG Stream: "Night Of The Archon"
MPEG Stream: "Glowing Sky"
MPEG Stream: "Black Desert Blooming"

CHEMICAL BROTHERS Further (Astralwerks) cd 16.98
It's not often that a group you have never been into, and maybe even actively disliked, makes something that totally blows you away. Well it's happened! None of us at AQ have ever been Chemical Brothers fans, we always found them so forced, contrived, and too much like the glossy stadium rock version of electronic music. But damn we are forgetting about that past right now, as Further is one of the most explosive, dynamic and epic electronic records of the year. Maybe their day in the mainstream limelight is done and they could make the record they always wanted to or maybe they just evolved, refined their taste and got so much better. Either way, we LOVE it!
Further is a blast of fuzzy and spaced out electronics filled with a driving force and such a rich sense of melody. In fact the first few times we played this in the store everyone working came up front to see what M83 record it was, as it has that really dynamic and engaging scope of sound. It's also reminding us of some cool combination of the cosmic odysseys of Etienne Jaumet mixed with the catchy hooks of Ratatat.
While their past releases relied so heavily on the influx of guest appearances, this record finds them sticking to a unified vision that doesn't depend on outside star power and have thus finally found a way to reach the stars and outer galaxies of sound all on their own, with such stunning results. Who says you can't get better, to teach old dogs new techno tricks? We never would of thought we'd say this, but the Chemical Brothers have made one of our favorite electronic records of the year!
MPEG Stream: "Snow "
MPEG Stream: "Escape Velocity"
MPEG Stream: "Swoon"

COLISEUM House With A Curse (Temporary Residence) cd 14.98
Not sure why, but we never really paid much attention to Louisville sluggers Coliseum, they maybe seemed too punk, or something, whatever it was, we're sort of kicking ourselves now, cuz this new one, their third, is a serious barnburner, although from what we hear their sound has changed quite a bit, still punk for sure, but super melodic, a bit metallic, and catchy as all get out. Maybe somewhere between the pop sludge of Torche, the muscly cock rock of Turbonegro and the post Kyuss hard rock of Queens Of The Stoneage, big chugging churning guitars, crushing powerhouse drums, killer hooks, thick fuzzed out bass, and the vocals, probably the most distinctive element, a harsh raspy howl that manages to be fierce and melodic, rough and raw, super intense and emotional, perfectly paired up with the throb and crush of the music pounding away beneath. The more we listen to this, the more these songs get stuck in our heads, and the more we dig 'em!
Features guest spots from Bonnie Prince Billy and members of Jawbox, Rodan, Squirrel Bait, Shipping News and Rachels, a sort of who's who of Louisville underground rock...
MPEG Stream: "Blind In One Eye"
MPEG Stream: "Everything To Everyone"
MPEG Stream: "Crime And The City"
MPEG Stream: "Cloaked In Red"

COLISEUM House With A Curse (Temporary Residence) lp 21.00
Not sure why, but we never really paid much attention to Louisville sluggers Coliseum, they maybe seemed too punk, or something, whatever it was, we're sort of kicking ourselves now, cuz this new one, their third, is a serious barnburner, although from what we hear their sound has changed quite a bit, still punk for sure, but super melodic, a bit metallic, and catchy as all get out. Maybe somewhere between the pop sludge of Torche, the muscly cock rock of Turbonegro and the post Kyuss hard rock of Queens Of The Stoneage, big chugging churning guitars, crushing powerhouse drums, killer hooks, thick fuzzed out bass, and the vocals, probably the most distinctive element, a harsh raspy howl that manages to be fierce and melodic, rough and raw, super intense and emotional, perfectly paired up with the throb and crush of the music pounding away beneath. The more we listen to this, the more these songs get stuck in our heads, and the more we dig 'em!
Features guest spots from Bonnie Prince Billy and members of Jawbox, Rodan, Squirrel Bait, Shipping News and Rachels, a sort of who's who of Louisville underground rock...
MPEG Stream: "Blind In One Eye"
MPEG Stream: "Everything To Everyone"
MPEG Stream: "Crime And The City"
MPEG Stream: "Cloaked In Red"

COMMON EIDER, KING EIDER Worn (Root Strata) lp 16.98
Another gorgeous outing of hushed acoustic sprawl and hauntingly grey ambience from San Francisco's Common Eider, King Eider. It's record number three from this mysteriously monikered band of outsiders, now expanded into a four-piece, still led by Rob Fisk, former member of both Badgerlore and Deerhoof.
We've always been impressed with the ghostly decay that seems to be so effortlessly flowing through CEKE's sound, a perfect balance of organic drone and instrumental songwriting, all bundled together into a seamless journey into the coldest, deepest woods. We must say that Worn immediately appears more melancholic and somber than past CEKE releases, whether it's the doom laden vocal drawls of Grouper on "Ennui" or George Chen's heaaaaavy buzzing guitar riff on "All They Will Find Is Blood", we're totally blown away!
Swells of gorgeously shimmering vocal melodies weave in and out of the rumbling distorted guitars like some shoegazing doom opera, an ocean of distortion buzzing under a glowing sky, so serene and moving. What we really love about Worn is while there are defiantly heavy moments of sheer epicness, there are also moments of precise composition and gently guided ambience. "The Rabbits Will Come Again" unfolds with gracefully bowed notes ringing out into the moonlit sky, while distant bells and shimmering feedback melt into the mournful piano. Vocal sighs and whispers set the mood for a deep forest seance, super chilling and super amazing. In addition to the special appearance made by Miss Grouper, don't miss out on Tom Carter's whirlwind cameo on "Earth Liver"! And don't forget, this one is limited to 300 copies, complete with lp covers that fold out into full size posters, lovely packaging for this ice cold, psychedelic epic!

COOPER, MYLES Gonna Find Boyfriends Today (Transparent) 7" 11.98
Since his old band The Passionistas called it quits, it seems like Myles Cooper has really come into his own, finding his voice and expressing himself in a wide range of mediums from his confessional/performative YouTube page, to his DJing and presence at the super fun High Fantasy night at Aunt Charlies (one of our favorite bars in the Tenderloin), and his live solo performances. "Gonna Find Boyfriends Today" is a super sugary beyond catchy, fairy tale of a song, kind of like Sesame Street merging into a campy night at a gay bar filled with smiles, rainbows, cotton candy, and an endless stream of sweet and cute boys. The B-side "Lord Love Music" is way more stripped down and raw sound reminding us a lot of a young Calvin Johnson or Ian Svenonius, stylized and super sassy. In some ways Cooper is like the version of Hunx & His Punx that you could take home to your mom, with a beguilingly preppy and wholesome demeanor, but what makes him intriguing is that you know under that surface something warped and more nuanced is going on.
And here is the link to Skye Thorstenson's crazy video of the track to check out, ought to give you a better idea if this is for you or not:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaObXRFg5y8
This 7" has only been released overseas and is limited to 300 copies so best grab it super fast if you want one.

CURRENT 93 Baalstorm, Sing Omega (Coptic Cat) cd 14.98
Current 93 records require a considerable amount of effort in order to dig into the allegorical poetics of David Tibet. For 25 years now, Tibet has been exploring religious and philosophical esoterica, situating Biblical thought next to the theosophy of Crowley. But this dualism has been brushed under the rug over the past decade thanks to an interest in the gnostic texts originally penned in the ancient Coptic language. As to the background to Baalstorm - ostensibly the principle character of Current 93's 2010 album - we can't really say that we have any clue. Perhaps, a minor archon in a pantheon of deities lost for many generations? Yes, Tibet's visions continue to flow unabated across arrangements produced by a revolving cast of characters. The previous album, Aleph at Hallucinatory Mountain, was a boiling cauldron of proto-metal riffs with numerous musical allusions to Blue Oyster Cult, Chrome, and Black Sabbath; and Baalstorm somewhat splits the difference between that album and the fairy-folk darkness of albums like Soft Black Stars. The compositions from the likes of James Blackshaw, Alex Neilson, John Contreras, Baby Dee, and Andrew Liles are delicate and occasionally twist into comparatively tense minstrals for cello, acoustic guitar, hand drums, and a spare amount of electronics.
MPEG Stream: "Baalstorm! Baalstorm!"
MPEG Stream: "I Dance Narcoleptic"

DEAD FADER Corrupt My Examiner (3BY3) cd 15.98
If only all electronic music sounded this sick, so heavy and distorted and twisted! From the same label that brought us Cloaks' Versus Grain records, a big favorite around here with it's noisy, chaotic, industrial crunch, Dead Fader do something similar, taking a root sound that's equal parts dubstep, electro, and that sort of synthy heavy Ed Banger stuff, and then cranks it WAY up, the beats are thick and distorted and crumbly, the synths are thick and fuzzed out and also WAY distorted, there's noise all over the place, rumble and buzz and whir and skree, feedback, glitched out damage, but all woven into super funky fucked up grooves, it's like some modern electronic record given an old school DHR makeover, reminds us a lot of Fever, for those of you who remember them, their record maybe one of the heaviest most distorted sort-of-hip-hop records ever.
The label compares Dead Fader to Burial playing through Slayer's backline, which isn't really that far off the mark, the sounds here are in-the-red, blown out, there are distorted almost black metal vocals buried in the mix, streaks of feedback, the beats and synths careen wildly, panned super hard, swinging from speaker to speaker, it's dizzying and relentless, dark and dense, abstract and freaky, with weird bursts of Goblin-y prog, thick pulsing synths, creeping monklike chanting, flurries of skitter and stutter, crumbling walls of electronic sound that are practically metal in their timbre and intensity, but for all its crunch and pummel, all its ferocity and aggression, and fucked up weirdness, it still manages to be melodic and groovy, funky and fun, the sort of dancemusic that we always wished existed, and it makes even the most intense jams and block rockin' beats from folks like Daft Punk or the Basement Jaxx or the Chemical Brothers or whoever sound downright flaccid.
Electronic record of the year? Quite possibly...
MPEG Stream: "Autumn Rot"
MPEG Stream: "JBE Zorg"
MPEG Stream: "No Thief"

DRAKH Bethlehem (Essence Music) box 58.00
A brand new full length from black ambient soundscaper, Drakh, the last prolific former member of black ambient terrorists MZ412 (his more prolific partner being Nordvargr!), and it's on one of our favorite labels too, Brazil's Essence Music, who in the past have brought us incredible releases from Acid Mothers Temple, Henrik Nordvargr Bjorkk, Boris, Merzbow and Rapoon. But this is not the regular release, we are honored to be the only place in the world, other than the label itself to be selling the super limited, deluxe, handmade boxset version, limited to just 99 copies, completely sold out, except for a handful saved just for us, and for you. These are pricey, but they are incredible, gorgeously and lovingly assembled, with TONS of extra stuff, and there are only about 10 copies left, so get one before they're gone. More on the record proper in a second, but figured we'd best explain what all comes in the box, in fact first there's the box itself, a completely handmade and hand assembled collage-painting-relief book-like boxset housing a long accordion folding insert with 11 attached landscape postcards - based on the album's theme and artwork - displaying stunning abstract watercolor paintings. Just like the box itself, each one of the pieces is uniquely and individually hand painted (no screens) by artist Iremir Oscar. In addition to the custom 6-panel digisleeve packaging, featuring stunning and desolate photography by Seldon Hunt, also included is a mini cd-r with four album remixes by some of Drakh's partners in sonic crime - Nordvargr, K. Meizter, Des Esseintes and Cordell Klier!
WOW. Like we said, there are only about 10 of these left, we are taking PRE-ORDERS for these, they are NOT in stock, once we know how many we need, we'll order them from Brazil and should have them within a week to 10 days. So if you order this with other stuff, your order will ship minus the Drakh box, which will ship by itself, or if you are a regular mailorder customer, probably in your next order, but you will be charged for it NOW, but if you want one, definitely don't dawdle.
The latest blackened drone missive from Drakh, as mentioned above formerly of MZ412, and most notable to aQ-ers, one half of the Nordvargr / Drakh duo, whose last record was released on Andee's tUMULt label. Bethlehem is a sonic travelogue, it's unclear if the sounds themselves are culled from the actual locations, or if these sounds are merely inspired by various places Drakh visited over the last few years, but the theme is reflected in a surprisingly varied sonic palette, which is not at all the grim bleak blackness of his past outings. Bethlehem begins as a dark dreamy swirl, laced with strange industrial rhythms, it's almost like the darkest creepiest dubstep ever, laced with voices, slow creeping swells, the dark skitter gives way to something much more ominous, a crumbling distorted dronescape, laced with strange snippets of spoken word, a creaking mysterious melody, and lots of crumbling hiss and crackle, before drifting into a sort of extra abrasive stretch of pop ambience, the core sound a hushed melodic drift, but wrapped in a sparking staticky gauzy, simultaneously dreamlike and strangely abrasive. Which sort of describes the whole record, deep heaving soft focus swells pulse and throb beneath a patina of buzz and whir, strange electronic percolations skitter atop a sea of electronic glitchery and blackened rumbles, like a malfunctioning Portishead, hushed warm washes of chordal hum slowly splinter into what sounds like Philip Jeck spinning old dusty field recordings, buzzing black noise is muted and smeared into bleary grey blurs, that seem to melt into warbly melodies, and slowly decaying looped crawls, crumbling industrial beatscapes lurch and lumber, a strange mechanized sonic beast, loping through a gorgeously hypnotic rhythmscape, so epic and evocative and mesmerizing, the whole record the perfect hybrid of blackened ambience, blissed out drift, and that sort of gauzy looped Jeckian soundscapery. Fantastic!
We WILL have the standard version, keep your eyes peeled for it on a future list, or ask us to reserve you one, but those of you who want the DOUBLE DISC HANDMADE DELUXE BOXSET, now's the time...
MPEG Stream: "Norrsken"
MPEG Stream: "View Over Tuscany"
MPEG Stream: "Back From Madrid"

FJORDNE The Last 3 Days Of Time - Folio Series (Dynamophone) cd-r 11.98
Freshly reissued as part of the Dynamophone Folio series! Fjordne's The Last 3 Days Of Time album was previously released as part of the label's special Parcel series - each volume came packaged in a round metal tin. The Folio series comes in a full color single-fold cardboard sleeve. Just as lovely the second time around!
Here's what we said about the release back in 2008...
Wonderful! As is reflected in the icy blue cover art, this is a wintry album - contemplative and shimmering soundscapes populated by acoustic guitars, piano, fleeting vocal gasps and seemingly microscopic electronics. Imagine a not so distant Japanese cousin of the Diskont album by Germany's Oval. Yes, it's that good! Winding and unwinding like the delicate clockwork mechanics revealed amid the feathers of the diminutive birds on the cover, these ten tracks are simply gorgeous from start to finish... as has been pretty much everything released to date by this fine, young SF independent label. Needless to say, very recommended! A perfect fit for those who've also been enjoying the soothing immersion into the releases on labels such as A Room Forever and Mystery Sea.
MPEG Stream: "Dazing Off"
MPEG Stream: "Everyone Has A Season"

FRANK (JUST FRANK) The Brutal Wave (Wierd) cd 11.98
Wierd Records (home of Xeno & Oaklander, Martial Canterel, Led Er Est, and those great vinyl compilations) presents another fine reconstitution of '80s darkwave or, for the purposes of the French duo Frank (Just Frank), "Vague Froide Moderne". Well actually, they're half French, with one of the boys growing up in New Jersey before transplanting to Paris. Synths, guitar, bass, and drum machines are applied to the skeletal, if lush arrangements of Frank (Just Frank), with the lyrics mostly being handled in French. Much of the songs take their cues from The Cure's bassist Simon Gallup who, especially on Faith and Seventeen Seconds, guided those songs through his bouncy goth basslines. As such, the guitars for Frank (Just Frank) mostly chime and jangle while the the basslines lead the tunes, whose detached emotions are furthered through the atmospheric synths and pleading vocals. The Brutal Wave? Hmm. A bit of a stretch as a title for this album which is far more sanguine than the title suggests. Nevertheless, Frank (Just Frank) deliver what is expected of Wierd these days, with allusions to the likes of B-Movie, For Against, Eleven Pond, OMD, Siglo XX, and of course, The Cure. We like.
MPEG Stream: "Mr. Itagaki"
MPEG Stream: "Jalousie"
MPEG Stream: "Ride of a Lifetime"

FRANK (JUST FRANK) The Brutal Wave (Wierd) lp 14.98
Wierd Records (home of Xeno & Oaklander, Martial Canterel, Led Er Est, and those great vinyl compilations) presents another fine reconstitution of '80s darkwave or, for the purposes of the French duo Frank (Just Frank), "Vague Froide Moderne". Well actually, they're half French, with one of the boys growing up in New Jersey before transplanting to Paris. Synths, guitar, bass, and drum machines are applied to the skeletal, if lush arrangements of Frank (Just Frank), with the lyrics mostly being handled in French. Much of the songs take their cues from The Cure's bassist Simon Gallup who, especially on Faith and Seventeen Seconds, guided those songs through his bouncy goth basslines. As such, the guitars for Frank (Just Frank) mostly chime and jangle while the the basslines lead the tunes, whose detached emotions are furthered through the atmospheric synths and pleading vocals. The Brutal Wave? Hmm. A bit of a stretch as a title for this album which is far more sanguine than the title suggests. Nevertheless, Frank (Just Frank) deliver what is expected of Wierd these days, with allusions to the likes of B-Movie, For Against, Eleven Pond, OMD, Siglo XX, and of course, The Cure. We like.
MPEG Stream: "Mr. Itagaki"
MPEG Stream: "Jalousie"
MPEG Stream: "Ride of a Lifetime"

GORGONTONGUE The Lighter Side of a Suicidal Mind (Universal Tongue) 3" cd-r 9.98
What do Aidan Baker, Gnaw Their Tongues, Alkerdeel, Persistence In Mourning, Caina and Expo 70 all have in common? Well they've all released records on ultra cool Portuguese micro label Universal Tongue. And to that list you can add these guys, the strangely named Gorgontongue, one part Arizona black metal outfit Ganzmord, one part Oklahoma funeral doom horde Persistence In Mourning. Although the parts don't necessarily predict the whole in this case, as The Lighter Side of a Suicidal Mind is not in fact metal, black, doom or otherwise, instead this duo are exploring some grim, haunting, oppressive black ambient otherworld, blending soft noise, field recordings, mysterious murky effects, layered drones, much of this sounds like a prettier, less harsh Gnaw Their Tongues, sort of epic and cinematic and dramatically doomy, but also a bit like a more grim blackened Expo 70, that same sort of glimmering slow burn kosmische krautdrone, but laced with strange processed vox, crumbling industrial detritus, swaths of wheezing organs, buried barely audible rhythms, the occasional hellish shriek, tangled bits of detuned acoustic guitar, dubbed out electronics, ghostly vocals, woozy arpeggiated melodies, keening feedback, bits of Dead C like free rock drift, sprawling expanses of space-y ambience, various bits of crash and clank twisted and transformed into strange sonic streaks, rumbling low end pulses, crumbling walls of corrosive metallic crunch, tinkling chimes, all drifting through epic black expanses and dense squalls of psychedelic abstract effects-damaged buzz, culminating in the near meditative final track, a haunting, black ambient driftscape, hushed and haunting and weirdly lovely.
LIMITED TO ONLY 100 COPIES!!! Housed in a Blue Ray style dvd case, with a printed two sided front cover, and a printer insert / mini poster.
MPEG Stream: "Everytime Something Falls"
MPEG Stream: "The Children Of Their Gods Writhe At My Feet"

HOUSE, SON Son House And The Other Great Delta Blues Singers (Monk) 2lp 30.00
Damn. This is just amazing, another winner from Monk, compiling 8 different Delta blues greats on two lps, with the central focus on the mighty Son House. House's seven cuts here are from a legendary 1930 session in Grafton, Wisconsin for Paramount that also recorded Charley Patton, Willie Brown (also featured here), and Louise Johnson. It's pretty unbelievable to imagine these titans of American music all piling into a car in Mississippi and making the trip up to Wisconsin, but what is even more awesome is the music itself. These recordings capture House at his absolute prime, which is saying a lot considering what a force he remained throughout his many years. The level of intensity cuts right through Paramount's substandard recording quality, with House's former preacher voice booming over his expert slide playing, sounding like the toughest son of a bitch on the block and making so much else sound flat out weak in comparison.
While Son House will most likely be the main selling point for this, the other bluesmen are no slouches. Rube Lacy offers two tracks of classic Mississippi blues, mournful and propelled by a steady rhythm, while the obscure Kid Bailey's only two recordings are featured here, detailing a masterful understanding of his craft. Willie Brown is perhaps most famous for being namechecked in Robert Johnson's "Crossroad Blues", while some have speculated that he might actually be Kid Bailey. His "M & O Blues" and "Future Blues" are the only two sides known to exist from a total of six, and they are certainly worthy of their legendary status. Brown's gravelly voice and harmonically rich guitar playing were perfected from years playing side to others (including House, Patton, and Johnson), but there is no question that he stands as a powerful and assured soloist on these tunes.
Garfield Akers' four cuts (also his only known recordings) show off his clear, higher register vocals which often soar to an amazing yelp over his nonstop strumming, in which his chords almost seem to float. His two part "Cottonfield Blues" also feature second guitar from his pal Mississippi Joe Callicott, who contributes two songs himself. Jim Thompkins, another Delta enigma, is featured on "Bedside Blues", one of only two known recordings, while Blind Joe Reynolds (sometimes known as Blind Willie Reynolds and other names to remain one step ahead of the law), shows off his prowess with a bottleneck slide to go with a highly focused and intense vocal delivery.
Some of you may have trouble keeping up with the sheer output of labels like Monk and Mississippi, but this comp stands out as a prime collection of classic blues that will appeal to anyone with even the slightest interest. If you don't know where to start, look no further.

