ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI My Molly EP (Tiny Creatures) 7" 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Wow! Ariel Pink is on a hot streak! Just this year alone we've fallen for his limited edition and now out of print Latitudes series cd, his new project Holy Shit and now this new 7" which features some of the best Ariel Pink songs we've heard yet! A totally tasty Smiths cover on the 'b' side and pretty much warped pop perfection dripping from each groove. This is why we still love 7"s so much. So fun to pick up the needle and hear Ariel Pink take us to a wonderful world of Kodachrome bliss over and over again. We're still so smitten...

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI Pedestrian Pop Hits (Latitudes 0:05) (Southern) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It took some of us a while to come around to the mad, maddening, drug addled defect pop world of Ariel Pink. We were convinced it was all an act, a put on, but it soon became apparent that Mr. Ariel Pink is indeed INSANE, and his music suddenly became less of a complicated art project and more a tantalizing glimpse inside the mind of a seriously fucked up musical madman. Pedestrian Pop Hits is 15 minutes of freaked out, psychedelic effects laden, dementedly catchy otherworldly pop. This is definitely not pop for the faint of heart, this is twisted and dark, like pop from an alternate dimension, where pop song hooks are chopped up and flung to the ground and stomped on in wild musical temper tantrums, rhythms careen wildly from in time to not even remotely toe tappable, sweet guitar melodies get dunked chorus first into deep vats of jabbering lyrical nonsense and blooping burping synthesizers, the whole thing run through forty delay pedals and broadcast through the speaker on a passing ice cream man's truck. Somehow, with all this damage and what-the-fuck going on, these songs (or this song) manages to sound pretty lush, and impossibly catchy. Imagine Brian Eno on Mescaline or listening to AM radio after a full frontal lobotomy. Wow! A testament to the mad genius of Ariel Pink for sure.
Comes packaged in a super intricate hand screened die cut fold over sleeve with a full color insert. Each copy hand stamped and numbered. Limited to 1000 copies worldwide, 500 of which made it to the United States, about 50 of which made it here. So you know what that means!
MPEG Stream: "Pedestrian Pop Hits 1"
MPEG Stream: "Pedestrian Pop Hits 2"

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI Scared Famous (Human Ear) cd 14.98
Ariel Pink is back! He and his Haunted Graffiti gang continue to mess round with a barrel of nutty effects and other ramshackle fun! The results are sorta like when you've reached that half fucked-up point of the evening when you realize everything's more than slightly 'off'. Faces and voices start to slide into distorted grins and grimaces. Multiple layers of helium balloon vocals, bristly electric guitars, willy-nilly keyboards, and other noise making gizmos seem to all be following someone else's lead. In fact, Scared Famous sounds like the kid brother of Ween's Pure Guava album. Warped, weird and scratchy like an old woolen argyle sock in a mud puddle, Ariel Pink's broken melodies are at once endearing and maddening.
MPEG Stream: "Are You Gonna Look After My Boys?"
MPEG Stream: "Scared Famous"
MPEG Stream: "Inmates Of Heartahe"

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI Worn Copy (Paw Tracks) cd 15.98
More Ariel Pinkness for you and yours. There's definitely been a change of heart 'round these parts regarding the virtues of idiosyncratic LA indie-pop singer-songwriter Ariel Pink and his Animal Collective-approved, damaged DIY take on R&B/noise/folk/electronics. Originally only a few of us dug him, but now with repeat exposure even grumpy ol' Andee kinda likes the guy (or at least -this- record). So it's nice that Paw Tracks has reissued AP's Worn Copy, another sprawling set of transmissions of eccentric, retro-referencing lo-fi weirdness that can't obscure (and maybe enhances) his genuine pop genius. The stream of consciousness psycho-babble about getting credit at the pawn shop, something truly bizarre about peninsulas, the triumph that is ZZ Top, and of course his orgiastic sexual escapades are things that give someone like Devendra Banhart a run for his money on sheer weirdness factor, and then there's tons of strange references to early '80s cheez-ball bands like Journey and Loverboy smeared underneath a mess of lo-fi production and baffling idiosyncracies. Maybe get The Doldrums first, if you haven't checked out Ariel Pink (and his Haunted Graffiti) yet. But if you're a fan, chances are your copy of Worn Copy soon will be.
Cd version includes a bonus video, btw.
MPEG Stream: "Credit!"
MPEG Stream: "One On One"
MPEG Stream: "Cable Access Follies"