HURLEY, MICHAEL Blue Hills (Mississippi) lp 14.98
**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT**
After a seemingly endless streams of reissues, comes some brand new music from folk legend Michael Hurley. Recorded over the last few years, Blue Hills finds Hurley in mostly solo mode, accompanying himself on one side with electric piano and old pump organ, while on the other side it's just acoustic guitar, with a tiny bit of violin on one track. The results are pretty stellar, Hurley's voice is rough and worn, a little ragged, but it suits these melancholic compositions. "In The Morning", with its strange melody and haunting electric piano ends up sounding mysterious and otherworldly, the soundtrack to a big empty house on a grey rainy day. The pump organ tracks have a similar vibe, darkly emotional, wistful, mournful, the wheezing organ a perfect compliment to Hurley's countryish croon, which slips smoothly from whiskey soaked to a surprisingly smooth falsetto.
On the second side Hurley straps on an acoustic, and goes all back porch blues, down home country folk, and his voice sounds amazing, delicate, a little wounded, wrapped around simple crystalline melodies and folky fingerpicked guitar, add some buzz and hiss, and it could be some rediscovered old timey field recording. The record finishes off with Hurley re-doing one of his old songs, originally recorded in 1963, and although this was in fact recorded last year, it again sounds timeless, Hurley's falsetto floating dreamily over skeletal guitar melodies, and moaning violin. So nice.

HURT, MISSISSIPPI JOHN Blessed Be The Name: The Complete 1928 Okeh Recordings (Monk) lp 22.00
Mississippi John Hurt's lone recordings from his younger days get a nice looking vinyl reissue from the good people at Monk. The material here has been available numerous times throughout the years, but if you missed out, GET THIS NOW! Before his rediscovery in the 1960s, Hurt had recorded a mere 13 songs in New York and Memphis for Okeh after winning a talent contest. Then, like many of the original bluesmen, he faded into obscurity and continued to work the land as a sharecropper, playing music on the side. Hurt possessed an expert style of intricate fingerpicking and an easy going vocal delivery which made quite an impression on his audience in the '60s. The greatest thing about his work is how effortless it comes across, even though this is some pretty unbelievable and complex guitar playing, not to mention highly melodic. He doesn't sound like a man in a hurry or with too much to worry about, despite some of the lyrical content and the oppressive nature of being black and living in Mississippi (or anywhere in the Western world for that matter) during this time, and Hurt never seemed quite as bleak as some of the other Delta greats. This, of course, does nothing to diminish his power, and this one definitely gets our seal of approval.

JONNYX AND THE GROADIES The Upheaval On Titan (JX:ATG) lp 12.98
It's been a while, and we've waited patiently, but finally, it's the triumphant return of JonnyX And The Groadies, longtime aQ faves, and really, how could they not be? Self christened as the world's only "party black metal" band, these guys lay down some seriously grim black riffage, some howling hellish vox, but all wrapped around programmed beats, swirling new wave synths, howled chaotic screamo, all wound into a baffling, brilliant chaotic black synth, punk wave whatthefuck. And if anything, in the last few years, these guys have gotten even better, and WEIRDER. We described them in a past review as "Drop Dead, Arcturus, Teen Cthulhu, The Locust, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Behead The Prophet No Lord Shall Live, and Cradle Of Filth all packed into a sweaty filthy Portland Basement, playing before some strange mix of metalheads, emo kids and the walking dead!", which still pretty much applies, but these days, the blackness is way more intense, the riffing epic and frenzied, the songs super convoluted and complex, slipping from thrashing pound to inhuman blast and back again, but somehow, the new wave-ness has been cranked up too, with songs slipping into warped stretches of pulsing electronic drums, squelchy fuzzy synths, and occasional face melting blackened psychedelic blowouts of frantic guitars, screaming synths and chaotic drummachine damage, and besides all that, the songs RULE, catchy as hell, super varied and twisted and confusingly over the top. If these guys weren't from Portland, and weren't called JonnyX And The Groadies, and if they weren't one of the most awesomely motley looking crews ever, the long haired burnout glam metaller, the bearded metal lumberjack, the Dr. Jeckyll mad scientist, and of course the skeleton suited voodoo axeman, then they'd probably be oft discussed by the grim troo black metal hordes, a few championing their fucked up far out avant blackness, but most decrying their sullying of the true black traditions, so it's probably better that they exist well outside the black metal world, where they're free to twist their own peculiar brand of warped synth driven grind punk undead party synth brutal blackness into something this far out and fucked up and totally genius.
Available both as a cassette and an lp, the lp version comes with a big full color poster.

JONNYX AND THE GROADIES The Upheaval On Titan (JX:ATG) cassette 5.98
It's been a while, and we've waited patiently, but finally, it's the triumphant return of JonnyX And The Groadies, longtime aQ faves, and really, how could they not be? Self christened as the world's only "party black metal" band, these guys lay down some seriously grim black riffage, some howling hellish vox, but all wrapped around programmed beats, swirling new wave synths, howled chaotic screamo, all wound into a baffling, brilliant chaotic black synth, punk wave whatthefuck. And if anything, in the last few years, these guys have gotten even better, and WEIRDER. We described them in a past review as "Drop Dead, Arcturus, Teen Cthulhu, The Locust, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Behead The Prophet No Lord Shall Live, and Cradle Of Filth all packed into a sweaty filthy Portland Basement, playing before some strange mix of metalheads, emo kids and the walking dead!", which still pretty much applies, but these days, the blackness is way more intense, the riffing epic and frenzied, the songs super convoluted and complex, slipping from thrashing pound to inhuman blast and back again, but somehow, the new wave-ness has been cranked up too, with songs slipping into warped stretches of pulsing electronic drums, squelchy fuzzy synths, and occasional face melting blackened psychedelic blowouts of frantic guitars, screaming synths and chaotic drummachine damage, and besides all that, the songs RULE, catchy as hell, super varied and twisted and confusingly over the top. If these guys weren't from Portland, and weren't called JonnyX And The Groadies, and if they weren't one of the most awesomely motley looking crews ever, the long haired burnout glam metaller, the bearded metal lumberjack, the Dr. Jeckyll mad scientist, and of course the skeleton suited voodoo axeman, then they'd probably be oft discussed by the grim troo black metal hordes, a few championing their fucked up far out avant blackness, but most decrying their sullying of the true black traditions, so it's probably better that they exist well outside the black metal world, where they're free to twist their own peculiar brand of warped synth driven grind punk undead party synth brutal blackness into something this far out and fucked up and totally genius.
Available both as a cassette and an lp, the lp version comes with a big full color poster.

KIRK, RAHSAAN ROLAND Left And Right (Atlantic) lp 14.98
One of our favorite records, from one of our favorite jazz LEGENDS, gets the deluxe 180 gram vinyl reissue treatment, and like always when it comes to Roland Kirk, before we can even talk about the record, we need to talk about THE MAN:
Roland Kirk is God! Or at least as much a god as Mingus, Sun Ra, Davis or Coltrane. So here's your chance to see what you've been missing. And what the majority of jazz fans can't get their narrow heads around: soulful, jazzy, funky, groovy, funny, soul shaking, gut busting, tear jerking brilliance from this musical genius. Master of every instrument he picked up (as well as a handful he invented!), able to play three horns at once (not as a gimmick, as a way to play three melodies), blind since birth and later suffering paralysis from a stroke, wandering around NYC with a huge wheeled staff with various horns duct-taped to it as well as a portable tape recorder that he used to record the sounds of the world and would sometime incorporate into live performances, a brilliant and funny orator, telling jokes and stories, ranting and testifying, preaching and proclaiming, and once even handing out cocaine to folks in the crowd. This man was remarkable. Musically, socially, personally. Unclear why he tends to get overlooked, and underappreciated by the majority of jazz fans. Too weird I guess. But I know that won't bother you (speaking here to YOU, the erudite AQ list subscriber)!!! So it's always a happy day, when some new Kirk gem is unearthed, or some classic Kirk record gets the re-release/remaster treatment...
Left And Right (from 1969) starts off with a bizarre intro for bouncy cinematic string section and a ranting Roland Kirk as well as sound effects (breaking glass etc...). The record stays pretty far out with "Expansions", the 20 minute, 9 part epic, sounding equal parts swinging sixties soundtrack, Morricone score, jazzy funereal dirge, and shrieking grandiose epic! The strings play a huge part on the rest of the record, fleshing out and gussying up some smooth dreamy, late night jazz workouts into gorgeous cinematic melancholia.
MPEG Stream: "Black Mystery Has Been Revealed"
MPEG Stream: "Expansions"

KIRK, RAHSAAN ROLAND Volunteered Slavery (Atlantic) lp 14.98
One of our favorite records, from one of our favorite jazz LEGENDS, gets the deluxe 180 gram vinyl reissue treatment, and like always when it comes to Roland Kirk, before we can even talk about the record, we need to talk about THE MAN:
Roland Kirk is God! Or at least as much a god as Mingus, Sun Ra, Davis or Coltrane. So here's your chance to see what you've been missing. And what the majority of jazz fans can't get their narrow heads around: soulful, jazzy, funky, groovy, funny, soul shaking, gut busting, tear jerking brilliance from this musical genius. Master of every instrument he picked up (as well as a handful he invented!), able to play three horns at once (not as a gimmick, as a way to play three melodies), blind since birth and later suffering paralysis from a stroke, wandering around NYC with a huge wheeled staff with various horns duct-taped to it as well as a portable tape recorder that he used to record the sounds of the world and would sometime incorporate into live performances, a brilliant and funny orator, telling jokes and stories, ranting and testifying, preaching and proclaiming, and once even handing out cocaine to folks in the crowd. This man was remarkable. Musically, socially, personally. Unclear why he tends to get overlooked, and underappreciated by the majority of jazz fans. Too weird I guess. But I know that won't bother you (speaking here to YOU, the erudite AQ list subscriber)!!! So it's always a happy day, when some new Kirk gem is unearthed, or some classic Kirk record gets the re-release/remaster treatment...
Originally released in 1969, Volunteered Slavery finds Kirk in a very soulful mood. The jazz here is only an afterthought, with these funk/soul/gospel numbers heavy on the horns, the testifying and the party/dance vibe!! Covers of '"I Say a Little Prayer" (a Kirk staple) and an awesome version of Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour" complete with Kirk's over the top Biz Markie style vocals!! The second half was recorded live at the Newport Jazz Festival and features some smoking versions of "One Ton", "Three For The Festival", and a Coltrane melody, all interspersed with Kirk's insanely inspired introductions and some of the wildest, most intense flute playing EVER!
MPEG Stream: "Volunteered Slavery"
MPEG Stream: "Spirits Up Above"
MPEG Stream: "My Cherie Amour"

LA VAMPIRES MEETS ZOLA JESUS s/t (Not Not Fun) lp 14.98
Rumor has it that Nika Danilova will be moving to Los Angeles upon completing her studies in Madison, WI. Perhaps a precursor to things to come for Zola Jesus when she does land in SoCal is this 12" with Nika laying swoonsome goth vocals upon slow-motion codeine-dub tracks provided by Amanda Brown (here in the guise of LA Vampires, but perhaps better known as half of Pocahaunted.) Much like the last few Pocahaunted records with their ghetto-tech downer dub, casting an evil eye on any sunshine vibes, Brown's production comes across like a lo-fi, home-built Scorn with basslines that sulk and stalk from the nastiest of noir alleyways and beats that could be lifted straight from a Chopped & Screwed remix. It's well suited to what Zola Jesus has delivered on her earlier constructions of equally lo-tech industrialisms; and her voice as always is frigid, strong, and operatic. Many of the songs clock in at less than 3 minutes, which is pretty much just right for these looping skeletal tracks. The seven track ep ends with an incredible cover of Dawn Penn's "No No No" taking the already zombified rocksteady ballad to a narcotic, love-sick zenith (or nadir, depending on how you look at it) of woozy, chemically zonked dirge-n-dub.

LIFELOVER Dekadens (Osmose) cd ep 10.98
Latest from Swedish blackened doom pop weirdos Lifelover, which we have been trying to get for a while, and it's a doozy, melding the twisted demented depressive black metal strangeness of their early records, with the more streamlined, lush heaviness of their most recent recordings, resulting in what might be their most full realized release yet.
Featuring members of Ondskapt, Hypothermia, Dimhymn and IXXI, one could be forgiven for expecting something much more grim and black, hateful and harrowing, but instead, the band have been moving more toward a sound much more akin to groups like Katatonia, epic, lush, depressive doom pop, the guitars and drums massive, the melodies melancholy and mournful, but with the unhinged maniacal vocals that defined the first few records. Live videos display the group's incredible (and incredibly bloody) stage presence, with the vocalist, wearing a white long sleeve dress shirt, and doing some strange herky jerky dances, but within a few songs, things get decidedly darker, that white shirt soaked through with blood, the band locked into a frenzied fierce assault, but STILL, the music manages to be lush and sprawling and epic and weirdly impossibly poppy. Not sure why it works, or even how, but Lifelover are not only master showmen, but masters of crafting off kilter blackened pop. And Dekadens is most definitely testament to that. Not nearly as weird or experimental as past records, the first four tracks are a practically flawless explosion of the sound these guys have seemed to master, the production loud and lush, the riffing incredible, the drums not blasting, but pounding, the vocals a shrieking caterwaul, all wound into some incredible heavy pop music, still with hints of blackness, some double kick drumming, chugging guitars, those vocals, but however much of that there is, this still is ultimately pop music.
The second half of the record, things get a bit weirder; "Androider" almost sounds like some sort of alien modern rock, if it weren't for those unhinged vocals, it's not hard to imagine a song like this ending up on MTV, with some woozy clean guitar breaks, a soaring chorus, and some clean crooning vox, eventually slipping into a gorgeous minor key lament. "Visomdsord" is all clean guitar and skeletal drumming, soaring melancholy melodies, weirdly processed spoken vocals, gloomy Joy Divisiony basslines, and a second half that gets more and more dreamy and abstract. And then finally "Destination: Ingenstans" has possibly the poppiest main riff of the bunch, total sugary sweet, still distorted and crunchy, but majestic and major key, before a brief hushed drifty interlude, and then a burst of mathy proggy blackened heaviness, maybe the heaviest thing on the record, before the song chills out again, returning to something much more meditative, clean guitars, jangly and shimmery, the only vestige of blackened weirdness, a still tortured hellish howl, creating something at once dreamlike and melodic, haunting and harrowing.
So goddamn good. Lifelover are probably one of the most original 'black metal' bands around. And one of our favorites, and it's hard for us to imagine anyone listening to Dekadens not agreeing wholeheartedly...
MPEG Stream: "Luguber Framtid"
MPEG Stream: "Myspys"
MPEG Stream: "Androider"
MPEG Stream: "Destination: Ingenstans"

LO BORGES s/t (Water) cd 15.98
We first heard Lo Borges as singer and songwriter on the mighty Clube Da Esquina, Milton Nascimento's 1972 epic double record, we listed awhile back. That record has been a consistently steady seller since we listed it, and with good reason, it's incredible! But while Nascimento and Borges actually collaborated together on much of it, it's mostly regarded as a Nascimento record. So it's great to see Lo Borge's self titled debut solo album from the same year finally reissued by the Water label, to shine a much deserved spotlight on this underrated artist. And we have to say, it's equally as incredible and essential as Clube De Esquina, Eduardo Mateo's Mateo Solo Bien Se Lame, Caetano Veloso's Transa, or Gilberto Gil's Cerebro Electronico! With a nod to the cover art, those are big shoes indeed!
Recorded when he was just entering his twenties, the scope of artistry on display seems to be by someone so much more experienced. Not only is Borges at the top of his game as a singer and songwriter, but the arrangements and musicianship are just as dazzling. Most of the songs barely squeak over the two minute mark, but he packs so many ideas into a song without losing its central focus and at the same time giving everything lots of space. Here and there a string section drops in and out, a flurry of baroque piano, soaring flutes, a jazzy organ swell, searing electric guitar, hints of electronic psychedelic washes. At times romantic and mysterious, other times more urgent with rhythms picking up and slowing down in tempo to evoke a wide range of emotive qualities. This is a record we'll probably be playing all summer long. We can't recommend it enough!
MPEG Stream: "Voce Fica Melhor Assim"
MPEG Stream: "Como O Machado"
MPEG Stream: "Nao Se Apague Esta Noite"
MPEG Stream: "Aos Baroes"

LYNCH, JULIAN Mare (Olde English Spelling Bee) lp 17.98
Full length number two from Lynch, the latest super hyped phenom in the ever expanding world of warped and warbly, garage pop, and for good reason, after having been a sideman for tropical folk bliss outfit Ducktails, Lynch has really come into his own as quite a crafter of dreamy lysergic folk pop, slippery woozy acoustic guitars drifting through starry fields of undulating shimmer, his sound both stripped down and spare, lush and lysergic, trafficking in similar sounds as Ariel Pink, Gary War, John Maus, a sort of retro pop re-envisioned, but Lynch doesn't douse everything in reverb, or wrap sounds in damaged FM radio detritus, instead he weaves intimate hushed pop songs, lacing them with subtle psychedelia, abstract spaceiness, his vocals a soft falsetto, drifting over minimal muted drumming, folky acoustic guitar strum, buried wah guitar warble, dreamy druggy laid back basslines, fluttering flutes, tinkling chimes, twisted fuzzy synths, the vibe abstract and ramshackle, a bit dubby here and there, a little new wave-y in places, but for the most part, Lynch weaves lush little stretches of hazy dreamy folk pop, his vocals ethereal and angelic, making everything sound wistful and heartfelt.
There is at least one moment of rambunctious rocking: "Ears" features big drums, some tangled incendiary psych rock leads, some freaked out damaged squalls of guitar noise, but even then, it's super melodic and poppy. Just a subtle variation in the sweetly serene folky fabric of the rest of Mare. Which keeps it from sounding like just another in the seemingly endless stream of homebrewed bedroom garage pop records, and transforms it into something much more timeless and classic sounding, a sort of sweetly twisted modern folk flecked soft rock, so good!
Comes with an mp3 download card as well...

M.I.A. Maya (331 / XL) cd 12.98
For all that's made of M.I.A.'s politics and persona, it's important not to forget that what makes her music so fucking special is how it taps into such a purely physical sensation. Her last album Kala was an absolute game changer. The kind of record that reshaped everything around it. You could almost use her name as a genre, as so many folks were inspired by it and after her debut, we began hearing so many people try their hand at the M.I.A. sound. From Santogold, Gang Gang Dance, Rainbow Arabia, Rye Rye, Bonde Do Role, Thunderheist, Buraka Som Sistema, and on and on. Her influence crossed so many cultural lines and on so many fronts, not just her sound but also her fashion, imagery and overall aesthetic. And it's easy to see why, there is something so dynamic, urgent, spirited and alive about what M.I.A. is doing.
It's so hard to follow up a record that was as close to perfect as we think an album can be, but god damn she has found a way to maybe do it. Maya blasts right out of the gate and makes it clear its going to be an uncompromising, visceral and frenetic ride. With great collaborating producers like Diplo, Switch and Blaqstarr back on board as well as bringing in dubstep sensation Rusko as well as Sleigh Bells guitar shredder Derek E. Miller. But much like Bjork, M.I.A. is a master of curating and surrounding herself with super talented producers and players, yet taking all the pieces of those elements and crafting them into something much bigger and more fully realized. The record is paced so perfectly, after an onslaught of charged, dirty and sweaty tracks she offers fresh breaths through some catchier pop minded jams and then its right back into the line of fire. Maya, is both the most angry and tender of the albums she is made so far. Because while its filled with so many unrelenting politically fueled anthems it also finds M.I.A. singing about the courage of falling in love and getting weighed down by gravity, which shows us the range she is capable of and will continue to explore.
It seems certain folks love to build people up only to knock them down. In recent months M.I.A was torn to pieces in a tacky/petty feature in the New York Times and many of the same blogs and online music critic establishments who championed her in the first place, and who are now taking cheap shots at her, personally and musically. But all that is meaningless. Truth is, M.I.A. continues to be an absolute force of nature. Creating music that really can and does unite so many different kinds of people and makes you sweat in ways that feels empowering and full of purpose. She has taken the spirit of punk, hip-hop and dance music to make a sound that is so singular and spectacular. Maya is another striking achievement from one of the most important, outspoken and brave artists of our generation.
MPEG Stream: "Born Free"
MPEG Stream: "Steppin Up"
MPEG Stream: "Lovalot"
MPEG Stream: "It Takes A Muscle"

M.I.A. Maya (331 / XL) 2lp 19.98
For all that's made of M.I.A.'s politics and persona, it's important not to forget that what makes her music so fucking special is how it taps into such a purely physical sensation. Her last album Kala was an absolute game changer. The kind of record that reshaped everything around it. You could almost use her name as a genre, as so many folks were inspired by it and after her debut, we began hearing so many people try their hand at the M.I.A. sound. From Santogold, Gang Gang Dance, Rainbow Arabia, Rye Rye, Bonde Do Role, Thunderheist, Buraka Som Sistema, and on and on. Her influence crossed so many cultural lines and on so many fronts, not just her sound but also her fashion, imagery and overall aesthetic. And it's easy to see why, there is something so dynamic, urgent, spirited and alive about what M.I.A. is doing.
It's so hard to follow up a record that was as close to perfect as we think an album can be, but god damn she has found a way to maybe do it. Maya blasts right out of the gate and makes it clear its going to be an uncompromising, visceral and frenetic ride. With great collaborating producers like Diplo, Switch and Blaqstarr back on board as well as bringing in dubstep sensation Rusko as well as Sleigh Bells guitar shredder Derek E. Miller. But much like Bjork, M.I.A. is a master of curating and surrounding herself with super talented producers and players, yet taking all the pieces of those elements and crafting them into something much bigger and more fully realized. The record is paced so perfectly, after an onslaught of charged, dirty and sweaty tracks she offers fresh breaths through some catchier pop minded jams and then its right back into the line of fire. Maya, is both the most angry and tender of the albums she is made so far. Because while its filled with so many unrelenting politically fueled anthems it also finds M.I.A. singing about the courage of falling in love and getting weighed down by gravity, which shows us the range she is capable of and will continue to explore.
It seems certain folks love to build people up only to knock them down. In recent months M.I.A was torn to pieces in a tacky/petty feature in the New York Times and many of the same blogs and online music critic establishments who championed her in the first place, and who are now taking cheap shots at her, personally and musically. But all that is meaningless. Truth is, M.I.A. continues to be an absolute force of nature. Creating music that really can and does unite so many different kinds of people and makes you sweat in ways that feels empowering and full of purpose. She has taken the spirit of punk, hip-hop and dance music to make a sound that is so singular and spectacular. Maya is another striking achievement from one of the most important, outspoken and brave artists of our generation.
MPEG Stream: "Born Free"
MPEG Stream: "Steppin Up"
MPEG Stream: "Lovalot"
MPEG Stream: "It Takes A Muscle"

MALEFICIA Beltane (self released) cd-r 3.98
An excellent bit of black noise and somber ambience found here! Maleficia is the East Bay duo of A.C. Way and Ilysea Simpson, who craft spectral noises from a small arsenal of junked electronics accompanying voice and violin. The band's name is defined as the curse that witches were thought to inflict upon people or farm animals as acts of revenge through their pacts with the dark forces, and the album's title alludes to the mid-summer Celtic festival whose ancillary is the more well-known Samhain. As one might imagine, a rather ghostly veil of shadow and Iron Age mysticism abound in the work of this Maleficia. Out of an initial fug of gravel-throated noise which decays into an overarching atmosphere of nocturnal desolation, the two interlace a series of loops from those aforementioned instruments which come together as an arc which moves from the misanthropic electronics of early Maurizio Bianchi toward the hallowed collages of Current 93 by way of Phillip Jeck. Easily the best material that Maleficia have set to recorded media to date, but alas this clocks in at a brief 16 minutes.
MPEG Stream: "Beltane"

MANTLES, THE Pink Information (Mexican Summer) 12" 26.00
Latest from the Mexican Summer label, in their ongoing campaign to seemingly release at least one record by every one of the coolest bands around these days, which has been a pretty serious success so far (barring the always inordinately OUCH-worthy Mexican Summer pricetag), and continues to be, with this, a brand new ep from SF power pop drone rockers The Mantles, who with the opening track, "Cascades", a brief two minute blast of some seriously perfect pop, render the aforementioned pricetag a non issue, cuz, you NEED this track, and if there was ever a $26 jam, this is it. Easy, the shortest, sharpest, catchiest track the Mantles have produced, it's still got some of that Velvet Underground swagger, but it's doused in power pop perfection, a crazy killer main melody, some sweet "ooooooh" background vocals, propulsive drumming, all wrapped in a dreamy haze, we'd be surprised if you didn't find yourself playing that one track over and over and over. But once you've got that out of your system, you can dig a bit deeper, the very Wipers sounding "Situations", all dour and minor key, the sun dappled hypnorock of "Lily Never Married, sounding a bit like a slightly more upbeat Spacemen 3, "Summer Read" all fuzzy and retro, with another cool tangly guitar melody, the sound crunchy and raw and urgent, a little Swell Maps, and still a lots Velvets, and finally, "Waiting Out The Storm", a brooding dirgey slowpop gem, all minimal drumming, and super distorted low slung riffage, laconic vocals, laid back and woozy and druggy, think Loop or Spacemen 3 again, but even slower and more washed out and lysergic, the sort of jam that live could get stretched out forEVER... Rad stuff. Way recommended. But remember, it's on Mexican Summer, so it's limited and odds are it will be gone in a flash...

MIRAH Don't / The Tears That Fall (Mississippi) 7" 5.98
**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT**
Taking a break from obscure reissues, lost world music artifacts, and unearthed country and folk and blues treasures, Mississippi looks to long time aQ fave Mirah for a brief two song blast of fuzzy, horn flecked reverby sixties girl group sounds. Yep, not what we usually expect from Mirah, but we're loving it. The first clue is the cover photo, which features Mirah in fishnets and knee high boots on an old motorcycle in a grafitti'd alley, and once inside, that's exactly what it sounds like, warm washed out old school 'Leader Of The Pack' style jangle and croon, shuffling rhythms, loads of delay and reverb, soulful horns, plenty of back ground "oooooh's and 'aaaaah's, total Lesley Gore, Supremes worship.
The flipside is another soulful groover, this one more sultry, a woozy sexy after hours sixties soul ballad, Mirah's voice lush and smoky, the horns warm and languid, all wrapped around an irresistible main melody, at once total old school, but somehow re-envisioned as a modern bit of retro garage groove, so good.

MOIRA SCAR Slink to Intensity (self-released) cd 9.98
Do you like your rock 'n' roll a little, um, weird? Moira Scar, the catchily jarring new project from Roxy and LuLu of Floating Corpses infamy, touch all the right nerves with their first self-titled release. The opening number, "Salley Meander", sounds like The Crystal Stilts if Brad Hargett sang in falsetto. "You Make Me Scream" channels The Cramps pretty heavily and is complimented by some free-floating psychedelic synths and horns. "Blood Moon" finishes off the first side nicely with more horns, a cacophony of horns, in fact, one that brings to mind the jazzier moments of The Nation of Ulysses or Veronica Lipgloss and the Evil Eyes. By far the best track on the record, "Gnu Groove (Wildebeest Wiggle)", opens up the second side. Roxy's vocals flow from falsetto to baritone to passionate screaming all within about ten seconds, riding the wave of jangly guitars and a simple but effective drum beat. Not to mention the awesomely anticlimactic guitar solo..... This record, clocking in at just under 23 minutes, will have you flipping back to side A just after side B spins to a close. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Salley Meander"
MPEG Stream: "Blood Moon"
MPEG Stream: "Gnu Groove (wildebeest wiggle)"

MOIRA SCAR Slink to Intensity (self-released) lp 13.98
Do you like your rock 'n' roll a little, um, weird? Moira Scar, the catchily jarring new project from Roxy and LuLu of Floating Corpses infamy, touch all the right nerves with their first self-titled release. The opening number, "Salley Meander", sounds like The Crystal Stilts if Brad Hargett sang in falsetto. "You Make Me Scream" channels The Cramps pretty heavily and is complimented by some free-floating psychedelic synths and horns. "Blood Moon" finishes off the first side nicely with more horns, a cacophony of horns, in fact, one that brings to mind the jazzier moments of The Nation of Ulysses or Veronica Lipgloss and the Evil Eyes. By far the best track on the record, "Gnu Groove (Wildebeest Wiggle)", opens up the second side. Roxy's vocals flow from falsetto to baritone to passionate screaming all within about ten seconds, riding the wave of jangly guitars and a simple but effective drum beat. Not to mention the awesomely anticlimactic guitar solo..... This record, clocking in at just under 23 minutes, will have you flipping back to side A just after side B spins to a close. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Salley Meander"
MPEG Stream: "Blood Moon"
MPEG Stream: "Gnu Groove (wildebeest wiggle)"

NADJA Autopergamene (Essence Music) box 75.00
A brand new full length from our favorite doom-drone / doom-gaze duo, Nadja, and it's on one of our favorite labels too, Brazil's Essence Music, who in the past have brought us incredible releases from Acid Mothers Temple, Henrik Nordvargr Bjorkk, Boris, Merzbow, and Rapoon. But this is not the regular release. We are honored to be the only place in the world, other than the label itself, to be selling the super limited, deluxe, handmade boxset version, limited to just 149 copies, already completely sold out, except for a handful saved just for us, and for you. These are pricey, but they are incredible, gorgeously and lovingly assembled, with TONS of extra stuff, and there are less than 10 copies left, so get one before they're gone. More on the record proper in a second, but we figured we'd best explain what all comes in the box, in fact first there's the box itself, hand painted and decorated using several techniques, collaged, stitched and an intricate ink layering painting process. The box is gorgeous, but inside, you'll find the standard edition of the album, lavishly assembled in a custom 6-panel digisleeve housing a set of 6 cards set with beautiful watercolor paintings and artwork by Portuguese artist L. Filipe dos Santos. PLUS, as a bonus, an alternative DOUBLE cd-r set comprising the album (same version/mastering) and a DTS 5.1 version of it - this one mastered/mixed by Anders Peterson and including an exclusive remix - housed in a 6-panel package with a striking and utterly different artwork by Iremir Oscar and Essence head honcho Uirajara Resende PLUS an inedit live recording from earlier this year, also on cd-r. That's FOUR discs instead of just the one. PLUS, honoring the album's theme - skin and blood - there's also an individually painted and hand-assembled 16-page book - each page is totally unique - and strange souvenirs, like a pen-like object and a large painted band that holds the whole set together.
WOW. Like we said, there are less than 10 of these left, we are taking PRE-ORDERS for these, they are NOT in stock, once we know how many we need, we'll order them from Brazil and should have them within a week to 10 days. So if you order this with other stuff, your order will ship minus the Nadja box, which will ship by itself, or if you are a regular mailorder customer, probably in your next order, but you will be charged for it NOW, if you want one don't dawdle.
And if you are a Nadja fan, you're definitely gonna want one of these, sure all Nadja records are pretty great, but this one is incredible, an hour long three part epic, the heaviest, most lush and orchestral and intense record we've heard from these two yet. The opening track, clocking in at 25 minutes, begins as a hushed bit of dreamy drift, all gauzy and washed out and shimmery, layered melodies, shifting and swirling and so lovely, very Pop Ambient in fact, until about 12 minutes in, when the drums kick in, the guitars explode, but it doesn't simply get heavier, or louder, it sounds orchestral, huge moaning melodies, what sounds like strings or horns, epic and kaleidoscopic, the sound living and breathing, prismatic and totally warm and glowing, a heaving chunk of blissed out dreamlike heaviness.
The second movement is more traditionally heavy, a chugging churning slab of lumbering doom, the pounding drum machine and buzzing riffs, wreathed in a swirling cloud of hiss and buzz and Technicolor effulgence, a sort of incendiary Godflesh style industrial crunch, with buried howled vocals, and constantly shifting patina of glitched out effects and electronic buzz, which gives away to the 26 minute closer, beginning with super spare acoustic guitars, which drift into a shimmering field of prismatic glimmer, eventually exploding into another slab of blown out orchestral epic dream doom, totally majestic, and almost choral sounding, wrapped in sheets of staticky buzz, the sound getting more and more fierce and intense and threatening to blow your speakers, total chaos and catharsis, blissful but ultra intense, finally, relenting, and leaving gorgeous sonic vapor trails, laced with buried boy girl vox, a dreamy understated coda, to a seriously epic bit of orchestral buzz drenched bliss. So great.
We WILL have the standard version, keep your eyes peeled for it on a future list, or ask us to reserve you one, but those of you who want the QUADRUPLE DISC HANDMADE DELUXE BOXSET, now's the time...
MPEG Stream: "You Write Your Name In My Skin"
MPEG Stream: "You Write Your Name In Your Blood"

NADJA + OVO The Life And Death Of A Wasp (Bar La Muerte / Broken Spine) cd 10.98
Ever wonder what it would sound like if Yoko Ono joined doomdrone duo Nadja? No? Well, we're guessing it would sound a little like this collaboration between Canadian doomgaze two piece Nadja and Italian chaotic weirdo avant punk duo OvO. The overall sound here seems to fall more toward the Nadja end of the sonic spectrum, but OvO definitely add their own twisted vibe, the result something dark, and creepy, and abstract, and occasionally very heavy and very fucked up and awesome. Separated into four movements and based on some strange concept about killing a wasp in a cup of coffee, the record begins with some loping heavy slowcore, big drums, lush clean guitar chords, and all sorts of swirling weirdness, detuned melodies, harmonics, strange FX, long stretches of ambience, buried guttural vocals, streaks of feedback, it's not until nearly the end when OvO vocalist Stefania lets loose, with her childlike Ono-ish trill, operatic and creepy as hell, sometimes slipping into a monstrous gurgle, but just as often wailing like a banshee, while the music churns underneath. Can't help but be reminded of Bloody Panda too, the same sort of weird vocal / heaviness hybrid.
The second and third movements are shorter, and continue on in the same vein as the opener, with loping post rock rhythms, swirling blackened ambience, haunting chiming melodies, thick guitar thrum, more FX, Stefania's vocals never quite getting to the maniacal shriek stage, instead, slipping from hushed whisper, to almost black metal rasp, to cookie monster gurgle, the vibe almost Goblin-ish, heavy and dark, but cinematic and really creepy, the third movement the heaviest so far, a lurching doom, trudging grimly beneath wild drumming, and even wilder vocals, until finally, the 13 minute denouement, the final movement, which begins like some horror movie soundtrack, all fragmented melancholy melody, and deep heaving low end, droney and so ominous, gradually building to a strange industrial style drone-plod, which eventually explodes into something primal and tribal, pounding drums, those trilled super dramatic vox, an intense cathartic climax, which eases back into that ominous drift, this time with the vocals in full effect, the result, dark, bizarre, intense and fantastically out there!
MPEG Stream: "Movement 1: A Wasp Flying Around The Sugar Jar"
MPEG Stream: "Movement 4: Drowned In Coffee"

ONDSKAPT Arisen From The Ashes (Osmose Productions) cd 16.98
The return of Swedish black metal masters, Ondskapt , who alongside blackened brethren like Funeral Mist, Deathspell Omega, Watain and the like, keep the black fire burning, but unlike the weirdly melodic classic metal of Watain, or the gnarled and twisted blackness of Funeral Mist and DSO, Ondskapt are something much more raw and primeval, primitive and TROO, their sound still hewing closely to the classic BM sound, the buzz and the blast, the howled monstrous bellow, the epic riffage, the frantic frenzied brutality, but where Ondskapt truly shine, is in their ability to conjure up atmosphere, to create a sound that evokes horror and misery and grim blackness, sure the riffs slay, and the band is brutal and punishing, but their sound oozes with a black spirit, an abject hopelessness that black metal is meant to embody, and that ambience, while not always overt and obvious, finds its way into every note, and every riff, the sound becomes more than black metal, it becomes blackness ITSELF, the buzz and blast just a mechanism for delivering that true grim blackness.
The tracks here are epic and intense, veering from relentless blasting black metal buzz, to woozy lumbering doom, to pounding midtempo dirge, the riffs are epic and melodic, the melodies majestic and soaring, the drums powerful and crushing, the vocals hellish, but again, it's less what the various elements are doing, and more HOW, it's like these sounds are some sort of conjuration, a grim black ritual, moaned clean vocals, spiraling warped Burzumic buzz, depressive melodies and intense sorrowful ambience, all woven into a more traditional black metal framework, the sum a magical and mystical sonic spell that imbues the sound with an atmosphere of utter dread and black grimnity, and makes Ondskapt blackened high priests of black dread and demonic sonic evocation, and Arisen From The Ashes is their gospel.
MPEG Stream: "Ominous Worship Of The Divine"
MPEG Stream: "A Graveyard Night"

ONNA Katawa (PSF) cd 16.98
Man, it took a while - a REALLY long while - but we finally got enough of these suckers to list. By now, many of you are familiar with Japan's amazing Onna, whose self-titled anthology on Holy Mountain turned many a head not all that long ago (we made it Record Of The Week). Though they first emerged in the early 1980s, the band was clearly carrying on a psychedelic tradition in the vein of many of their countrymen from the previous decade. But even calling Onna a "Japanese psych" band doesn't describe just how strange and awesome this band is. Katawa was released in 2007, and though the sound is drastically different from the band's catchy first single, this is still clearly Onna, which always operated under the leadership of guitarist/singer Keizo Miyanishi. The same unsettling themes still seem to be present - the cover here being quite similar to the anthology but not so grotesque this time around - with the hallucinatory lyrics printed in both Japanese and English... so if you were wondering what Onna might be singing about, wonder no more. The lyrics work perfectly for these songs, pained and sexually deviant laments performed with just acoustic guitars, voice, and lots of feedback. The results are creepy, poetic, and just plain weird at times, tending to focus on lost love, nightmarish delusions, and a general sense of hopelessness.
Opener "Salamadra Salamander (The Three Sisters)", which you might remember from the comp, is 13 minutes of rhythmically strummed acoustic guitar and wandering vocals with a dose of electric feedback shrieking above in the atmosphere. Mournful as hell and spacious sounding, it is also murky and ultra depressive, droning on in a sort of Jandek way with lyrics focusing on, um, the narrator's three penises... Damn. The total weirdness here could have come from any time within the last 45 years or so, but it also stands as a definite legacy of Les Rallizes Denudes, especially in the vocal department, as Miyanishi shifts from low moans to high pitched wails. "The Prophet (After Pushkin)", which sounds like it may have been recorded in a live setting, features a discordant acoustic guitar strummed with a heavy hand and bursts of controlled feedback that surface and recede like an earsplitting sonic wave. The song is sort of sour sounding, but also kind of pretty in its own miserable way, with lines like, "Tormented, I stumbled through a gloomy waste". With a super atonal and out of tune guitar adding a sparse, strangely piano-like sound, "Estelle's Making Herself Up" comes off like a Japanese version of the blues that gives a nice glimpse into someone's sad, demented soul. You almost feel like you're spying on Miyanishi as the sounds of a chair shifting gives things a strangely intimate feel. The mood so far is shaken up a bit on the next number, "Silver Dove", with upbeat, folky strumming and lyrics that seem a little more hopeful, but still reeeally fucking weird. "Morning Blues (Moaning Song)", sounds a bit like '60s proto-punks Godz on a bummer before the album closes with "Bamboo Otoko," where a scarlet beast comes around and crushes Miyanishi's balls. So, by now you should probably know whether or not this one's for you. Hardly the easiest stuff to digest, but patience yields some amazing results for the adventurous listener. Nice gatefold mini-lp style sleeve.
MPEG Stream: "Salamandra Salamander (The Three Sisters)"
MPEG Stream: "Silver Dove"
MPEG Stream: "Bamboo Otoko"

OPHIBRE Phase Plane Cake Decorator (Songs From Under The Floorboards / Intransitive) cd-r 13.98
Boston's Ophibre (aka Benjamin Rossingol) has been releasing tiny editions of cassettes, cd-rs, and at least one reel-to-reel tape for the past five or six years. His work often revels in forgotten / obsolete technologies whose artifacts and residues become the source material for his crusty drones, abraded noise, and splattered musique concrete constructions; he couples those sounds with a dry blackhumor that falls somewhere between GX Jupitter-Larsen and George Macunias. This album, released on Intransitive's new series of hyper-limited cd-rs, draws from Rossignol's experience with an MRI machine while he was participating in a few medical studies to help pay the bills. As the giant powerful magnetic spun around him, Rossignol found himself hearing a complementary series of harmonic tones that didn't appear to be originating form the MRI. He wasn't sure if those sounds were hallucinatory or if they were some peculiar acoustic phenomenon that he had discovered. Here, he's attempting to replicate that experience through configurations of controlled feedback, synth overdrive, and dead-eyed noise. The first track is a screeching rasp of magnetic noise, particle accelerated vibration, and hurricane fury, that's well-suited to the likes of Birchville Cat Motel and Hototogisu; but after this 15 minute blast of noise, Ophibre's sublime, yet gritty dronescaping takes over with mirrored tones and hazy echoes that appear like the tracers from a bad drug reaction, flickering upon his murky immersions. All things that we dig in our dronemusik! Limited to 100 copies.
MPEG Stream: "Phase Plane Cake Decorator "
MPEG Stream: "Blue Starter"
MPEG Stream: ""I Thought You Would Never Ask..." "

ORAM, DAPHNE Oramics (Young Americans) 4lp 50.00
This long time aQ fave, now available on vinyl, as a super deluxe 4lp set!! Especially nice since the previous double cd edition is long gone.
Wow, What a nice and welcome surprise for early electronic music fans! This anthology is the first re-issued work from one of the most important and unsung heroes of electronic music, Daphne Oram, co-founder of the BBC Radiophonic workshop. Beginning her career in the forties with the BBC as a "music balancer" (an arduous task of syncing recorded taped music with a live performance feed so that broadcasts would remain uninterrupted in case of war-time blackouts), Oram spent most of her nights fascinated with synthetic sounds and experimenting with oscillators and tape machines, as well as composing unperformed orchestral works and sound pieces for film and play commissions. Promoted to music studio manager, she campaigned for the BBC to provide electronic music facilities for composing music and sound effects using electronic music and musique concrete techniques for use in its programming which led to the founding of the Radiophonic workshop in early 1958. However, her desires to compose music and further her studies and development of synthetic music theory, caused her to leave the BBC a year later. Working off two grants from the Gulbenkian foundation in the 1960's, and supplementing her income through advertising work, she developed her most unique contribution, the Oramics composition machine and the drawn sound technique, an elaborate mechanism that allowed her to create pure sound through the transcription of drawn lines. For being the first woman to direct an electronic music studio as well as the first woman to design and construct an electronic music instrument, her legacy remains largely unnoticed in this male-dominated field. She lectured extensively and wrote one of the most philosophical books on electronic music, called An Individual Note of Music, continuing her developments with early Apple computers until a series of two strokes forced her to retire. She died in 2003. Culled from an extensive archive of compositional pieces, film and play commissions, early sound experiments with the Oramics machine, and advertising jingles, this anthology covers material from the late fifties to the early seventies. Fans of Delia Derbyshire, Raymond Scott and early electronic music enthusiasts of all sorts will find lots to love here. Highly Recommended!!!!
MPEG Stream: "Birds Of Parallax"
MPEG Stream: "Lego Builds It"
MPEG Stream: "Snow"
MPEG Stream: "Fanfare Of Graphs"

ORCHESTRA REGIONAL DE MOPTI The Best Of The First Biennale Of Arts And Culture For The Young (1970) (Mississippi) lp 13.98
**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT**
Another fantastic African artifact, this one, the first in a six part series, and as the title suggests, these tracks were recorded in 1970 as part of the First Biennale Of Arts And Culture For The Young. Orchestra Regional De Mopti, was a state funded group, who performed nationwide, in festivals and competitions, their sound incredible, lush and celebratory, looped guitar figures, fluttering flutes, lots of horns, wild drumming, call and response vocals, the music infused with emotion and passion, the sound trancelike, droning and hypnotic, many of the songs lock into super mesmeric grooves, the guitars tangled and gorgeously gnarled, minor key and slightly melancholy, but simultaneously exuberant and effusive, the vocals skipping wildly over the darkly meditative music underneath, while those songs are dark and dour, unwinding and unfurling like lost ballads, others are upbeat and bouncy, danceable even. The band really are incredible, it's hard to pick out just one element, the guitars slip from wild and spidery, to jangly and major key, to woozy and understated, the horn section almost sounds like a marching band, but their playing is so soulful, funky and groovy, and the vocals, slipping from chantlike murmur to mysterious hushed croon, to wild and nimble tongue twisting wail, these sounds, and these musicians are just beautiful and moving and so passionate. Definitely one of our new Mississippi faves, and already dying to hear more. Anyone into Ethiopiques, Sublime Frequencies and the like will dig this big time!