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI Worn Copy (Paw Tracks) 2lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
More Ariel Pinkness for you and yours. There's definitely been a change of heart 'round these parts regarding the virtues of idiosyncratic LA indie-pop singer-songwriter Ariel Pink and his Animal Collective-approved, damaged DIY take on R&B/noise/folk/electronics. Originally only a few of us dug him, but now with repeat exposure even grumpy ol' Andee kinda likes the guy (or at least -this- record). So it's nice that Paw Tracks has reissued AP's Worn Copy, another sprawling set of transmissions of eccentric, retro-referencing lo-fi weirdness that can't obscure (and maybe enhances) his genuine pop genius. The stream of consciousness psycho-babble about getting credit at the pawn shop, something truly bizarre about peninsulas, the triumph that is ZZ Top, and of course his orgiastic sexual escapades are things that give someone like Devendra Banhart a run for his money on sheer weirdness factor, and then there's tons of strange references to early '80s cheez-ball bands like Journey and Loverboy smeared underneath a mess of lo-fi production and baffling idiosyncracies. Maybe get The Doldrums first, if you haven't checked out Ariel Pink (and his Haunted Graffiti) yet. But if you're a fan, chances are your copy of Worn Copy soon will be.
Cd version includes a bonus video, btw.
MPEG Stream: "Credit!"
MPEG Stream: "One On One"
MPEG Stream: "Cable Access Follies"

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI 2 The Doldrums (Carpark) lp 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Few records in recent memory have provoked such a breach of unanimity here at Aquarius. Some of us (Andee, Cup, Byram) are the naysayers who feel that the artist's eccentricities ring rather hollow -- i.e, fucking around rather than genuinely fucked up. Meanwhile Jim and Allan lean towards the positive on this one. (Aw heck they'll come right out and admit it: they like the Ariel Pink.) And it hasn't helped (or has it?) that several of our friends have come out as big Ariel Pink supporters. You know how that is. Either you want to jump on the bandwagon (Allan?) or you want to be the contradictory one (Andee?). So if you come into the store and ask somebody here about this record, you'll surely get an impassioned opinion, but who knows on what side it will be.
So what's the deal with Ariel Pink anyway? perhaps you're now wondering. Well he's this young dude from LA and he makes lo-fi fucked up pop music, his heavily effected falsetto vocal stylings drifting out from damaged electronics and naive guitar fumblings. The Animal Collective heard a demo and fell in love with it (you see, Ariel Pink is a love or hate propostion, we think) and had to release this new album on their label Paw Tracks. It kinda sounds like fey '80s Brit-pop, all melodic and swoony, being broadcast via a static-y radio signal, for that far-away, timelost vibe. And then, even more weirdly, there's an element of '70s soul/R&B too! A strange mix...visiting the Fall's dubby adventures...or channelling an adolescent Bowie...and catchy as all get out. Beneath all the orchestral samples and looped beats and layered vocals and generally warped warbliness of this, lies some solid songwriting. Yessir, what might seem at first listen like home-taped half-assedness reveals depth and feeling and...we'll even say talent. Reveals to those of us that like it, that is. So what did it take for Jim and Allan to get into this? Well our Jewelled Antler buddies Loren and Glenn helped to convince us, 'cause they're fans...and also, Allan went and saw Ariel Pink live at the Hemlock a few weeks ago, and though it was a technically disastrous show, it was also one of those completely enjoyable, amusing, so-bad-it's-good experiences. Charismatic chaos. The show seemed to prove that AP is the real deal, not a poser but a genuine, authentically fucked up (drug-addled?) musical wonder. So now the album has grown on Allan quite a bit. And you know what? Even Andee is now admitting that Ariel Pink is at least "stupidly charming."
MPEG Stream: "Among Dreams"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Think Twice (Love)"