ORGANUM Valentin (Equation) 7" 14.98
We've long championed the works of David Jackman's Organum, a long running drone project, whose modern take on classic minimalism, a gorgeous assemblage of bowed metals and collaged layered dronescapes, has managed to far surpass any of his/their contemporaries in terms of quality, originality, and sheer vision.
While most of the Organum records do in fact share sonic similarities, each one is most definitely its own sonic universe, a fantastic(al) piece of musical art, that manages to soothe and entrance, yet still challenge and engage, as is the case with Valentin, the first Organum vinyl release in 7 years, a single track spread out over two sides of a 7", at 45 rpm of course, so like past Organum 7"s, this is about quality more than quantity, a bit pricey perhaps for just a brief glimpse into Jackman's unique soundworld, but as always well worth it.
Valentin begins with a whir of what sounds like rainfall, a soft sheen of hushed white noise, punctuated by the occasional piano chord, minor key, ringing out mysteriously, soon joined by the clatter of crashing metals and shattering glass, those sounds are spaced out, letting that swirling hissing ambience drift and hover, before voices surface, a choir, a lovely chorale buried in the blurred background. There are some rumbling scrapes, some distant creaks, and while the sound seems to evolve over the course of the two sides, it also sounds looped, cyclical and mesmeric, the various sounds, recurring, perhaps subtly altered each time, perhaps not, the result though, how ever brief, is a gorgeous sprawl of haunting, elegiac, abstract minimalism. So fantastic.
LIMITED TO 233 COPIES, pressed on ultra thick vinyl, housed in a heavy matte picture sleeve, with a printed cardstock insert, each one hand numbered.

POOLE, CHARLIE I'm The Man That Rode The Mule 'Round The World (Monk) lp 22.00
Monk whips up another amazing collection of songs from the great Charlie Poole, and like the last one, Husband And Wife Were Angry One Night, this showcases Poole's clear tenor voice and rhythmic fingerpicked banjo playing in all their glory. Captured between 1925-1930 for Columbia Records, many of these songs come from the traditional American songbook and also feature Poole's North Carolina Ramblers bandmates. What we have hear are the beginnings of country and bluegrass as they would come to be known, essential listening for anyone with an interest in the roots of American music.

PULSE EMITTER Meditative Music 4 (Synthnoise) cd-r 5.98
The fourth in Pulse Emitter's series of Meditative Music cd-r's, and like the first three, another hour long expanse of warm liquid synthmusic, designed, according to Mr. Pulse Emitter himself, Daryl Groetsch, as the perfect music for "sleep, massage, or deep reflective thought" or as an album ideal for "sleep, massage, or any activity where a peaceful and balanced sound environment is desired." Which this most definitely is, minimal, spacious, spare, abstract and ambient, lush and hushed, softly pulsing synth swells drift in and fade out, leaving lots and lots of space, eventually, the various swells overlap and are layered into blurred stretches of barely there melody, the notes stretched out into long blurred streaks of chordal thrum, allowed to ring out and fade nearly to silence, before another note takes its place, a sort of space music, the soundtrack to the cosmos, or an ultra minimal Carpenter style soundtrack, dark and languorous and so mysterious, the perfect music for mediation or relaxation, but also perhaps to accompany gazing into the heavens, or wandering across moonlit vistas. Besides the usual synth suspects, Pulse Emitter's Meditative Music definitely reminds us of folks like Leyland Kirby/The Caretaker or Indignant Senility, their strange gauzy ambience definitely an analog for PE's hushed sonic dreamworld, if anything, PE taps into the same sort of wistful melancholy, it's definitely relaxing and serene, but it's also infused with a certain amount of pathos and mystery, that evokes thoughts and memories of other worlds, lost memories and forgotten pasts, a lovely chunk of electronic minimalism, that will definitely appeal to anyone into abstract sonic wonder and dreamlike kraudronedrift.
MPEG Stream: "Meditative Music 4 (excerpt)"

QUANTIC Addis To Axum - Music, Words & Arrangements Of Ethiopia (Mochilla) cd 14.98
Another great installment in Mochilla's series of global DJ mixes documenting the crate-digging treasures of one DJ's trip to a far off land. The last one we listed was Madlib's killer Speto Da Ruo: Dirty Brasilian Crates Vol. 1 and what that was to Brazilian Popular Music, this one is to Ethiopian music of all varieties from the funky to the folkloric.
Culled from a 2004 trip to Ethiopia with the Soundway label's Miles Cleret, Quantic met Mulatu Astatke and first discussed plans for his first trip to Los Angeles for a legendary 2009 concert performed with a full orchestra and jazz legends Bennie Maupin and The Tribe's Phil Ranelin. Most of the records played on this mix are over 30 years old, and their dusty crackle is often left intact. But don't expect this to be merely an Ethiopiques series rehash. While it starts in familiar ethio-jazz territory it veers seamlessly into traditional chanting, street festivals and performers, exotic cinematic instrumentals and evocative ballads. A near hour long seamless mix of surging energy and warm beauty for hot summer nights!
MPEG Stream: "Excerpt 1"
MPEG Stream: "Excerpt 2"
MPEG Stream: "Excerpt 3"

REP, MIKE AND THE QUOTAS Stupor Hiatus (Siltbreeze) 2lp 17.98
An almost complete collection of all the early recordings of primal primitive lo-fi Ohio garage punk pioneer Mike Rep, who has remained more of a footnote than forefather, which is downright criminal listening to this stuff again. Recordings from the mid seventies to the early nineties, this revamped version of a 1992 lp compilation shines a light on the undeniable lo-fi pop garage rock genius of Mr. Mike Rep, who some folks may know as a producer of records by modern day practitioners of a similar sound, like Guided By Voices, Strapping Fieldhands and Times New Viking, and hell, if you dig ANY or all of those groups, or any of the legions of groups that followed, Mike Rep is gonna blow your mind. Especially when you consider he was doing warped garage pop, lo-fi home brewed jangle weirdness, 20, 30, heck almost 40 years before Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees and the Sic Alps and all the rest.
Psychedelic, jangly, rocking, droney, fucked up and far out, this stuff is twisted and magical, warped and catchy as all get out, from a blissed out all instrumental version of a 13th Floor Elevators jam, to a bad ass Strapping Fieldhands cover(!!), the sounds veers wildly, yet somehow not incoherently from chaotic horn flecked grinding garage blowouts, to a fuzzy Stooges-y chunk of sci-fi hard rock crunch, to shimmery reverby sixties sonic sunshine, to flute flecked outsider folk, to snotty snarly ULTRA lo-fi punk rock stomp, to trippy over the top uber dramatic glam doom, complete with Asian melodies, and bizarre vocal effects, to Velvetsy hypnotic looped drone-rock, to twisted cabaret pop, to full on fucked up and freaked out druggy audio meltdown. So fucking great. And the fact that so many folks haven't heard this stuff, well, time to right that wrong. ANYone into weirdo lo-fi pop and weirdo garage rock, should buy this NOW. Comes with a whole bunch of unreleased tracks, and a download card.

ROOTS, THE How I Got Over (Def Jam) cd 13.98
When it comes to musical prowess, bands don't get more well rounded, well versed and sickly skilled than The Roots. While they are ambassadors of the hip-hop community their musical arsenal and appreciation runs through just about every genre and style of music of the last half-century. They are true students and scholars of music but what makes them special is that they also have their own deep running soul that takes all that knowledge and appreciation and transforms it into such rich sounding music, helping to create a wide musical community that they are endlessly collaborating, producing and playing with. None of here think Jimmy Fallon is all that funny but damn do we watch his late night show so much now as the Roots are his house band, and its so amazing to watch them play and back bands that perform on the show like Erykah Badu, Hot Chip, Herbie Hancock, Ludacris, etc. The best part of the show is when Jimmy interacts with ?uestlove and the rest of the band, challenging them to come up with songs in every kind of style at the drop of a hot and they always pull it off spot on with such suave style.
How I Got Over, shows that their network TV gig hasn't tainted their musical vision one bit, in fact getting to play every night like that has probably only made them an even tighter unit. There is something so assured and unforced about the Roots, it all flows so pure and naturally. While the record is filled with guests it doesn't feel uneven as the Roots are so masterful at bringing different people together yet maintaining their own groove underneath it all. They even do an awesome track with Joanna Newsom that takes her track "The Book Of Right On" and turns it simply into "Right On" with her vocals and harp merged with their beats and raps with totally stunning results. There is not a single miss on this album, we kind of forgot how damn good the Roots can be on record as we always think of them as a live band these days, but wow they continue to show they can do it all! And do it so well!!
MPEG Stream: "Walk Alone (Feat. Truck North, P.O.R.N. & Dice Raw)"
MPEG Stream: "Right On (Feat. Joanna Newsom)"
MPEG Stream: "Doin' It Again"

ROOTS, THE How I Got Over (Def Jam) lp 13.98
When it comes to musical prowess, bands don't get more well rounded, well versed and sickly skilled than The Roots. While they are ambassadors of the hip-hop community their musical arsenal and appreciation runs through just about every genre and style of music of the last half-century. They are true students and scholars of music but what makes them special is that they also have their own deep running soul that takes all that knowledge and appreciation and transforms it into such rich sounding music, helping to create a wide musical community that they are endlessly collaborating, producing and playing with. None of here think Jimmy Fallon is all that funny but damn do we watch his late night show so much now as the Roots are his house band, and its so amazing to watch them play and back bands that perform on the show like Erykah Badu, Hot Chip, Herbie Hancock, Ludacris, etc. The best part of the show is when Jimmy interacts with ?uestlove and the rest of the band, challenging them to come up with songs in every kind of style at the drop of a hot and they always pull it off spot on with such suave style.
How I Got Over, shows that their network TV gig hasn't tainted their musical vision one bit, in fact getting to play every night like that has probably only made them an even tighter unit. There is something so assured and unforced about the Roots, it all flows so pure and naturally. While the record is filled with guests it doesn't feel uneven as the Roots are so masterful at bringing different people together yet maintaining their own groove underneath it all. They even do an awesome track with Joanna Newsom that takes her track "The Book Of Right On" and turns it simply into "Right On" with her vocals and harp merged with their beats and raps with totally stunning results. There is not a single miss on this album, we kind of forgot how damn good the Roots can be on record as we always think of them as a live band these days, but wow they continue to show they can do it all! And do it so well!!
MPEG Stream: "Walk Alone (Feat. Truck North, P.O.R.N. & Dice Raw)"
MPEG Stream: "Right On (Feat. Joanna Newsom)"
MPEG Stream: "Doin' It Again"

SANDWITCHES, THE Duck, Duck, Goose! (Empty Cellar / Secret Seven) 12" 9.98
Over the last year The Sandwitches debut lp, How To Make Ambient Sadcake proved to be a record with major legs. As we still have a hard time keeping it in stock as it sells out just about every week as people get turned on to what a unique and intimate sound these ladies have carved out. These brand new songs show that The Sandwitches are only getting better, with a set of songs filled with such warmth and a haunting glow. We hear hints of Karen Dalton, Vashti Bunyan, Christine McVie, Pentangle, Sybille Baier as well as contemporary artists like Tara Jane O'Neil, Jana Hunter, Marissa Nadler, Rio En Medio, Beach House, Tiny Vipers and Metallic Falcons. Or what it might sound like if Mimi from Low and Georgia from Yo La Tengo did lonely dark tinged covers of Red House Painters songs. The record has this timeless sound that makes us think of crawling up to the attic of our weird/cool aunt's house and finding an unmarked dusty record that we put on play as it turns to dusk outside and we flip through boxes of old photographs and torn out journal entries. Recorded & produced by Wymond Miles from The Fresh & Onlys, this ep really raises the bar for their sound. One of the most warm, eerie, yet comforting collection of songs we've heard all year. Stamped on one-sided vinyl and limited to 500 copies. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Stardust"
MPEG Stream: "Rock Of Gibraltar"
MPEG Stream: "Baby Mine"

SAVIO, DANIEL Assassinn b/w Crimewave (Poisonous Gases) 7" 5.98
Two new, 7"s of delicious skweee here folks! From the same Portland label, Poisonous Gases, that previously brought us Lazercrotch. Now they've gone and signed up a genuine Scandinavian skweeer, Daniel Savio from Sweden, as well as Portland's Michael Bruce (not the guy from the Alice Cooper Band we're pretty sure).
Savio's 7", following up his other recent one for LoDubs, features two new tracks, both representative of Savio's brand of "Apocalyptic Skweee", suspenseful blip-blip-bloop rhythms and ominous bass pulses that harken back to creepy cool John Carpenter scores.

SCOTT, SIMON Traba (Immune) lp 15.98
Yay! More from the UK dronester with two first names, who was once upon a time the drummer for shoegazers Slowdive, but only really recently came to our attention via his full-length for the Miasmah label last year, entitled Navigare. We loved, loved, loved that record, as we do most things Miasmah, and compared it to everything from Nadja to Jesu to Jasper TX to Tim Hecker... Now Scott is back with a four-song mini-lp follow-up for the Immune imprint, a vinyl-only 12" that comes with an mp3 download coupon. It's 24 minutes or so of of shimmering, shifting, sometimes sombre, dense drone bliss. Consisting of calm crackle, haunting hum, and buried melody, these abstract soundscapes are immersive, Pop Ambient drift that's physical, yet soothing. Originally begun during the Navigare sessions, but completed later, we're told, these tracks certainly share much in common with Navigare in terms of mood and method (they're apparently, though not that obviously, constructed from digitally processed acoustic instruments, and field recordings, among other sound sources). Mysterious though they may be, we're somehow not surprised when we're further told that certain of Scott's inspirations for these songs include a bout of tinnitus he once suffered, and the sad fate of an alcoholic submariner relative of his.
We wish we had the language - the poetry - to say more about this, to really put into words what this sounds like, but maybe that's not necessary anyway. Those of you appreciative of music like this, addicted to music like this, hopefully already have an inkling that this is for you from what we've already said (or what you've already heard), to which we'll only add our typical, but meaningful, "Nice".
LIMITED TO 500 COPIES.
MPEG Stream: "She Came From The Sea"
MPEG Stream: "Lamina"

SHOEMAKER, MATT Isolated Agent / Stranding Behavior (Elevator Bath) picture disc 17.98
Seattle's Matt Shoemaker has long stood as one of the few consistently great drone tacticians around, principally because his take on the drone supreme is punctured by humid field recordings laced with occasional bellowings of atmospheric dread. His previous works such as Erosion Of The Analogous Eye and The Wayward Set are demonstrations in equal parts of rich transcendence and hallucinatory isolationism. Given the titles of the two pieces on this gorgeous picture disc released by Elevator Bath, you can make a pretty solid bet that this tends more toward the latter aesthetic of Shoemaker's black-hole expressionism.
Shoemaker begins with a tense diamond-shot drone from overlapping sinewaves generated from controlled feedback. These pierced frequencies slide downwards amidst a curious set of clattering noises, almost like the amplification of a paramecium undulating its way into the crevices of its host body. Extended wheezes of grey gasps of air and motorized growlings swallow everything that came before with a ghostly echo of those feedback tones broadcast from way back at the event horizon. The second side (which may be the first, as Elevator Bath's picture discs are very trickly to discern track listings!) immediately expands into one of Shoemaker's signature pieces of lysergic darkness, with all of his ill-tempered vibrations colliding into huge phase patterns that mutate, deviate, and detour the linearity of his cold drone fundamental. Always bending and set off-kilter this composition is dangerously slippery as if set upon quicksand with the various layers upon layers splitting off in asynchronous, oozing, droning directions.
Very highly recommended as with all of Shoemaker's work! Limited to 233 copies.

SNYDER, DOUG AND BOB THOMPSON Daily Dance (Lion) cd 14.98
Woah! We've got the return of a way, way, way, WAY OUT electric guitar and drums duo document here, an improv maelstrom of uber DISTORTION freakout action that proves there's nothing new under the sun, 'cause this was cranked out by two long haired American hippies back in the early Seventies. In the annals of underground noise, they deserve a special place. This is proto everything! Mick Barr, No Wave, Ascension, Rhys Chatham, Glen Branca, Sonic Youth, High Rise, The Blue Humans, Dead C, Harry Pussy, Lightning Bolt, D!O!D!O!D!, even the Rangda we listed a couple weeks ago... heck, we're hearing all of that here. Wow. A total feedback and bashing attack, but not negative in attitude or anti-musical at all. In fact, it's presented with a lot of positive hippy-dippy charm ("listen for the time when the drums play themselves - when the spirits in the drums themselves are dancing" - that's a quote from drummer Bob Thompson found on the '98 release, and the title Daily Dance comes from the writings of Ken Kesey of Merry Prankster/Acid Test fame). Yet, it makes one of their own influences - The Stooges - seem square in comparison. These two go further in channeling spiritual free jazz a la Coltrane and Sanders into a stripped down, amped up primal "psych rock" context, it's hard to think of many earlier examples of such out-rock exploration. And it was also totally DIY punk too - of course, no label back then, or now for that matter, would have seen much commercial potential in this volume-dealing duo's pioneering skronk fest!
Daily Dance was recorded in 1972, and subsequently released as a private press lp in '73 via Carla Bley's New Music Distribution Service. It was reviewed favorably by Creem magazine in '77 (you can see, this didn't get all that much attention when it first came out, but has grown in cult status over the years), with Doug Snyder's guitar squall indeed compared to James Williamson of The Stooges. Snyder also cited the Velvet Underground and Sonny Sharrock as his guitar influences... Japan's Masayuki Takayangi was probably unknown to Snyder at the time but we bet he'd have been into him too, though the Daily Dance duo definitely are more ROCK than they are jazz. Or at least, they manage to combine rock and jazz without coming close to "fusion", not that there's anything wrong with fusion, good fusion anyway, but there's lots of bad fusion and this ain't either.
Now it's been reissued on cd for the second time (the previous edition, from '98, is long out of print) and on vinyl as well, making it available to a new generation of improv noise rock freaks. [Vinyl? Yes, unfortunately we're out of stock on the vinyl right at the moment, but will get it back in soon, so please let us know if you want a copy in that format.] Pretty neat to hear music "like this" being made for what might have been the very first time, certainly Snyder and Thompson were "pushing the envelope" as they knew it then, advancing into territory not entirely mapped out by things they'd already heard. And even if it wasn't from '72, anyone who likes loud, full-on freakout, rhythmic skree, and droney noisy textures will be variously entertained, whether it be by the moody, mystic feedback and percussive shimmer that closes out the epic title track, or the dense rumble of "Teenage Emergency" at the end of the disc that makes us think of Sharrock playing some sort of static surf music...
Lion Productions, in association with Cantor Records (responsible for the vinyl reissue mentioned above), has done this up nicely, in a fancy Japanese-looking miniature lp style paste-on sleeve, complete with obi. Remastered from the original tapes, and packaged with a 20 page booklet with liner notes and photos. Nice! FYI, this compact disc edition also includes a previously unreleased two-minute bonus track, "Unseen, Unheard", that was left off the both the original and reissued vinyl for reasons of space (and it's not on the previous cd version either).
MPEG Stream: "Daily Dance"
MPEG Stream: "Hit And Run"
MPEG Stream: "Teenage Emergency"

SONODA, SATOSHI Everything Lies Beyond The Burning Summer Grasses: Early Works Of Satoshi Sonoda 1977->1978 Memories Of Yashushi Ozawa (PSF) cd 16.98
Like the Onna above, here's another release from Japan's PSF label that we've been meaning to highlight for a while (they put out too much good stuff!). Finally we have enough of 'em in stock to list (for months we've been selling these steadily just by playing it in the store, actually). As the evocative/informative subtitle indicates, this is an archival collection of recordings by one Satoshi Sonoda... who he? A guitarist and composer in the realm of post-progressive rock, and new music avant-garde, part of the late '70s Japanese university scene, with connections to both psychedelic drone minimalists East Bionic Symphonia and noisepunks Gaseneta.
From the subtitle, you'll also note that this release is dedicated to the late bassist Yasushi Ozawa, best known perhaps as a member of Keiji Haino's Fushitsusha. He apparently had quite an impact on Sonoda both artistically and personally. The seven tracks here find Sonoda performing with several different lineups/projects/units, several of which feature the presence of Ozawa. The first three tracks are all credited as Sonoda compositions, though they seem just as likely to be group improvisations, and are variously designated as by Free Music Space ("1") or Free Music Revolt ("rehearsal" and "session"). The very first piece, eleven minutes long, reminds us a lot of the oldest Onna stuff, dreamy and spacey, freaky and folky, a combo of raw wandering psychedelic jamming with majestic melancholic vocal balladry. Beautiful. The second track is even longer, over 24 minutes, and encompasses enthusiastic violin string scrape, somnolently nodding grooves, and free form freakout action. Very cool, as is the shorter but similar (sans violin) track 3. Next, tracks 4-6 are by a band called ANARkISS, performing live, and are more punky, with angular raucous jagged guitar, as well as some shakuhachi and sax and what they call "scratch noise"... one of the songs is a Kan Mikami cover, "Piss-Soaked Lake", which figures. The disc then finishes up with the sounds of Free Music Space 6, a large ensemble improv blow-out entitled, "Bound, Opened".
The cd booklet contains super personal and detailed liner notes in tiny, tiny type from Sonoda himself, with his recollections of the era, discussion of various personalities including of course Ozawa, and track-by-track commentary on the material included herein. Interesting as that all is, you definitely don't need to know what's in the liner notes, or even what we've mentioned in this review, in terms of historical context or whatever, to enjoy the sounds on this disc. Like we said, just playing it in the store got people plenty intrigued. The unique vibrations from far away and long ago documented here still resonate and compel.
MPEG Stream: FREE MUSIC SPACE 1 "Dusk, Darkness, Then Dawn"
MPEG Stream: FREE MUSIC REVOLT (REHEARSAL) "Poly-Performance"
MPEG Stream: ANARKISS "Piss-Soaked Lake"

SUN KIL MOON Admiral Fell Promises (Caldo Verde) cd 14.98
After all these years, Mark Kozelek's music still fills us with chills and goosebumps like no one else can. His melancholic voice and restrained arrangements come together for songs that sink so deep into our veins and lead us into cloudy and dazed daydreams. Admiral Fell Promises is a new set of songs written by Kozelek (he was on a big covers kick for a while) and they rank right at the top of anything he has created. The formula is not all that different from past Sun Kil Moon releases but there is something in the stark immediacy of the songs that is pulling us in so deep to this carefully crafted album. Maybe it's all the years he's spent in San Francisco but the record is just so perfect for those fog filled grey days that hit us all throughout the year and make us forget what day/month/year it is. These songs are so perfect for that dazed and dislocating sensation, filled with such a bleak romanticism. If he didn't have such a tasteful sense of subtly he could easily wow a crowd with impeccable almost flamenco/Spanish sounding guitar playing. Kozelek is one of those people who has never rested on his laurels. After Red House Painters it would have been easy for him to just allow that to be his lasting legacy, but over the years under his own name and the Sun Kil Moon moniker he continues to create a body of work that will stand the test of time. A must have for Kozelek fans and if you have checked out on his releases for a while this would be a great time to check back in!
MPEG Stream: "Ålesund"
MPEG Stream: "Half Moon Bay"
MPEG Stream: "Bay Of Skulls"

SVANFRIDUR What's Hidden There? (Shadoks Music) cd 17.98
The "Icelandic Invasion" continues, as Shadoks reissues some more crucial '60s/'70s psych-prog action from that island nation. Last time we highlighted the groovy "hairy funk" heaviness of Odmenn. This time, two more: the debut from Trubrot (1969), and this one, the sole album by Svanfridur (1972). Both bands demonstrate definite Beatles influence, and do so well, but also are quite eccentric in their own right, which perhaps can be ascribed to their Icelandic heritage?
This group was definitely musically talented, hot stuff on the live circuit in their native Iceland, though the sales of this self-released lp were disappointing. And thus it ended up being their only album. Too bad, it's a good 'un after all, considered a Nordic prog classic by many collectors today, and something we think that fans of the modern day Swedish group Dungen might totally dig, for that same sort of Scandinavian prog/pop/psych blend only this is the real deal, not a retro remake.
Svanfridur, like Odmenn, is also fairly heavy and fuzzed out, often enough, on acid blues rockers like "My Dummy", whilst being simultaneously super catchy on the pop side of things too, exemplified by opener "The Woman Of Our Day", which sounds like a hit to us. It's a diverse album though, Svandfridur happily mixing things up, getting moody with flute and strings on the title track "What's Hidden There?", and moodier still with the strange synth atmospheres of "Did You Find?"... Then there's the staccato folk violin into acid rock distorted guitar rippage of "Finido". Great stuff all over.
Like most Shadoks reissues, this includes extensive liner notes in the cd booklet (revealing, among other things, that members of Svanfridur, like SO many other bands of the day it seems, had been involved in a production of the musical Hair), along with tons of photos and graphics. The original sleeve bearing the lyrics (in English) and recording credits is reproduced, and if you look close you'll note the presence of the classic admonition that this record is "To Be Played Loud"! Indeed.
MPEG Stream: "The Woman Of Our Day"
MPEG Stream: "What Now You People Standing By"
MPEG Stream: "My Dummy"

SZCZEPANIK, NICHOLAS Dear Dad (Basses Frequences / Goat Eater) cd 11.98
Latest release from one of our favorite dronescapers, this one super minimal and shimmery, a gorgeously hushed piece of abstract ultra personal drone music, a sort of sonic letter to Szczepanik's father, the result of a request by his father that his son write him a letter, a request that a younger Szczepanik didn't really understand and thus ignored at the time, only attempting to write that letter, in sound, recently, the result is Dear Dad, one of those rare records where minimal instrumental music manages to convey a surprising amount of emotion, no small feat, transforming childhood emotions, kept in check until adulthood, into sound, gorgeous lush droning sound, a hazy, gauzy brooding slow building buzz, that begins in complete silence, before becoming a whisper, and over the course of the next 20 minutes eventually a howl, a dense, ragged, blown out, noise drenched blast of crumbling corrosive crunch, still infused with buried melodies, but so intense, cathartic, a gorgeous sonic release, culminating in a strange bit of tangled melody, still in-the-red and blown out, but hauntingly lovely and lilting, wrapped in a constantly swirling squall of grinding buzz and glimmering caustic shimmer.
The second, shorter track is much more tranquil and serene, as if the catharsis of the first track purged any negativity, replaced regret with hope, the title "Forgive To Forget" seems to suggest as much, as does the music, a warm softly pulsing whir, all washed out, the soft focus edges eventually coming in to focus as the track progresses, the shapeless forms and indistinct streaks, becoming sweet melodies, the hushed whirs almost like soaring strings, a lush drone glowing with an inner warmth, that permeates all of the surrounding sounds, transforming sound into feeling, music into energy, notes and chords, textures and timbres into emotion. Not sure if it was the kind of letter Szczepanik's father was expecting, but it seems to be more than he could have hoped for.
LIMITED TO 200 COPIES. This is a replicated disc (not a cd-r)! Gorgeously packaged in a thick dark brown matte finish sleeve, with a printed cardstock insert, and all wrapped in a Japanese style cardstock printed obi, each with an actual stamp, every one unique.
MPEG Stream: "When I'm No Longer Afraid Of You"
MPEG Stream: "Forgive To Forget"

TERJE, TODD Remaster of The Universe (Permanent Vacation) 2cd 22.00
Hands down the best mix collection we've heard in ages. Something about those Norwegians, damn do they know their way around space disco. We've already loved what we've heard by folks like Lindstrom and Prins Thomas, but Todd Terje's ability to create seamless mixes and imaginative edits and remixes has made him one of our favorites from that fertile scene. Remaster Of The Universe finally gives a nice big document to the amazing work Terje has been doing over the last few years. The first disc is his continuous mix of tracks by folks like Chaz Jankel, Gichy Dan, M, Jose Gonzales, etc. while the second disc is a collection of individual remixes and versions he's created for some of the same folks on the first disc as well as Antena, Lindstrom, Studio, Shit Robot, and more.
Terje really is a master at creating mixes that roll with such a shimmering vibration. He's able to respect the original tracks he uses yet totally infuse them with a new energy and a signature sound that is unmistakably his own. We like how that as seamless and smooth as he can be he's also not afraid to get really weird and left-of-center in his approach and song selection. Crossing eras and genres like the best kind of DJ's can, Terje has got us all moving and gliding to these dancefloor gems.
MPEG Stream: GITCHY DAN "On A Day Like This (Terje edit)"
MPEG Stream: ANTENA "Camino Del Sol (Todd Terje Remix)"
MPEG Stream: CHAZ JANKEL "Glad To Know You (Todd Terje edit)"
MPEG Stream: JOSé GONZáLEZ "Killing For Love (Todd Terje Brokeback Mix)"

TO ROCOCO ROT Speculation (Domino) cd 14.98
We've always thought there was something special about To Rococo Rot, we've heard moments on their records that really show they can reach next level brilliance in their ability to merge such a pronounced feeling and mood with their deep grooves and beats. Before dubstep and any of the other new electronic subcategories, To Roccoco Roc were already making super rich, moody and nuanced sounds that didn't conform to one single style. Speculation is their first album in many years and it finds the Berlin trio in top form. The album opens with Cluster-like pulsations and as it organically moves forward with a post-kraut-rock sensibility, the sounds shift and sway, going back and forth from a tense and haunting sensation to something more free and exploratory. There are moments where they tap into the kind of sound we imagine Tortoise and Mouse On Mars might create if they collaborated, yet there is something a bit more sinister and seething just under the surface of To Rococo Rot's sound. Their sonic versatility really sets them apart from so many of their peers. So nice to have them back!
MPEG Stream: "Away"
MPEG Stream: "Seele"
MPEG Stream: "Ship"

TORTOISE Why Waste Time (Avex / Thrill Jockey) cd 23.00
We've had a sort of love / hate relation ship with Chicago post rockers Tortoise. Their Millions Now Living record will probably always have a spot in our All Time Favorite Records, and the boxset compilation A Lazarus Taxon, collecting all of their early records, is pretty dang tough to beat, but then something happened, and their records just stopped sounding as good as they once did, we couldn't be sure if it was the band, or if it was us, but for a long stretch, we just weren't digging much of what was coming out of the Tortoise camp. That is until the recent Beacons Of Ancestorship, a definite return to form, lots of the classic Tortoise sound was present, but it sounded like the band were exciting to be making new sounds, exploring, pushing and expanding, and we have been listening to that record like crazy, anxious to hear more from the reinvigorated Tortoise. And voila, a new 4 song Japanese import, that totally surpasses anything we could have hoped for, it doesn't really sound all that much like Tortoise, at least the first 2 of these 4 songs, instead, they sound like some abstract super distorted Autechre, all electronic sounding beats, lots of beeps and glitches, streaks of electronic buzz and hum, stutter and skitter, weirdly dubby and groovy, a little electro, the beats dropping out and leaving long lush drones, layered and textural, moody and mysterious, and that's just the first song. The second track is even more far out, a swirling collaged glitchscape, subtly industrial, hauntingly ambient, lush and droney, and meditative and seriously dense and heavy, processed vocals, thick bursts of grinding glitched out electronics, wow. It's not until the third track, that the organic Tortoise sound shows up, but even then, it's a sort of remix, the bands skittery jazzy lope, transformed into a sort of post This Heat workout, complete with that very This Heat hand clap, a similar rhythm, steel strings buzzing, looped and hypnotic and really awesome, especially the second half that features a weird sort of multiple drummer / synth duel. Finally there's the 13 minute closer, a dark, moody bit of post rock, still with that This Heat feel, that same sort of groove, the track shifting from skittery, to jazzy, to almost funky, and finally to blissed out and serene. So good. Even better than Beacons maybe!
If that weren't enough, there are three bonus videos, two live tracks, with Tortoise in more traditional Tortoise mode, and a super stylized music video. Cool!
MPEG Stream: "Ruba'Iyat"
MPEG Stream: "Ice Ice Gravy"

TRAORE, ABDOULAYE s/t (Yaala Yaala) cd 14.98
Two new releases this week, from this relatively new world music label, whose past releases have totally blown us away, in particular, a collection of songs from legendary musician, Yoro Sibide, master of the ngoni, a traditional African stringed instrument, but almost more importantly, a donso, one of the traditional hunters of Mali, a mysterious group of men who live separated from the rest of society, the music of the donso, performed to inspire the other donsos for the hunt, epic tales of battles fought and won, lives lost, and worlds gone but not forgotten. Sibide is particularly relevant as both of these new releases on Yaala Yaala are records by student apprentices of the master Sibide, who spent years learning the way of the donsos, as well as of course, the music passed down from generation to generation.
Unlike Toba Seydou, featured on the other Yaala Yaala release on this list, who tracked down Sibide with the intention of becoming his apprentice, Abdoulaye Traore, learned to sing and play as a child, at the foot of his father, who eventually gave up music to return to farming, while Abdoulaye continued on, only to eventually be discovered during a performance, by Sibide, who was so impressed, he specifically requested that Abdoulaye become his apprentice. He studied for years and eventually become Sibide's main accompanist. This cd gathers up his first seven cassette releases, and again like Tora Seydou, Abdoulaye's music bears a striking resemblance to his master's, as well as to Tora Seydou's, the same sort of buzzing low strings, locked into repetitive grooves, looped sounding, repeated over and over, totally trance inducing, the vocals slipping from passionate wail, to hushed croon, the percussion super minimal, each track, a single riff, one part, the percussion and ngoni in perfect unison, in fact, in some ways, Abdoulaye' music is the most hypnotic of the three, the most stripped down and minimal, but equally as passionate and inspiring, spiritual and transcendent, these sounds, this music, is so magical, we could listen to this forever, even removed from its traditions, existing simply as notes and rhythms, these songs still retain the music's history, the blood and tears, the years of struggle and survival, of life and death, of birth and rebirth, imbuing the sound with an ineffable energy, a mysterious power, which is a rarity in most music for sure, and makes these sounds so special.
MPEG Stream: "Dankoro Lamagalen"
MPEG Stream: "Karamogo Ni Ko"

TRAORE, TOBA SEYDOU s/t (Yaala Yaala) cd 14.98
Two new releases this week, from this relatively new world music label, whose past releases have totally blown us away, in particular, a collection of songs from legendary musician, Yoro Sibide, master of the ngoni, a traditional African stringed instrument, but almost more importantly, a donso, one of the traditional hunters of Mali, a mysterious group of men who live separated from the rest of society, the music of the donso, performed to inspire the other donsos for the hunt, epic tales of battles fought and won, lives lost, and worlds gone but not forgotten. Sibide is particularly relevant as both of these new releases on Yaala Yaala are records by student apprentices of the master Sibide, who spent years learning the way of the donsos, as well as of course, the music passed down from generation to generation.
Tora Seydou Traore became obsessed with the music of the hunters as a child, so much so that when his father sent him out to care for the flock, he would build instruments from old junk and bicycle parts, and play music until his father would find him and beat him. And so it went until Traore went away to school, and then later decided to follow his destiny and track down Sibide, to learn from the master. Which he did, until he graduated five years late, and began to take on apprentices of his own. And of course it makes sense that Traore's music would bear such a strong resemblance to that of Sibide, warm and lush, dark and hypnotic, the buzzing strings locked into looping grooves, underpinned by simple percussion, with Traore's clear, strong powerful vocals, sometimes soaring dramatically, other times more subdued and crooned, often engaged in call and response with a chorus, the melodies spidery and minor key, the sound minimal and muted and so gorgeously trancelike, lots of layered buzz, warm whirling rumbles, minimal percussion, hand drums, shakers, unfurling clouds of sizzle and whir, a haunting cloud of soft washed out buzz wrapped around the tangled low end melodies, Traore's music, and the music of the donsos, so drone-y and minimal, so gorgeously haunting, utterly hypnotic, and so emotionally resonant, truly some of the most fantastic spiritual music we've heard...
MPEG Stream: "Koma Ma Son"
MPEG Stream: "Maransa"

TRUBROT s/t (Shadoks Music) cd 17.98
The "Icelandic Invasion" continues, as Shadoks reissues some more crucial '60s/'70s psych-prog action from that island nation. Last time we highlighted the groovy "hairy funk" heaviness of Odmenn. This time, two more: the sole album by Svanfridur (1972), and this one, the debut from Trubrot (1969). Both bands demonstrate definite Beatles influence, and do so well, but also are quite eccentric in their own right, which perhaps can be ascribed to their Icelandic heritage?
Trubrot at their inception were already basically Iceland's #1 "supergroup", consisting of members of two popular R&B acts, Flowers and Hljomar. Big things were hoped for 'em, they even played for a few weeks in New York City, but they never really broke outside of Iceland, though they did go on to make several more well-regarded albums (which it would be nice if Shadoks would reissue as well). This one got them off to an excellent start, and as we also said about the Svanfridur reissue, we think it would go down well with fans of current Scandinavian psychsters Dungen. It's a mix of pop and prog, with bits of jazz and folk, and besides their own ambitious originals, it notably includes a diverse selection of cover songs, Trubrot doing Icelandic language interpretations of tunes originally performed by The Beatles ("Things We Said Today", to which they've added an amazingly kickass instrumental intro), Jose Feliciano, and The Supremes. And one more, the band's organist having worked up an arrangement of a song from the Richard Wagner opera "Tannhauser", which astonishingly enough got them some grief from the classical music authorities of the day. Ah, the old high brow/low brow battles fought by so many prog bands back then...
Likewise, their originals (also all sung in Icelandic, of course) also range all over the place, from the serious and sombre (in keeping with the Wagner) to much zanier fare, like the "dinner party" sound effects that take over in the middle of "Konopujufirinn" to the 24-second long "Bryjenda Boogie" which in its brevity is basically the boogie equivalent of Napalm Death, we guess. On the opposite extreme is the album ending programmatic nine-minute "Afgangar", a schizophrenic "rock opera" of sorts. Here, and everywhere, Trubrot will go from fuzzed out groove to gentle female vocals to vaudeville music hall numbers to musique concrete... hey why not? We said they were ambitious.
This reissue includes six bonus tracks mostly from a couple 1970 singles, and the cd booklet has lots and lots in the way of liner notes and photos.
MPEG Stream: "Sama Er Mer"
MPEG Stream: "Pu Skalt Mig Fa"
MPEG Stream: "Frelsi Andans"

UGLY THINGS Issue #30 Summer 2010 magazine 8.95
Without fail. The new issue of this awesome, and HUGE, magazine all about "wild sounds from past dimensions" (aka the '60s and '70s) always arrives, like, the day before we're doing a list. I think we've mentioned this before. So, there's no way we could read through the whole thing -and- write all our other reviews. Heck, probably couldn't read the whole thing in one night even if we played hooky from work and that's all we did, that's how much stuff is packed into its 176 pages. So, struggling to give it just a skim right now, we can tell you that it's got in-depth (and often, we mean REALLY in depth) features on, among others: our favorite Dutch beat rockers Q65, Australia's The Master's Apprentices (part II to the saga begun last ish), The Kinks/Ray Davies, ESP's Connecticut "tribe" Cromagnon (all right!!), Texan punks The Nervebreakers, SoCal garage rockers The Hysterics, Milwaukee teen psych sensations Finch, guitarist Oli Halsall's proggy Patto, and plenty more. Also Johan Kugelberg captures our attention with "A Loser's Guide To '60s Punk Compilations", and then there's the pages and pages (and pages) of reviews. Whew! As always, recommended reading. And congrats to the UT crew on their 30th issue, 27 years after they first started publishing! Keep 'em coming!!

V/A Shangaan Electro: New Wave Dance Music From South Africa (Honest Jon's) cd 17.98
With the abundance of amazing comps and reissues of lost gems from all over Africa in the 1970s, it can get easy to forget that there is the here and now, and that there is equally damaged, brilliant, fucked up and contagious sounds being made throughout the globe RIGHT NOW! Don't get us wrong we love all the reissues of '70s psych glory that's being dug up and rediscovered all over the world, including so much from Africa, but damn it's so refreshing and invigorating to get a set of brand new sounds from across the globe being created at this very moment that grabs a hold of our imagination in such exciting ways. Shangaan is a new form of dance music coming out of Soweto that merges the sounds of traditional mbira (thumb piano) music with hyperactive synthesizers. It really is like nothing we've heard before. Call and response glory wrapped in 180 bpm craziness!
In some ways this feels like the spazzy cousin to the great Congotronics compilation from a few years ago, as that also showcased a new form of charged and body moving sounds coming out of Africa. But this is even more dance minded. You have to make sure you go online to YouTube and check out the actual dances that are performed to this music, so spirited, full of a new folklore and such a psychedelic aura. The sound of the songs is kind of like some early Nintendo game getting hijacked by Omar Souleyman armed with a karaoke machine and a troupe of boys, girls, men and women all ready to move on their feet as fast and furiously as possible. There are parts of the music that sound like Fever Ray played on the wrong speed, or what we imagine M.I.A. would blast at an afterparty. Forget about the World Cup, this may be the most mind blowing cultural phenomenon going down in South Africa that we are lucky enough to get to hear and appreciate NOW. Beyond recommended!
MPEG Stream: TSHETSHA BOYS "Nwampfundla"
MPEG Stream: TIYISELANI VOMASEVE "Vanghoma"
MPEG Stream: ZINJA HLUNGWANI "N'wagezani"
MPEG Stream: NKATA MAWEWE "Khulumani"

V/A Shangaan Electro: New Wave Dance Music From South Africa (Honest Jon's) lp 22.00
With the abundance of amazing comps and reissues of lost groovy gems from all over Africa in the 1970s, it can get easy to forget that there is the here and now, and that there is equally damaged, brilliant, fucked up and contagious sounds being made throughout the globe RIGHT NOW! Don't get us wrong we love all the reissues of '70s psych garage glory that's being dug up and rediscovered all over the world, including so much from Africa (like, The World Ends comp on this very list), but damn it's so refreshing and invigorating to get a set of brand new sounds from across the globe being created at this very moment that grabs a hold of our imagination in such exciting ways. Shangaan is a new form of dance music coming out of Soweto that merges the sounds of traditional mbira (thumb piano) music with hyperactive synthesizers. It really is like nothing we've heard before. Call and response glory wrapped in 180 bpm craziness!
In some ways this feels like the spazzy cousin to the great Congotronics compilation from a few years ago, as that also showcased a new form of charged and body moving sounds coming out of Africa. But this is even more dance minded. You have to make sure you go online to YouTube and check out the actual dances that are performed to this music, so spirited, full of a new folklore and such a psychedelic aura. The sound of the songs is kind of like some early Nintendo game getting hijacked by Omar Souleyman armed with a karaoke machine and a troupe of boys, girls, men and women all ready to move on their feet as fast and furiously as possible. There are parts of the music that sound like Fever Ray played on the wrong speed, or what we imagine M.I.A. would blast at an afterparty. Forget about the World Cup, this may be the most mind blowing cultural phenomenon going down in South Africa that we are lucky enough to get to hear and appreciate NOW. Beyond recommended!
MPEG Stream: TSHETSHA BOYS "Nwampfundla"
MPEG Stream: TIYISELANI VOMASEVE "Vanghoma"
MPEG Stream: ZINJA HLUNGWANI "N'wagezani"
MPEG Stream: NKATA MAWEWE "Khulumani"

V/A The World Ends: Afro Rock & Psychedelia In 1970's Nigeria (Soundway) 2cd 25.00
This one's pretty much an "add to cart" no-brainer; the subtitle says it all, "Afro Rock & Psychedelia In 1970s Nigeria". And it's on the wonderful Soundway label, who've brought us such prior treats as Nigeria Rock Special, Nigeria Disco Funk Special, and Ghana Soundz. Really, do you need to know more? There's 32 killer cuts spread across the two cds here, from almost as many bands, exuberant electric guitar wielding garage acts most of 'em, and funky too, super funky. Anyone eager for a sequel to that Nigeria Rock Special in particular, start freaking out now! Some of the names here are familiar from that comp or other reissues, but we don't think there's any overlap songwise. Others are way more obscure to our ears. So you get Ofege, Ofo The Black Company, The Mebusas, The Hygrades, Colomach, and The Action 13, alongside, among others, P.R.O. (People Rock Outfit), Chuck Barrister & The Voices Of Darkness, The Thermometers, The Comrades, The Ceejebs, The Funkees, The Hykkers, Bongos Ikwue, The Lawrence Amavi Group, The Ify Jerry Krusade, Sonny Okosuns & Paperback Limited, Cicada, The Identicals, and even a band called The Semi Colon! The Semi Colon's song is pretty badass, by the way, with Moog-y "Blow Your Head" style synth and wicka-wicka chicken scratch guitar, shades of The JB's for sure, James Brown's backup band probably a big influence on a LOT of these groups, along with psych rock from the West as well, especially various Frisco ballroom jammers. While there's variety, there's definitely a Nigerian scene "sound" of the era on display here, and that scene must have been a pretty competitive one, these bands are HOT. While there's some lovely, mellowed-out moments (like PRO's laidback ballad of "Blacky Joe"), mostly this collection consists of uptempo, dancefloor filling groovers, full of percolating percussion, wild wah-wah, and soulful vocal exhortations. A few have horns, there's a lot of funky electric organ, and in all cases, the rhythms are, not surprisingly, first and foremost the focus, driving these songs into your heart, mind, and soul via the involuntary head nodding, foot tapping, get up and get down reaction your body will have to 'em...
The compilation takes its name from The Black Mirror's "The World Ends", found on disc two. Meanwhile, "Soundway" by Wrinkars Experience, from disc one, could be the theme song for the label! Kinda akin to a Nigerian "Nuggets", this is indeed yet another awesome Soundway comp, one of our faves from them so far and that's saying a lot. Can't argue with two discs this funky and fuzzed, though! Comes nicely packaged with a 44 page booklet featuring a plenitude of liner notes and vintage photos. Totally recommended.
MPEG Stream: THE HYGRADES "Somebody's Gotta Lose Or Win"
MPEG Stream: TONY GREY SUPER 7 "Yem Efe"
MPEG Stream: CICADA "Oli Nkwu"
MPEG Stream: THE LIJADU SISTERS "Life's Gone Down Low"
MPEG Stream: THE COMRADES "Bullwalk"

V/A To Scratch Your Heart: Early Recordings From Istanbul (Honest Jons) 2cd 26.00
Another incredible collection from Honest Jon's, this one a compilation of early music from Istanbul, all recorded in the early part of the twentieth century, and strangely enough, according to the liner notes, all captured out of a culturally ignorant quest to gather up as much 'popular' music as possible, with various representatives of European labels and companies, the foremost being the Gramophone & Typewriter Company, doing everything in their power to record as much music as possible, eventually looking to local contacts, with some of the most prominent musicians of the day being recorded in hotel rooms or whatever space could quickly be converted into a makeshift recording studio. The liner notes explain in great detail the trials and tribulations of competing companies, the musical scene at the time, and the various musicians and their music, and while most of these names are probably unfamiliar, many of the performers here were considered, at the time to be the foremost performers / entertainers / musicians in Istanbul.
Which is obvious listening to this music, even close to 100 years later, the sounds and songs here are so intense and dramatic, so passionate and utterly lovely, moving and inspired, all of the music here non religious, more folk and classical influenced, but still imbued with the same sort of spirituality, the same sense of inspiration, gorgeous flurries of Eastern sounding classical guitar, sweeping soaring vocals over almost American sounding blues, weeping strings, unfurling lush minor key melodies, incredibly complex vocals wrapped around equally intricate folk music, classical piano, gorgeous almost liturgical sounding crooning, the breadth of sounds, of instrumentation, the varied voices, the sound ranging from impossibly high fidelity, to scratchy, barely audible crackly wax cylinders, all the music linked by a common tradition, a sprawling sonic history in music, a glimpse into the past, and like all the most amazing music throughout history, a sound both timeless and of its time, so moving, so inspirational, and so utterly lovely.
The cd comes in an incredible hardcover booklike packaging, the lp is quite swank as well, both with extensive liner notes and loads of amazing photos.
MPEG Stream: UDI NESET BEY "Setaraban Taksim"
MPEG Stream: SELANIKLI APTI EFENDI "Sende Acep"
MPEG Stream: AGYAZAR EFENDI "Kenarinda"
MPEG Stream: EYYUBI MUSTAFA SUNAR BEY "Evc Ara Taksim"
MPEG Stream: HAFIZ CEMAL BEY "Feryat"
MPEG Stream: FIKRIYE HANIM "Ateslik Eder"

V/A To Scratch Your Heart: Early Recordings From Istanbul (Honest Jons) 4lp box 55.00
Another incredible collection from Honest Jon's, this one a compilation of early music from Istanbul, all recorded in the early part of the twentieth century, and strangely enough, according to the liner notes, all captured out of a culturally ignorant quest to gather up as much 'popular' music as possible, with various representatives of European labels and companies, the foremost being the Gramophone & Typewriter Company, doing everything in their power to record as much music as possible, eventually looking to local contacts, with some of the most prominent musicians of the day being recorded in hotel rooms or whatever space could quickly be converted into a makeshift recording studio. The liner notes explain in great detail the trials and tribulations of competing companies, the musical scene at the time, and the various musicians and their music, and while most of these names are probably unfamiliar, many of the performers here were considered, at the time to be the foremost performers / entertainers / musicians in Istanbul.
Which is obvious listening to this music, even close to 100 years later, the sounds and songs here are so intense and dramatic, so passionate and utterly lovely, moving and inspired, all of the music here non religious, more folk and classical influenced, but still imbued with the same sort of spirituality, the same sense of inspiration, gorgeous flurries of Eastern sounding classical guitar, sweeping soaring vocals over almost American sounding blues, weeping strings, unfurling lush minor key melodies, incredibly complex vocals wrapped around equally intricate folk music, classical piano, gorgeous almost liturgical sounding crooning, the breadth of sounds, of instrumentation, the varied voices, the sound ranging from impossibly high fidelity, to scratchy, barely audible crackly wax cylinders, all the music linked by a common tradition, a sprawling sonic history in music, a glimpse into the past, and like all the most amazing music throughout history, a sound both timeless and of its time, so moving, so inspirational, and so utterly lovely.
The cd comes in an incredible hardcover booklike packaging, the lp is quite swank as well, both with extensive liner notes and loads of amazing photos.
MPEG Stream: UDI NESET BEY "Setaraban Taksim"
MPEG Stream: SELANIKLI APTI EFENDI "Sende Acep"
MPEG Stream: AGYAZAR EFENDI "Kenarinda"
MPEG Stream: EYYUBI MUSTAFA SUNAR BEY "Evc Ara Taksim"
MPEG Stream: HAFIZ CEMAL BEY "Feryat"
MPEG Stream: FIKRIYE HANIM "Ateslik Eder"

V/A Unheard Ofs & Forgotten Abouts (Tomkins Square / Pawn) cd 14.98
Oh how we love old 78s! The "antique" but still effective analog technology offering a window into the dusty past, the once-lively musical traditions of fading cultures from around the world, the atmospheric patina of surface crackle... Nowadays, thanks to collectors like Robert Millis, Jonathan Ward, Ian Nagoski, and (in this case) Frank Fairfield, there's been some great compilations of 78 rpm treasures released on more modern formats for us all to enjoy, often sourced from 78s the "ethnic" realm where there's still lots of good digging to be done by these dedicated souls. If you loved Victrola Favorites, Excavated Shellac, The Black Mirror, Sprigs Of Time, or other collections we've had along those lines, then the aptly titled Unheard Ofs & Forgotten Abouts is right up your alley!
There's a selection of 16 rare gramophone recordings presented here, all culled from the archives of Frank Fairfield, an LA musician whose own efforts are inspired by the sorts of old timey stuff he digs up on 78. This is basically a "mix tape" of a bunch of his faves, bound by no stylistic or geographic restrictions.
Amongst these tracks, which range in date from as early as 1916 to as late as 1964 (they were still releasing music on 78s in the sixties, in Africa), you get bagpipes from Scotland and France, blues from the States, festive dance music from Japan, field recording of Hopi hunting song, Indonesian "tembang" singing, Southern (and Midwestern) fiddlin', Byzantine liturgical chant, a Gypsy orchestra from New Jersey, "anonymous Sudanese wandering minstrels", and more. All all wonderful stuff. One of the big highlights for us might be the "exotic" Tahitian groove of George "Tanutu" Archer's rhythmic "Ama Ama" from 1945, which is what's practically rock n' roll played on pahu (Tahitian bass drum) and guitar, with chanted vocals. Surf music starts here! Also, "La Bamba" takes on a whole new character in the version heard here, by Mexican folk harpist Andres Huesca and band. And sinners take note, this disc winds up with the powerful sermonizing and testifyin' of one Reverend Frank Cotton, a not-entirely-spoken word piece entitled "By The Pool Of Siloam" that really stirs up the flock! Compiler Fairfield provides detailed liner notes on each track in the cd booklet, giving learned historical, musicological, and technological perspective on the recordings. It's clearly a labor of love, and comes highly recommended by us.
MPEG Stream: PIPE MAJOR FORSYTH AND DRUMS "Hundred Pipers/Miss Drummond Of Perth/Sleepy Maggie"
MPEG Stream: AKUMU ODHIAMBO "Pius Ogola"
MPEG Stream: "TAUTU" ARCHER "Ama Ama"

V/A Welcome Home / Diggin' The Universe (Woodsist) lp 14.98
Pretty badass compilation, featuring the leading lights from the Woodsist label stable, who also seem to represent more broadly the current state of underground music, as it seems most of these folks have released lots stuff on loads of other labels, the new band m.o. seemingly being to release as much as humanly possible, but like we've said before, fuck it, if it works, and it sounds good, why the hell not? And it's still sounding pretty goddamn good to these ears. This lp / cassette sampler, manages to pretty much perfectly lay out the Woodsist formula (which is what a label sampler is supposed to do anyway right?), variations on Summery jangle, woozy lo-fi production, reverb and delay, pretty sunshine-y sixties style pop rendered all warped and dreamily off kilter. The names will no doubt be familiar to most folks by now: Woods, Skygreen Leopards, The Fresh And Onlys, Ducktails, Art Museums, Moon Duo, The Mantles, White Fence and more, as will the sounds, from sun dappled hippified Byrds style folk pop to reverb drenched doo wop-y dream pop to lysergic organ driven hypno garage groove, to Velvets-y repetitive rocking psychedelia, to ethereal ephemeral blissed out drift, to old school punkish power pop to hushed and lush Appalachian guitarscapery, the biggest surprise and quite possibly our favorite track being Moon Duo's contribution, a super stripped down, spare and spacious, minimal, almost dubby bit of space kraut mesmer, which makes sense as it's a cover of a reggae jam by Errol Dunkley. In fact, a couple other bands try their hands at covers, Skygreen Leopards do The Cure and City Center tackle the Grateful Dead!

V/A Welcome Home / Diggin' The Universe (Woodsist) cass 10.98
Pretty badass compilation, featuring the leading lights from the Woodsist label stable, who also seem to represent more broadly the current state of underground music, as it seems most of these folks have released lots stuff on loads of other labels, the new band m.o. seemingly being to release as much as humanly possible, but like we've said before, fuck it, if it works, and it sounds good, why the hell not? And it's still sounding pretty goddamn good to these ears. This lp / cassette sampler, manages to pretty much perfectly lay out the Woodsist formula (which is what a label sampler is supposed to do anyway right?), variations on Summery jangle, woozy lo-fi production, reverb and delay, pretty sunshine-y sixties style pop rendered all warped and dreamily off kilter. The names will no doubt be familiar to most folks by now: Woods, Skygreen Leopards, The Fresh And Onlys, Ducktails, Art Museums, Moon Duo, The Mantles, White Fence and more, as will the sounds, from sun dappled hippified Byrds style folk pop to reverb drenched doo wop-y dream pop to lysergic organ driven hypno garage groove, to Velvets-y repetitive rocking psychedelia, to ethereal ephemeral blissed out drift, to old school punkish power pop to hushed and lush Appalachian guitarscapery, the biggest surprise and quite possibly our favorite track being Moon Duo's contribution, a super stripped down, spare and spacious, minimal, almost dubby bit of space kraut mesmer, which makes sense as it's a cover of a reggae jam by Errol Dunkley. In fact, a couple other bands try their hands at covers, Skygreen Leopards do The Cure and City Center tackle the Grateful Dead!

VEE, TESCO & DAVE STIMSON Touch & Go; The Complete Hardcore Punk Zine '79-83 (Bazillion Points) book 31.00
Holy shit, is this long overdue, another incredible publication from the mighty Bazillion Points publishing house, this one, a long in the works compilation of the complete collection of the legendary Touch & Go punk zine, not the label, WAY before the label, there was this zine, an incredible collection of incendiary, funny as fuck, snotty and irreverent punk rockness. The work of Dave Stimson and Tesco Vee of the mighty Meatmen, Touch & Go set out to chronicle all of the happenings in the punk rock world, positive AND negative, never hesitating to call bullshit on any band or any record, but just as likely to heap crazy praise on sounds or folks so deserving.
Most of us were too young to be reading T&G back in the day, during the zine's 4 year lifespan, 1979-1983, it was several years before we discovered punk rock, and over the years, we probably only ever saw one or two of the 22 published issues, and always wanted more. So for most of us, this our first chance to experience Touch & Go in its entirety.
Classic old school layout, xeroxed in black and white, and hand assembled, covering all things punk rock all over the Midwest as well as in LA and New York and San Francisco and Boston and any other place kids were making a racket. Inside you'll find pretty much all the bands that mattered (and STILL matter): Black Flag, Minor Threat, Negative Approach, Die Kreuzen, Poison Idea, The Necros, Crucifix, Iron Cross, Discharge, The Misfits, the Avengers, Battalion Of Saints, JFA, SSD, 7 Seconds, the Effigies, Bad Religion, the Minutemen, the Fix, Scream, Faith and more more more. The book also adds essays by Byron Coley (Forced Exposure), Henry Owings (Chunklet), Peter Davis (Your Flesh), Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat / Fugazi / Dischord), Steve Miller (The Fix), John Brannon (Negative Approach), Corey Rusk (Necros / Touch & Go Records), Tesco Vee (The Meatmen), Keith Morris (Black Flag / Circle Jerks) and Henry Rollins (Black Flag / S.O.A.)!
As with all Bazillion Points publications, the book looks incredible, color cover printed inside and out, oversized soft cover, glossy, embossed, with printed fold over flyleafs, and classic flyers covering the end papers, while inside, every single issue, and every single page, close to 600 of 'em actually, of arguably the most important punk rock zine EVER.
So totally recommended. No self respecting music nerd / punk rocker / zine freak should be without one of these...

WARLOCK PINCHERS Bomb The Franklin Mint (self released) cd 13.98
Denver's hip hop punk rock retards the Warlock Pinchers, who flourished in the late '80s/early '90s, are either the stupidest band ever, or the most genius, probably the former, although we think it's some impossible/improbable mix of the two. You may have heard their classic anthem "Morrissey Rides A Cockhorse", a heady, hooky dose of borderline homophobic Smiths bashing, but like all of their jams, it's all in good (stupid) fun.
Their proper albums are chuck full of big dumb beats, crunchy metal riffs, big dumb rapping, and irresistable choruses, they're one of those bands who practically everyone we know LOVES, which makes way less sense once you hear them.
Bomb The Franklin Mint is tough to recommend to anyone but diehard fans, as it's a collection of early recordings, demos and practice sessions. That's not to say that this doesn't rule, it does, but it rules in a way that maybe only WP fans can really understand. Imagine very early Beastie Boys, but way more simplistic, the beats totally primitive, the guitar playing rudimentary, and the lyrics, alternatingly ridiculous, over the top, offensive and/or funny as fuck. And on these early jams, all that stuff is even more magnified, the sound even more raw and lo-fi and capital D dumb, but so fun and funny and infectious and fuck it, AWESOME.
We'd probably recommend tracking down Deadly Kun Fu Action / Pinch A Loaf and Circusized Peanuts first, the proper records do in fact rule, big time, fucked up and funny and funky, but listening to this, even the demos and practice sessions sound pretty bad ass, but then we LOOOOOVE the Warlock Pinchers, so we're not exactly objective. So fans, buy this, you definitely want it, especially for the old stuff, the first tape, most of which we'd never heard, for the rest of you, give it a try, check out the sound samples, prepare yourself for some awesomely inane over the top lo-fi goofiness, and you never know, you just might end up as weirdly obsessed as we are... [Only one sound sample, per the band's request]
MPEG Stream: "We Got The Beast (Demo)"

WINTERBLUT Von Den Pflichten Schones Zu Vernichten (Grom) cd 11.98
For some reason, it seems to take German one man band Winterblut, about 4 years to write and record a new record, at least that's the pattern we've observed over the course of all four full lengths, and the interesting thing too, is that within that huge span of time between each record, the sound of Winterblut changes dramatically, 1999's Der 6. Danach was a fierce chunk of blazing, blasting grim Nordic style blackness, while 2003's Grund: Gelenkkunst found the band utterly transformed into a twisted, convoluted SST meets Voivod sort of black prog, and then 2007's Das Aas Aller Dinge found Winterblut returning to more traditional black metal territory, but dragging some of those post rockisms and progginess with him. So here we are ANOTHER four years later, with Von Den Pflichten Schones Zu Vernichten, and again, things have definitely changed, although right off the bat, this still definitely sounds like Winterblut (Allan named that tune within about 30 seconds of hearing this for the first time without being told wht it was!!), but the sound is much more raw, and primitive, and indeed grim, the opening, a lumbering atonal midtempo trudge, the guitars jagged and abrasive, the vocals a rasped croak, the riffs woozy and trancelike, eventually the song explodes in a frenzy of blasting blackness, only to slip back into warped dirgery, and that seems to be the new Winterblut sound, veering occasionally into bursts of black intensity, but spending most of its time at a wounded crawl, the Voivodness definitely rearing its head in those parts, sounding like Dimension Hatross at 16rpm, a sort of post prog Burzumic churn, a bit doomy, quite depressive, the riffs grim and frosty, the sound sharp and brittle, super atmospheric, the atonality and gnarled chordal shifts, giving the whole record a seriously creepy fucked up vibe, which sounds incredible and seriously twisted, and is making Von Den Pflichten Schones Zu Vernichten one of our new favorite black metal records, another killer chapter, in Winterblut's very slowly expanding catalogue of black buzz miserablism. So I guess we've got 4 more to revel in WB's immersive blackness, before it's time to check in again...
MPEG Stream: "Gewollte Gewalt"
MPEG Stream: "Unheil Uber Alles"
MPEG Stream: "Weltuntergangsmaschine"

WITCHERY Witchkrieg (Century Media) cd 12.98
Oh man is this good. Total classic riff heavy Swedish blackness, thrashing, chugging, blasting, from one of our favorite long running Swedish hordes, who seem reinvigorated, with this, their first record in more than 4 years, and their first with new vocalist Legion, he of the mighty Marduk (and the legendary Ophthalamia), which only adds to the group's already pretty bad ass musical pedigree: Satanic Slaughter, Arch Enemy, Nifelheim, Illwill, Dismember, Mercyful Fate, Bloodbath, Seance, the Haunted, Brujeria. And if that wasn't enough, on this album they've also enlisted a serious cadre of metal guests: Kerry King from Slayer, Gary Holt and Lee Altus of Exodus, Hank Shermann of Mercyful Fate, Jim Durkin of Dark Angel, and Andy LaRoque of King Diamond!
Which all should give you an idea of what you're in for with Witchery circa 2010, super tight, ultra heavy, uber polished, blackened thrash, not raw or grim or fucked up or even kvlt, this is seriously well crafted heaviness, with incredible riffs, killer drumming, super memorable melodies, complex arrangments, BIG choruses, and some fucking fantastic guitar playing, from chugging churning black hole riffage, to soaring melodic leads, to total classic Maiden style harmonizing, and as much as we dug the old vocalist, Legion really cranks things up a notch, his hellish bellow, so powerful and intense, yet somehow still strangely melodic, not to mention how bad ass he looks in the band photo, complete with flaking rotting red skinned devil face and huge blood red devil horns.
Needless to say the metalheads around aQ have ben LOVING this shit, but be warned, as mentioned above, this is in no way underground or ultra raw or really all that black, instead, it's just seriously well crafted riff-ed out heaviness, that totally slays, so if you're in the market for some kick ass metallic crush, and love big riffs and heavy guitars, and don't mind a bit of melody and a decent production, then dig in. Definitely a new fave!
MPEG Stream: "Witchkrieg"
MPEG Stream: "Wearer Of Wolf's Skin"
MPEG Stream: "The God Who Fell From Earth"

WOVEN BONES In And Out And Back Again (HoZac) cd 12.98
Woven Bones are an awesome band from Austin, TX (see the Casual Victim Pile comp) who bring a more punky and dark vibe to the recent wave of great garage rock we've all been getting swept up by as of late. They are for sure one of those bands who could have been from almost any time, '86 or '96 or now, as there isn't that certain specific sonic flavor of the minute, the reverb and the feedback and the noise and the irony that seems to be part and parcel of much of the current garage rock pack. This is more meat and potatoes, dark and gritty classic garage rock, with plenty of fuzz and a distinctly gloomy overcast feel. They kind of remind us of what it would sound like if Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees covered classic punk bands like The Wipers, Fear, Angry Samoans, The Dicks or The Urinals. It's a thick and chunky sound delivered with total conviction and an almost understated aggression. We're also reminded of total garage rock legends like The Mummies and The Gruesomes. Woven Bones is one of those bands that will totally appeal to old school garage punkers who could care less about the recent wave of lo-fi weirdo rock hipsters, as well as winning over younger folks who do love all that new stuff but know the real deal when they hear it. This is fucking great!
MPEG Stream: "I'll Be Running"
MPEG Stream: "If It Feels Alright"
MPEG Stream: "Blind Conscience"

WOVEN BONES In And Out And Back Again (HoZac) lp 14.98
Woven Bones are an awesome band from Austin, TX (see the Casual Victim Pile comp) who bring a more punky and dark vibe to the recent wave of great garage rock we've all been getting swept up by as of late. They are for sure one of those bands who could have been from almost any time, '86 or '96 or now, as there isn't that certain specific sonic flavor of the minute, the reverb and the feedback and the noise and the irony that seems to be part and parcel of much of the current garage rock pack. This is more meat and potatoes, dark and gritty classic garage rock, with plenty of fuzz and a distinctly gloomy overcast feel. They kind of remind us of what it would sound like if Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees covered classic punk bands like The Wipers, Fear, Angry Samoans, The Dicks or The Urinals. It's a thick and chunky sound delivered with total conviction and an almost understated aggression. We're also reminded of total garage rock legends like The Mummies and The Gruesomes. Woven Bones is one of those bands that will totally appeal to old school garage punkers who could care less about the recent wave of lo-fi weirdo rock hipsters, as well as winning over younger folks who do love all that new stuff but know the real deal when they hear it. This is fucking great!
MPEG Stream: "I'll Be Running"
MPEG Stream: "If It Feels Alright"
MPEG Stream: "Blind Conscience"

YONKERS, MICHAEL & GR The High Speed Recording Complex (Burka For Everybody) lp 16.98
We just woke up. It's like 7am and we're pretty sleepy - but tomorrow's "list day" and there's still records to be reviewed... Let's see what effect this Michael Yonkers + GR lp will have on us.... woah! Better'n coffee... these two plug their electric guitars directly into your frontal lobes! With incessant, reverbed, choo-choo train rhythms on rattling percussion to make you get up and go. Alien distortodelic rock n' roll. Yowza.
Or, maybe, we're still asleep... 'cause we've GOTTA be dreaming. Is it really true that outsider underground guitar wranglers Michael Yonkers and Gregory Raimo team up on this lp? Yes indeed they do! Milwaukee's Yonkers is a big AQ fave best beloved for his 1969 proto-punk Microminiature Love album, and continues to kick out the jams 40 years later. Youthful French motorpsychoguitarist Gregory Raimo we also really dig, both in his badass band Gunslingers and for his krauty solo album GR & Full-Blown Expansion. That these two would collaborate actually makes perfect sense. A couple months of trans-Atlantic 4-track tape trading by these two resulted in the 9 songs on this record, that alternate between Yonkers and Raimo compositions, not that you can tell. Each added their own elements to each other's songs, frying 'em even further, as you can imagine when, besides mere guitars, the two are credited with such things as "drumming feedback" and "wall of noise".
We already alluded to the rattling perc, and pedal-mashed muzz of distortion that's ever-present. Perhaps redundantly, GR wrote a song entitled "Distortion, Blow My Mind!". Based on his Gallic ranting amidst gurgling geetar skree, we're of the opinion it already did! Meanwhile, Yonkers sounds as wearily Iggyish as ever on the gunked up garage of "Why Didn't", and kinda old-timey too, on the gospel-blues-punk (?) of "The News". And like that awesome GR&FBX disc, this lp mixes Bo Diddleyisms with hypnotic psych drone.
Whoa. Haven't even had breakfast yet, and we feel like we've already definitely gotten our daily dose and more of slashing distorted guitars and trance inducing rhythmic in the red blowouts. It's gonna be a good day.
LIMITED TO 300 COPIES.
MPEG Stream: "Why Didn't"
MPEG Stream: "Blindforce Of The Pulse Dynamo"
MPEG Stream: "Big Distance"
MPEG Stream: "Lineaments Into A Halo"

ZOLA JESUS Tsar Bomba (Troubleman Unlimited) lp 14.98
Here's the second pressing of the 2009 EP by Zola Jesus, whose neo-goth theatrics have made quite a big splash around these parts, especially with her 2010 Stridulum EP. Zola Jesus (born Nika Roza Danilova) had been trained in her formative years as an opera vocalist, but she's far more interested in taking a similar path as Siouxsie Sioux and Diamanda Galas by grafting her powerful vocals onto a grim post-punk latticework of cold, almost no-wave electronics. The arrangements are skeletal with little more than mechanical drum programming and simple atonal melodies, performed with a naive panache more in keeping with the anti-aesthetic of early Ariel Pink or John Maus. There's tons of lo-fi, energy negating reverb and swaths of blackened noise (after all she did have a split LP with Burial Hex on Aurora Borealis!) that splatter throughout the seven tracks on Tsar Bomba (the title alludes to the world's largest nuclear bomb held in the Russian arsenal... ah, nihilism!). The dichotomy between her vocals and the arrangements shouldn't work; but against the odds, it works magically, coming across like an early Cabaret Voltaire fronted by Lydia Lunch. As with the first pressing, there's 500 of these in print.

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BLACK KEYS, THE Brothers (Nonesuch) cd 15.98
Black Keys are back with another rompin' output of heavy hitting soul fueled rocking jammers. Catchy, fuzzy and soulful, a formula the duo has been perfecting over their short but high-profile career. As much as we were scared of what this less damaged, more refined sound might be, we were happy to find that these songs are super infectious and truly well-written. In fact this album really feels so much more unified and spot-on then some of their past outings. Some of us who had never really been the biggest of fans are finding ourselves listening to this over and over. They've tapped into this really cool spirited sound that makes us think of what it might sound like if the White Stripes and Devendra Banhart joined forces, as there is a super cool T. Rex vibe going on throughout Brothers. We could see so many folks digging this, from fans of garage rock, pop and psych to '60s/'70s fanatics. We usually shy away from new stuff that incorporates a blues-like aesthetic in its rock n' roll but The Black Keys have really mastered it, and begun to execute and understand that understatement can ring really loud. This is a killer rock n' roll album!
MPEG Stream: "Everlasting Light"
MPEG Stream: "Next Girl"

CIRCLE OF DEAD CHILDREN Zero Comfort Margin (Willowtip) cd 6.00
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**
Found a pile of these hidden away in a closet here, so heck let's put 'em on sale, it's a good one for grindmetal freaks, if you don't have it already. Here's what we said about it when we originally listed it ages ago:
The latest, greatest blast of grinding death metal brutality from the brilliantly named Circle Of Dead Children. A furiously fast, ultra downtuned selection of brief blasting bursts of death metal drenched ultragrind, most clocking in at under a minute, but even the briefest blasts pack in a million parts and a billion notes. Head spinning, ear splitting, mind meltingly technical grind, think Discordance Axis, Creation Is Crucifixion, Cephalic Carnage, you know the sort of blazing destruction we're talking about. Plus awesome cover art and killer song titles like "No Tears Fall Through Hollow Eye Sockets", "Chemical Goat". Just what you need for that next gore soaked, techgrind, mathmetal fix for sure!
[Note: if you want more, CoDC just put out a new full-length on Willowtip, Psalm Of The Grand Destroyer, their first release since this one, we'll see about getting that in soon too.]
MPEG Stream: "Zero Comfort Margin"
MPEG Stream: "No Tears Fall Through Hollow Eye Sockets"
MPEG Stream: "Chemical Goat"

CRYSTAL CASTLES Crystal Castles (Fiction / Universal Motown) 2lp 19.98
Now on Vinyl!
One of the trends that we've noticed in the last several years with many of our favorite music makers is that it's seemingly become about releasing as MUCH as you can as OFTEN as you can. And while it's awesome to get so much new music from bands you like, there is still something to be said for really taking your time and crafting fully realized albums that may take a few years to wait for. At the rate that everyone is putting out releases, we almost just figured that Crystal Castles had somehow vanished or had broken up since we haven't heard a peep from them since their infectious debut from a couple years ago.
Luckily they are indeed back and sounding perhaps even more focused, frantic, infectious and engaging than on their debut. (Though would it have killed them to have spent just a few more minutes and come up with an album title? Having two self-titled discs is a bit confusing!) Equal parts '80s flashback, electro-pop with cold wave persuasions, primitive electronics, post-punk spazzy convulsions (the first track would have sounded right at home on one of our favorite spazzcore records by folks like The Locust, The VSS, or Clikatat Ikatowi), and catchy pop prowess. This is one of those records that really does appeal to so many different musical ears, and just about all of us at AQ can't stop listening to it. While it's not too unusual for Andee and Allan to come running up to the front of the store to see what's playing, this time it was Cup, whose desk is the furthest from the front, who had to make a beeline to the speakers to find out who it was covering '80s Canadian glammy new wavers Platinum Blonde! And the fact that Crystal Castles even chose one of the lesser hits of theirs to cover, not to mention that singer Alice Glass hadn't even been born yet when the original was released, just proves this duo has done their homework over the years and are now WAY ahead of the pack!
Like The Knife lending a helping hand to lead Adult. back to greatness, or Caribou, Hot Chip, Goldfrapp, Chromatics, M83 and The Junior Boys all somehow poisoned by a much darker goth-like magic potion. Even those of us who are usually a little shy when it comes to beat orientated music are totally digging this as there is something much more weird and nuanced happening than on lots of other electro-pop records that come our way. It's super fun but not dumb, varied but not erratic, gets out-there but not alienating, sexy but not a put on. Bottom line, it's a fucking awesome record!
MPEG Stream: "Celestica"
MPEG Stream: "Not In Love"
MPEG Stream: "Year Of Silence"
MPEG Stream: "I Am Made Of Chalk"

EXPLOSICUM Conflict (AreaDeath) cd 11.98
Have had a couple of these in stock for a while now, but never listed 'em. Decided it might be a good idea, since those of you looking for Chinese thrash metal that sounds a lot like Slayer ought to be stoked. They even have a song that's called "slaaaaaayer!!!" (yeah with six 'a's, three exclamation points, and a lower case 's'). That's what it's called in English, though the lyrics are in Chinese).
Explosicum hail from Nanchang, China, and share a member with No Colours recording artists Be Persecuted ("the first Chinese black metal band"). In addition to Slayer, it's a cinch that this old school thrash is influenced by Overkill and Bay Area bands like Exodus. Conflict is the band's first and so far only album, enough for us but definitely a decent dose of blazing battery, widdly guitar, and shrieking vokill aggravation, proving once again that thrash (and metal) is a universal language...
MPEG Stream: "On The Road Of Death"
MPEG Stream: "slaaaaaayer!!!"

FREAK SCENE, THE Psychedelic Psoul (Lion) cd 14.98
We first encountered The Freak Scene as the lesser half of a two-fer cd reissue with the very tangentially related Devil's Anvil album Hard Rock From The Middle East. THAT awesome album was recently reissued solo by Rev-Ola, and highlighted here last year. Now for those that need it, there's also a separate cd reissue of The Freak Scene as well, via the Lion label.
As you might guess from that band's name and album title, The Freak Scene were a bit of a psychedelic-era novelty, a studio project put together by producer/songwriter Rusty Evans for CBS Records. The record exploits all of the trippy tropes of the times, from Eastern-raga modes to LSD-inspired lyrics. It's no classic, but does include at least one truly great psych-pop track, the Nuggets-worthy "A Million Grains of Sand". The Freak Scene also indulges in dated but amusing free-form sound-collage experiments like "...When In The Course of Human Events (Draft Beer, Not Students)" which tries to make a statement about the whole sixties counterculture vibe. It's a mix of Pete Seeger, Laugh-In, and LSD party. Total Vietnam-era pop culture hippie kitsch, worthy of reissue for the nostalgic entertainment value. As with all Lion reissues, nicely done, with plenty of liner notes and vintage graphics. There's also nine bonus tracks, bringing the total to 21 and making this the definitive edition for sure. Those tracks are 1966 demos for songs that mostly either wound up on Psychedelic Psoul or another project Evans and other Freak Scensters were involved with, The Deep, and their album Psychedelic Moods.
MPEG Stream: "...When In The Course of Human Events (Draft Beer, Not Students)"
MPEG Stream: "A Million Grains of Sand"
MPEG Stream: "My Rainbow Life"

HALLOW Soundtrack (Totalvernichtung) cd 21.00
Woah! We still have a few of these left, which doesn't seem possible. Limited to 220 copies, folks! Awesome music, awesome packaging. Here's the review from when we listed it back in May...
We listed the vinyl version of this a while back, a super deluxe (and quite expensive) double lp, the soundtrack to an art show by Hallow mainman (only man?) Mark McCoy, who is also fronts aQ faves Ancestors (the noisy black metal Ancestors, not the stoner one), Hallow sounding not surprisingly like a meaner, less black metal, way more fucked up hardcore Ancestors. And as we mentioned before, anyone, and we mean ANYone who loves those Ancestors records, absolutely needs this as well.
In addition to fronting multiple metallic behemoths, McCoy also creates some super intense artwork, strange assemblages of ruined buildings, of crumbling riggings, collapsing structures suspended in space, intricate to the point of being the work of a madman, these drawings are captivating, incredible, precise and ultra detailed, and in their own way, they are imbued with some sort of fucked up energy, they seem, sad, they seem violent, abandoned, lonely, possessed, EVIL even. Those drawings are presented beautifully here, included on smallish inserts, held in place by a Japanese style obi, all housed in one of the most gorgeous and confounding packages ever. All white, sealed with wax, each page embossed or debossed with all sorts of calligraphic filigree, old text, strange sigils, incredible for sure, but then comes the real question, where the heck is the cd? Hidden in the packaging, like some sort of Raiders Of The Lost Ark / National Treasure artifact, that's where, INSIDE the thick text adorned back panel, a panel that seemingly must be destroyed to retrieve the cd, in keeping with the theme of destruction so prevalent in McCoy's artwork and music. We're told there is a way to get the disc out if you're careful, but we've been afraid to try. As an object though, it's breathtaking, and if you are brave enough to retrieve the hidden compact disc, you won't be sorry, the cd contains a series of songs, of soundtracks, each to accompany one of McCoy's pieces, it's up to the listener to determine which song accompanies which drawing. But it hardly matters, on their own, the images are breathtaking, and the music, even minus the art, is some seriously blackened and caustic metalnoize crush.
The first half of the disc plays out like an Ancestors records, a bunch of short sharp tracks, furious frenetic post hardcore black metal buzz and pound and blast, super harsh, hellish, hateful, awesomely buzzy riffs, wildly blasting beats, walls of feedback wrapped around lurching anti-grooves, the songs stuttering and lumbering and exploding into jagged freakouts before locking back into some churning rhythm or white hot blast. But soon, the sound shifts and transforms, sonically similar to what came before in some ways, but a whole different beast in others, a noisy depressive dirge, epic and spacious, definitely doomy, the guitars heavily distorted and processed, effects all over the place, the vocals insane and harsh and noisy draped over the sheets of buzz and blur and the spaced out plod below, before the sound grows ever more blown out, the guitars blindingly effulgent, all of the sounds on the verge of total collapse, but at the same time strangely melodic and epic.
Elsewhere, Hallow unfurl thick corrosive noisescapes equal parts Wolf Eyes and Blue Sabbath Black Cheer, caustic and abject, tangled strands of feedback wound around thick heaving slabs of distorted low end, all melted down into something thick and black and viscous, gradually splintering into something super abstract, all high end, chittering, chirping, stuttering, squeaking shards of upper register squelch and glitch, Morse code beeps, chirping crickets, wheezing creaks, a hauntingly melodic field of fragmented skree, chaotic and abrasive, but also textural and abstract and actually sort of beautiful.
LIMITED TO 220 COPIES!!!
MPEG Stream: "II"
MPEG Stream: "III"
MPEG Stream: "VII"
MPEG Stream: ""

LENO s/t (Vinilisssimo) lp 27.00
Vinyl reissue of this sorta Sabbathy '70s stormer from Spain. We're stoked, 'cause we stocked a cd reissue some years back, that's now out of print. This is how we praised it then:
You wouldn't necessarily guess from the album cover - an oddly staged photo featuring four long haired dudes with peculiar, only-in the-seventies fashion sense (high top Converse sneakers or bare feet, tube socks, floral print shirt and white vest and pants, bathrobe, shorts, little red hat...) relaxing at a cafe table - that this is as heavy as it is. But it is. Though this first (and best) album by Spanish hard rockers Leno dates from 1979, it definitely sounds a few years older than that. Total early '70s heavy proto-metal in sound for fans of all that stuff like Dust, Toad, Bang, Buffalo, Budgie, Blues Creation, Socrates Drank The Conium, etc. Wild, riffy rock with tough, rough wailing (Spanish-language) vocals and lots and lots of *killer* guitar that gets almost Sabbathy in spots. Man, we love finding obscure stuff like this that sounds so classic the second you put it on. Pretty darn kick ass.
Limited edition, 180 gram vinyl.
MPEG Stream: "El Oportunista"
MPEG Stream: "Este Madrid"

MANSON, CHARLES The Summer Of Hate - The '67 Sessions (Arte Lupo) cd 15.98
After a few years, back in stock! Just in time for summer!
We reviewed the Charles Manson Sings disc on ESP a while back, and everyone kinda freaked out. We couldn't keep 'em in stock. Cuz beyond being a psycho, and a cult leader, and the mastermind behind a handful of gruesome killings, he was also some sort of musical visionary, a damaged folk troubador, obsessed with music, and with becoming an actual musician like his pals in the Beach Boys, his songs were dark and brooding, but strangely beautiful, haunting, intimate and personal. He had a really unique voice to, throaty and velvety smooth, like a raspier Nick Drake. 
This set of songs was recorded after just getting out of a prison stretch in the '60s, almost a year before he recorded his first and only proper album, and another year before the Tate / Labianca murders that would seal his place in history forever. 
The sound is rough and raw and lo-fi, but only adds to the strange power of these songs and performances. We described the recordings on Sings as "reverb drenched beatniky psychedelic freekfolk" and while there is some of that here, the sound here is much more stripped down and traditional sounding. Barebones and simple, it's all about Manson's voice and the guitar, and both sound divine. Moody and melancholy, slightly hippy, dark and thoughtful and really intense and pretty. Sure serial killer obsessives will be all over this, especially because most of the tracks have Manson going off on weird little rants after or before each song, stories, jokes, philosophies, usually delivered with a self conscious giggle, snippets of conversation with the guy recording these sessions or whoever else happens to be in the room. There's even a three minute interview included. It's definitely a bit creepy, especially knowing how everything would end up. 
But the music, taken on its own, is still super powerful, some gorgeously raw chunks of raw acoustic folk. Fans of classic stuff like Nick Drake, Townes Van Zandt, Bill Fay, as well as folks into Banhart, Vetiver, Espers, Fursaxa, Wooden Wand and any of the more song oriented modern freakfolks will definitely dig this like crazy, and probably oughta pick up the ESP disc as well...
MPEG Stream: "Devil Man"
MPEG Stream: "True Love You Will Find"
MPEG Stream: "She Done Turned Me In"

NAILGUNNER Apocalypse. Now Or Never (AreaDeath) cd 11.98
Also found we had a couple of these, never listed. Another band doing the whole old school thrash metal revival thing, this time from Finland. The cleverly titled Apocalyspe. Now Or Never is their debut full-length. While they don't quite attain the rabid off-the-rails insanity of our particular Finnish thrash faves Pyrotoxic (RIP), they're still pretty entertaining if you're into the current wave of thrash nostalgia. Fast, frazzled, chugga-chugga-chugga bleaaaargh right out of the gate, and it doesn't let up. Wretched vokills lay down the thrash law over pummelling battery and razor sharp riffin' guitar grind. For fans of Slayer and the like.
MPEG Stream: "Futuristic Deth"
MPEG Stream: "On Metal Monsters We Ride"

ROBERTS, ALASDAIR / JACKIE OATES A Selection Of Marches, Quicksteps, Laments, Strathspeys Reels And Country Dances (Room 40) 7" 13.98
Beloved Scottish troubadour Alasdair Roberts teams up with fiddle playing English lass Jackie Oates for these four tunes - three instrumentals and one with vocals - all with a reverential nod towards British and Scottish folk traditions. The interplay between Roberts' deftly fingerpicked guitar and Oates' fiddle is light, graceful and utterly at ease. The rather coldly clinical title of this record really doesn't do the sprightly passionate music justice. Sure to please Roberts' followers and offers Oates a fine introduction to those on this side of the pond! We only got 3 copies btw...

SUN CITY GIRLS 330,003 Crossdressers From Beyond The Rig Veda (Get Back) 3lp box 68.00
ONCE AGAIN IN PRINT ON VINYL... at a not so nice price, unfortunately, but exquisitely presented in a swank box with some fancy printed inner sleeves, an appropriate presentation for one of this band's crowning achievements.
Originally released in 1996 on double cd the later as a triple lp (both those versions now out of print), "Crossdressers" almost certainly comes damn close to the sheer genius of "Torch of the Mystics", the Sun City Girls' most highly regarded recording. The tracks contained herein capture the Girls at their most creepy, beautiful and just downright inspired. Whether it's the ploddingly gloomy song "CCC" with its rumbling piano, ominous guitar line, howled chorus and rain, or the SoCal-esque punk arrangements of traditional sounding East Asian songs like "Soi Cowboy", or the numerous free-jazz meets Javanese gamelan experiments, the Girls are at the peak of their game on these tracks. Possibly the most remarkable moment of all is the faux-Indian fusion acid-psych jam between the Girls and long time collaborator violinist Eyvind Kang, in which Kang convincingly plays Indian style violin improvisations with gentle accompaniment from the Girls before building into one of the most impressive freak-out frenzies the band has ever committed to tape.
So goddamn good. Grab one of these before it goes out of print AGAIN.

SZCZEPANIK, NICHOLAS Astilbe Rubra (Small Doses) cd-r 7.98
Found a small stash of these in the closet, already out of print, these are likely the last copies we'll ever see...
Another killer release from sound artist Nicholas Szczepanik, this one on Small Doses, another micro-label whose releases we just can't get enough of, every one lovingly and extravagantly packaged, which is surprising considering how limited the releases are. This one is no different, only 104 copies, housed in a gorgeous screen printed diecut fold over sleeve, with a printed insert, liner notes, and each one is hand numbered.
Szczepanik offers this release as a work in process, each track an unfinished idea, meant to be pursued and fleshed out later, but to our ears, these tracks sound perfect as they are. Deep, rich, lustrous sprawls of drone and whir and ambient shimmer. Heck there's even a track called "Shimmer", although it doesn't shimmer so much as crumble and grind and rumble. The opening track begins with a wall of soft white noise, that unfolds gradually, eventually revealing a warm chordal whir within, that stretches out into a long, dreamlike crawl. Lots of the tracks experiment with glitch and hiss and buzz, recording inconsistencies, meshed with abstract field recordings, some tracks are seriously intense, brittle, sharp and jagged, while others are murky and minimal, muted and introspective. Hard to believe these are just works in progress, but if they are, we sure can't wait to hear them when they're finished.
MPEG Stream: "Tire"
MPEG Stream: "Merci Manu & Sophie"
MPEG Stream: "Shimmer"

VI De Praestigiis Daemonum (Debemur Morti) cd ep 13.98
We've gone on at great length about our love of French black metal, the more grim and gnarled and fucked up and fierce the better. And it doesn't get a whole lot better than VI, a record we got a while back, but not enough to list properly, instead, the few copies we had sat lurking in the shadows...
But since it looks like we won't actually get more, we figured at least a few of you would love to get your blackened little paws on this sonic sickness, and sick it is. About as heavy and punishing and furious as French black metal gets, definitely on par with say Deathspell Omega, maybe not quite as weird and progressive, bur easily as intense and evil, the sound supremely black and utterly grim, but the vibe, and the atmosphere... so oppressive and so so evil. The guitars are massive, and so fast and buzzy, they almost blur into trancelike drones, the whole band a blasting black beast, careening wildly, only occasionally slowing down to something less than lightning speed, mixing in haunting melodies, strange angelic voices, but focusing mostly on the sheer brutality and black ferocity of their sound. Kind of shocked actually that these guys aren't huge. Anyone into orthodox French blackness, should definitely bow down.
More from the label: "In their first gospel, French black metal devil worshipping misanthropes VI launch a ceremonious attack on the sheep-like practices of God-fearing man. Armed with dark fervor, diabolic discipline, devilish devotion, frenzied insectoid riffing and apocalyptic blasting, the deviant duo unleash their profane scriptures amid a rapturous cataclysm of scorn and disgust. Abiding by an alternate set of tenets, VI dutifully exercise their (anti-)faith, whilst exorcising the belief system of the virtuous. Espousing hedonism, individualism and overt Satanism, these prayers are composed (in the native tongue) with reverence and respect, venerating all things vile and vicious. Consecration of the depraved; sanctification of the obscene; emancipation of the human spirit. Bless them, father, for they have sinned..."
Indeed!
MPEG Stream: "Et Maintenant Je Lui Appartiens"
MPEG Stream: "Je Me Dresse Devant Le Trone"

WISHBONE ASH Argus ( MCA / Universal) lp 14.98
All right, a 180 gram vinyl reissue of this longtime fave! Basically if you're into epic twin guitar harmonies, THIS is the band, before Lizzy, before Priest, before Maiden, before The F'n Champs... Here's what Allan here wrote about it when he reviewed a cd reish (still available, w/ bonus tracks, btw) many years ago on list 136:
Back on list 126, I wrote about my belated discovery of the greatness that is Wishbone Ash's self-titled 1970 debut. Well, now it's about time to follow that up with a rave review of another Wishbone Ash record, this being the newly remastered and expanded edition of their third album, 1972's Argus. Giving this a few listens, I've come to the conclusion that while their first album is certainly somewhat more of a "heavy rock" outing (think Cream meets Thin Lizzy), Argus is equally great, and is actually destined to be one of my ALL TIME favorite albums! Seriously, I'm becoming kinda obsessed with listening to this, with its absolutely gorgeous, gentle melodies and its extended instrumental workouts. Some internet investigation reveals that I'm not alone - this record is in fact considered by many fans to be Wishbone Ash's absolute masterpiece. They just got everything right on this release, from the evocative cover photo of an ancient sentry to the achingly beautiful, stirring music. I can't get enough of the three-part vocal harmonies, the dual guitar leads, or the melancholic power of the riffs. Favorite tracks include the beautiful British folk of "Leaf And Stream", the anthemic "Warrior", and the shoulda-been-a-pop-hit "Sometime World". The whole album has a timeless vibe. Maybe you could call their style "rural progressive" rock? It's melodic, mystical and complex in ways that make it sound simple. Truly 'classic' rock that needs to be rediscovered.
MPEG Stream: "The King Will Come"
MPEG Stream: "Warrior"

YESYESYES Issue #1 magazine 4.50
Super cool new magazine from right here in San Francisco covering all sorts of rad music, art, writing and filled with really top notch photography. This is no sloppy hand xeroxed zine, this is a really nice looking and printed magazine that feels really genuine and earnest in its mission to expose and bring light to lots of the interesting sights and sounds coming out of the Bay Area underground. The debut issue features interviews with Sic Alps, Bridez, a photo spread from Hamburger Eyes, the trippy watercolors of Augustus Thompson and lots more. A really good way for folks from far away to get a nice snapshot of what's going on here in San Francisco, and also a nice reminder for all of us who live here to appreciate all the awesome stuff that is being created here in the Bay Area.

----*
----* Compilations :
----*

V/A Local Customs: Lone Star Lowlands (Numero Group) cd 17.98
For the second edition of their Local Customs series, The Numero Group dig deep into the heart of Beaumont, Texas and uncover a regional archive of dusty, sunscorched sounds from Lowland Studios. Operating from the late sixties to the early seventies and barely surviving even in the best of times, the studio recorded a wide range of local flavor from a tight knit scene of bands for small independent labels. The 22 tracks here fall into primarily three groups: Heavy southern-fried boogie rock, Crosby Stills and Nash-ish folk, and nascent Yacht Rock, even though we're sure no one here had a yacht to rock out on. While some tracks on here aren't necessarily our cup of tea, it's hard not to get caught up in the music when the Numero Group has done such an amazing job of documenting the history of this scene, with thorough liner notes, a family tree of players and bands and lots of cool photos. A really fancy package.
We like the boogie stuff best, especially the bands Boot Hill and D.O.A. (and they look awesome too!). But then there's the final song by Donald Thomas called "Black Night Is Calling Me Home" with its too-high-in-the-mix vocalised guitar riff, a real hoot! Some of us here gonna get this just for that. We're sure anyone into classic rock from 1970-77 featuring dudes with long hair and mustaches singing about their ladies (think Molly Hatchet, Little Feat, Audience, CSN, BTO, Ten Wheel Drive, etc.) will probably find lots to like here. Though all we could think about while listening to this is: MORE COWBELL!!!!!
MPEG Stream: LOWLANDS STUDIO BAND "Trash One"
MPEG Stream: D.O.A. "Lady Tell Me Why"
MPEG Stream: MOURNING SUN "Where's Love Gone Today"
MPEG Stream: BOOT HILL "No Control"
MPEG Stream: DONALD THOMAS "Black Night Is Calling Me Home"

----*
----* In Stock, Not Yet Reviewed :
----*

If you want to order one of these, just search for the item, then click on the buy button and it will be added to your cart!

2+2=5, THE "Into The Future..." (Spittle) cd 21.00
A-FRAMES "333" (S-S) 3lp 36.00
ANBB (ALVA NOTO & BLIXA BARGELD) "Ret Marut Handshake" (Raster-Noton) 12" 14.98
ARCHITEUTHIS REX "Dark As The Sea" (Utech) cd 14.98
AUTECHRE "Move Of Ten Pt.1" (Warp) 12" 12.98
AUTECHRE "Move Of Ten Pt.2" (Warp) 12" 12.98
AUTECHRE "Move Of Ten" (Warp) cd 12.98
AUTOMELODI "s/t" (Wierd) cd 11.98
BASTARD NOISE "A Culture Of Monsters" (Deep Six) cd/lp 10.98/12.98
BIG BOI "Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son Of Chico Dusty" (Def Jam) cd/2lp 12.98/14.98
BOOKS "Way Out" (Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd 14.98
BRAINTICKET "Cottonwoodhill" (Lilith) lp + cd 30.00
CARISSA'S WEIRD "They'll Only Miss You When You Leave: Songs 1996 - 2003" (Hardly Art) cd 14.98
CISFINITUM "Devotion" (Drone) 10" 14.98
CLINE, NELS SINGERS "Initiate" (Cryptogramophone) 2cd 16.98
CURE, THE "Disintegration (Deluxe Edition)" (Rhino / Fiction) 3cd 36.00
DANGER MOUSE & SPARKLEHORSE "Dark Night Of The Soul" (Capitol / Lex) cd/2lp 16.98/21.00
DDAMAGE "Aeroplanes" (Ascetic) cd 19.98
DIVORCE "s/t" (Optimo) 10" 13.98
DUKES, THE "s/t" (Red Lounge) cd 23.00
EMINEM "Recovery" (Aftermath / Interscope) cd 16.98
ENDLESS BOOGIE "Full House Head" (No Quarter) cd 14.98
ENDTABLES, THE "s/t" (Drag City) cd 14.98
FABULOUS DIAMONDS "Fabulous Diamonds II" (Chapter Music) cd 16.98
FOOT VILLAGE "Anti-Magic" (Upset The Rhythm) lp 17.98
GLITTERBUG "Privilege" (C. Sides) cd 19.98
HIGH WOLF "Ascension" (Not Not Fun) lp 14.98
HOUR OF 13 "The Ritualist" (Eyes Like Snow / Northern Silence) cd 14.98
HTRK "Nostalgia" (Fire) cd 15.98
INTERNATIONAL HELLO "s/t" (Holy Mountain) lp 14.98
JONNYX AND THE GROADIES "TV Party: Re-Runs And Lost Episodes" (JX:ATG) cd 10.98
KNUT "Wonder" (Hydra Head) cd 14.98
LAZER ZEPPELIN "American Derivative" (People In A Position To Know) lp 14.98
LOWER DENS "Twin-Hand Movement" (Gnomonsong) cd/lp 13.98/14.98
LYNCH, JULIAN "Droplet On A Hot Stone" (Underwater Peoples) 7"+cd 8.98
MAGIC BULLETS "Lying Around" (Mon Amie) 7" 4.98
MAX PLANCK "Kill The Pain" (Buried By Time And Dust) lp 32.00
NEON "Oscillator" (Spittle) cd 21.00
OPTIMO "Fabric 52" (Fabric) cd 17.98
PEOPLE LIKE US & WOBBLY "Music For The Fire" (Illegal Art) cd 16.98
PRIESTESS "Prior To The Fire" (Tee Pee) cd 15.98
RABELAIS, AKIRA "Caduceus" (Samadhisound) cd 16.98
RADIO BIRDMAN "Radios Appear" (4 Men With Beards) lp 16.98
RICHTER, MAX "Infra" (Fatcat) cd 14.98
ROSE, JACK & GLENN JONES "The Things That We used To Do" (Strange Attractions) dvd 20.00
ROSE, JACK WITH D. CHARLES SPEER & THE HELIX "Ragged And Right" (Thrill Jockey) cd ep 11.98
SHANNON AND THE CLAMS "Paddy's Birthday" (South Paw) 7" 7.98
SIR LORD BALTIMORE "Kingdom Come" (Universal) lp 16.98
SIR LORD BALTIMORE "s/t" (Universal) lp 16.98
SO PRECUSSION & MATMOS "Treasure State" (Cantaloup) cd 21.00
SUN RA "Egypt Strut" (Vinyl Lovers) lp 23.00
SUPERCHUNK "Digging For Something" (Merge) 7" 5.98
TARTUFI "The Goodwill Of The Scar" (Southern) lp 14.98
TECUMSEH "Sea(s)" (Black Horizons) lp $14.98
TONETTA "777" (Black Tent) lp+cd 28.00
TOP TEN "Girls Understand / Don't Talk About Us" (Classic Bar Music) 7" 5.98
TRANS AM "Thing" (Thrill Jockey) cd 15.98
V/A "Clicks And Cuts 5.0" (Mille Plateax) cd 17.98
V/A "Fundamental Experiment" (self-released) lp 17.98
V/A "Karl Rove: Courage And Concequence" (Seismic.Wave) lp 14.98
V/A "Milano New Wave 1980-83" (Spittle) cd 21.00
V/A "Turkish Freakout" (Bouzouki Joe) cd 17.98
VON OSWALD, MORITZ TRIO "Live In New York" (Honest Jons) 2lp+cd 30.00
WE LIKE CATS "Proper Eats" (Marriage) lp 13.98
WETDOG "Enterprise Reversal" (Angular Recordings) lp 30.00
WILD NOTHING "Gemini" (Captured Tracks) cd/lp 14.98/16.98
ZOROASTER "Matador" (E1) cd 15.98

_______________________________________________________________________

Please place your order via our website.

[1] We will contact you to verify your order and let you know when it will be shipped. Please note that occasionally it may take a day or two for us to reply. We are not a faceless bunch of computers replying to your order -- we are human beings!

[2] If we are out of some of your items and we think we will get them within the same week, we can wait to ship. Or... If it's going to be more than a few days to complete your order, we will ship what we have and then will contact you as the remainders arrive.

[ note ] Due to the everchanging nature of the independent record business, we are not responsible for listed price changes (due to supplier price changes) and often cannot update our site fast enough to reflect these changes, but we will always try to let you know of any differences.


NEW DOMESTIC SHIPPING RATES :
--------------------------------
STANDARD (DEFAULT):

    1 CD (or cassette or DVD or 7") : $2.95 USPS First Class                                                                                               

    1-3 CD (or cassette or DVD, but not 7"s) : $4.95 USPS Priority Mail via flat rate box                                                          

    4+ CD, or any package with LPs in it (also books & box sets), any number of items: $9.95 UPS Ground    
     
Also, please note that UPS will not ship to PO Boxes, so those packages that would have gone UPS will be sent USPS Priority for $9.95,
or you may select  USPS Media Mail instead, see below.

UPS shipments are automatically trackable and include insurance up to $100.        
USPS shipments (First Class, Priority, and Media Mail) are all automatically trackable.

OR, you can choose instead to have your order shipped by MEDIA MAIL:

    1-3 items (i.e. w/ LPs) : $5.95 USPS Media Mail 

    4+ items : $7.95 USPS Media Mail


Special shipping needs (e.g. UPS Next Day) are also doable, just ask for a quote.
Also, if you are just getting 1 item that would therefore ship USPS First Class, and for some reason you would rather have it sent Priority, then you could say so in the comments field. (Note: however, 7"s are too big for the Priority flat rate boxes.)

NOTE: UPS permits their drivers to determine if there is a secure location at the shipping address to leave the package if no one is there to receive it (unfortunately some are less cautious than others!). If you'd prefer that they not do this or if you have specific instructions for the driver, please include a note in the comments section of your weborder form.

PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK SHIPPING ADDRESSES BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR ORDER. Aquarius is not responsible for orders delayed or returned due to incorrect or undeliverable addresses provided by the customer. Returned packages will be reshipped at the customer's expense.

Shipping rates are charged per shipment.


INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING :
-------------------------------- For foreign customers we ship via US AIRMAIL ("First Class International"). Your price is based on the actual cost of shipping plus $1. You can check the US Postal Service international rate calculator: http://ircalc.usps.gov/. (Use the "Package" category and see the price for "First Class International". 1-3 cds is usually 1 pound.)

We highly recommend insurance for your international package, but it is very expensive! You can check the US Postal Service international rate calculator: http://ircalc.usps.gov/. (Use the "Package" category and see the price for "Priority Mail International". 1-3 cds is usually 1 pound. 1 lp is usually a little over 1.5 pounds.)


INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE :
-------------------------------- You are hereby forewarned that Aquarius is not responsible if your international package gets lost in the mail. Insurance is your only recourse if your records never show up. Since the terrible events of 9/11, mail service has been slow and undependable... and while we haven't experienced any *confirmed* permanently lost mail, insurance might provide some additional piece of mind in this time of upheaval. We strongly recommend it. But yes, it is very expensive. It's your choice. Again: Aquarius is not responsible for lost mail, so if you aren't willing to take a (slight but real) risk, please buy the insurance.

International insurance is very expensive! In fact often the insurance costs more than the value of your package, in which case it obviously does not make sense to insure it. You can check the US Postal Service international rate calculator: http://ircalc.usps.gov/. (Use the "Package" category and see the price for "Priority Mail International", which is the way insured packages are sent. 1-3 cds is usually 1 pound. 1 lp is usually a little over 1.5 pounds.)

For example: for a one-pound package worth $18 going to England, shipping without insurance is about $11.00. But with insurance, the shipping / insurance total is over $26.00!

It is your reponsibility to check the international rate calculator in order to determine whether or not you want international insurance. If you tell us you want international insurance, we will add it to your order no matter how much it costs!


PAYMENT :
-------------------------------- We accept the following credit cards: Visa, MC, Discover, and Amex. We will not charge your credit card until your order is ready to ship.

Money orders are accepted, but only in $USD. International customers please note that they must be international postal money orders purchased at a post office. Additional processing fees may apply. 

If you wish to pay by money order, you must confirm the order with us through email or phone BEFORE you send any payment. It's best to just use the secure order form on the website, and when checking out mark money order as your payment choice. We will then process your order and respond with all the crucial payment info.

We also accept payment by Paypal. If you opt for this payment method, we will send you a paypal total and payment instructions as soon as we've confirmed your order with you. Please do not send payment until you have received human contact from our mailorder department.

Unfortunately, we cannot take personal checks for mailorder, sorry!


QUESTION?
-------------------------------- Email the mailorder department: mailorder@aquariusrecords.org
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SOME SELECTED UPCOMING RELEASES

----} on the way to us now in fact
Pharaoh Overlord "Siluurikaudella" cd on Ektro
Ratto Ja Lehtisalo "UU Mama" cd on Ektro
Thor "Only The Strong" cd reissue on Ektro

----} July 20th
Sleigh Bells "Treats" vinyl version
Early Man "Death Potion" cd on The End
High Confessions "Turning Lead Into Gold With..." cd on Relapse
Yob "Great Cessation" vinyl version

----} July 27th
Gate "Republic Of Sadness" lp on Ba Da Bing
Jaill "That's How We Burn" cd/lp on Sub Pop
David Cross "Bigger & Blackerer" vinyl version on Sub Pop

----} August 3rd
Arcade Fire "Suburbs" cd on Merge
Wavves "King Of The Beach" cd/lp on Fat Possum
Dax Riggs "Say Goodnight To The World" cd on Fat Possum

----} August 8th
Jelly Roll Morton "The Chant" lp on Monk
Blind Lemon Jefferson "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" lp on Monk
LCD Soundsystem "This Is Happening" 2lp on DFA
Alastair Galbraith "Mass" lp on Siltbreeze

----} August 17th
Boris & Ian Astbury "BXI" ep on Southern Lord
Lo Borges "s/t" vinyl reissue on 4 Men With Beards

----} August 24th
Apocalyptica "7th Symphony" cd on Jive
Christian Mistress "Agony And Opium" cd/lp on 20 Buck Spin
James Blackshaw "All Is Falling" cd/lp on Young God
Venetian Snares "My So-called Life" cd/2lp on Timesig

----} August 31st
Boris "Absolutego" 2lp vinyl version on Southern Lord
Boris "Amplifier Worship" 2lp vinyl version on Southern Lord

----} September 7th
Dawnbringer "Nucleus" cd on Profound Lore
Cloudland Canyon "Fin Eaves" cd/lp on Holy Mountain
Arp "Soft Wave" cd on Smalltown Supersound

----} September 7th
Of Montreal "False Priest" cd/2lp on Polyvinyl

----} September 21st
Nekrasov "Extinction" cd on Crucial Blast
Outsiders "CQ" vinyl reissue on Jackpot

----} also upcoming sooner or later or sooner or later or whenever
Blizaro "Nightmare City" cd on Razorback
Svarte Greiner "Penpals Forever (And Ever)" cd version on Digitalis
Bitchin Bajas "Tones & Zones" cd on Important
Slough Feg "The Spirit Animals" cd on Profound Lore
Xasthur "Portal" vinyl on Hydra Head
On (reworked by Fennesz) "Something That Has Form And Something That Does Not" cd/lp on Type
Randy Barracuda "On The Low" 12" on Harmonia
Limonious "House Of Usher" lp on Flogsta Danshall
Expo 70 "Sonic Messenger" and "Black Ohms" vinyl editions on Beta-lactam Ring
The Sticks "s/t" cd/2x7" on Upset The Rhythm
Harvey Milk "s/t" vinyl edition on Hydra Head
Torche / Boris "Chapter Ahead Being Fake" split 10" on Hydra Head
Pyramids w/ Nadja "Lustmord / Ulver Remix" 12" on Hydra Head
Grasslung "Feeding Your Horizon" on Root Strata
Jim Haynes "Rocks. Hills. Plains" on Root Strata
Nurse With Wound "Skrag" cd on United Dairies
Jonathan Coleclough "Flutter" 2cd-r on October
Johann Johannsson "And In The Endless Pause" lp on Type
Jay Reatard "Blood Visions" lp on Fat Possum
King Khan & BBQ Show "Invisible Girl" cd/lp on In The Red
Felix "You Are The One I Pick" cd on Kranky
Papercuts "Where Are The Waves" cd on Gnomonsong
Max Richter "Memory House" cd
Grumbling Fur (Guapo + Jussi from Circle) cd
Anton Batagov "Passionate Desire To Be An Angel" cd on Long Arms Records
Japancakes "If I Could See Dallas"
Jazzfinger "The Sun's Golden Blood" cd on Beta-Lactam Ring
v/a "Noise Room" cd on Soniq
Country Teasers / Ezee Tiger split lp on Holy Mountain
Erase Errata TBA cd on Kill Rock Stars
Rodan TBA cd/lp on Quarterstick
Swell Maps "International Rescue" clear vinyl LP reissue on Alive
Loss "Despond" cd on Profound Lore
Boduf Songs "Strait Gait" cd/lp on Latitudes
The Fall "Future Our Clutter"
Panda Bear "Tomboy"
Sloath s/t lp on Riot Season
Ken Camden "Lethargy & Repercussions" cd/lp on Kranky
LCD Sound System / Wooden Shjips "Drunk Girls" 7" on DFA

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ON LAND

September 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th - 2010
Café DuNord / Swedish American Hall - San Francisco
Sponsored by: Aquarius Records / Stumptown Printers / KUSF / The Wire
Advance tickets on sale now!

September 2nd
Barn Owl
Starving Weirdos
Pulse Emitter
Danny Paul Grody
Rene Hell
En

September 3rd
Oneohtrix Point Never
White Rainbow
Pete Swanson
Operative
Golden Retriever
Aster (Eli Keszler & Ashley Paul)
Robert A.A. Lowe

September 4th
The Alps
Zelienople
Xela
Date Palms
Grasslung
Metal Rouge
Le Révélateur

September 5th
Charalambides
Grouper
Dan Higgs
Bill Orcutt
Ilyas Ahmed
Common Eider, King Eider
Higuma

http://www.onlandfestival.com/

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FYF FEST
Saturday September 4th
Labor Day Weekend 2010
Los Angeles State Historic Park
1245 N. Spring Street Los Angeles, Ca 90012

$27 tickets at aQ

FYF Fest Sept 4th @ LA State Historic Park...it's our 2nd year at the park and our 7th Fest.


SLEEP
THE RAPTURE
PANDA BEAR
TED LEO
THEE OH SEES
ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI
WASHED OUT
WAVVES
VETIVER
THE SOFT PACK
BEST COAST
COLD CAVE
THE MOUNTAIN GOATS
!!!
DEAD MAN"S BONES
7 SECONDS
SCHOOL OF THE SEVEN BELLS
ABE VIGODA
WARPAINT
and more more more

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Lots of love from your devoted AQ staff

Andee Cup Jim AllanIrwinScottNickJonandAndrew