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI 2 The Doldrums / Vital Pink (Carpark) cd 14.98
Few records in recent memory have provoked such a breach of unanimity here at Aquarius. Some of us (Andee, Cup, Byram) are the naysayers who feel that the artist's eccentricities ring rather hollow -- i.e, fucking around rather than genuinely fucked up. Meanwhile Jim and Allan lean towards the positive on this one. (Aw heck they'll come right out and admit it: they like the Ariel Pink.) And it hasn't helped (or has it?) that several of our friends have come out as big Ariel Pink supporters. You know how that is. Either you want to jump on the bandwagon (Allan?) or you want to be the contradictory one (Andee?). So if you come into the store and ask somebody here about this record, you'll surely get an impassioned opinion, but who knows on what side it will be.
So what's the deal with Ariel Pink anyway? perhaps you're now wondering. Well he's this young dude from LA and he makes lo-fi fucked up pop music, his heavily effected falsetto vocal stylings drifting out from damaged electronics and naive guitar fumblings. The Animal Collective heard a demo and fell in love with it (you see, Ariel Pink is a love or hate propostion, we think) and had to release this new album on their label Paw Tracks. It kinda sounds like fey '80s Brit-pop, all melodic and swoony, being broadcast via a static-y radio signal, for that far-away, timelost vibe. And then, even more weirdly, there's an element of '70s soul/R&B too! A strange mix...visiting the Fall's dubby adventures...or channelling an adolescent Bowie...and catchy as all get out. Beneath all the orchestral samples and looped beats and layered vocals and generally warped warbliness of this, lies some solid songwriting. Yessir, what might seem at first listen like home-taped half-assedness reveals depth and feeling and...we'll even say talent. Reveals to those of us that like it, that is. So what did it take for Jim and Allan to get into this? Well our Jewelled Antler buddies Loren and Glenn helped to convince us, 'cause they're fans...and also, Allan went and saw Ariel Pink live at the Hemlock a few weeks ago, and though it was a technically disastrous show, it was also one of those completely enjoyable, amusing, so-bad-it's-good experiences. Charismatic chaos. The show seemed to prove that AP is the real deal, not a poser but a genuine, authentically fucked up (drug-addled?) musical wonder. So now the album has grown on Allan quite a bit. And you know what? Even Andee is now admitting that Ariel Pink is at least "stupidly charming."
MPEG Stream: "Among Dreams"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Think Twice (Love)"

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI 5 House Arrest (Paw Tracks) cd 14.98
After the idiosyncratic pop of Ariel Pink had been uncritically applauded by everybody who had been slathering praise on the Animal Collective (after AC discovered the Los Angeles song-sorcerer), there's been a bit of a backlash in the "indie" press directed toward House Arrest. What the fuck? House Arrest is just as imbalanced and peculiar an album as The Doldrums and Worn Copy. So why pick on this record? It makes no sense. Throughout his brief career, Airel Pink has never been easily digestible thanks to production standards stuck in the mud and a trainwreck approach to multi-tracking rhythms; but out of the sonic dreck, Pink has always exhibited a knack for conjuring uncanny pop hooks that tap into the collective consciousness of anybody who grew up in the late '70s and early '80s listening to AM radio where the quintessence of heaviness would be Night Ranger or Journey. House Arrest liberates the pop hooks (some of which have been shamelessly lifted) from one-hit wonder jangle, disco-lite pop, white soul crooning, and schmatzy power ballads through his chemically deranged yet free-spirited aesthetic. It could be that nobody really likes Ariel Pink all that much to begin with; and we can't really blame anybody as Ariel Pink's nostalgic pastiche is far more challenging to listen to than the next garage-rock band or the next band cashing in on the Factory Records revival kick. But seriously, if you liked either of those aforementioned records, then House Arrest will totally hit the spot.
MPEG Stream: "Hardcore Pops Are Fun"
MPEG Stream: "Interesting Results"
MPEG Stream: "Alisa"

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI 5 House Arrest (Paw Tracks) lp 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
After the idiosyncratic pop of Ariel Pink had been uncritically applauded by everybody who had been slathering praise on the Animal Collective (after AC discovered the Los Angeles song-sorcerer), there's been a bit of a backlash in the "indie" press directed toward House Arrest. What the fuck? House Arrest is just as imbalanced and peculiar an album as The Doldrums and Worn Copy. So why pick on this record? It makes no sense. Throughout his brief career, Airel Pink has never been easily digestible thanks to production standards stuck in the mud and a trainwreck approach to multi-tracking rhythms; but out of the sonic dreck, Pink has always exhibited a knack for conjuring uncanny pop hooks that tap into the collective consciousness of anybody who grew up in the late '70s and early '80s listening to AM radio where the quintessence of heaviness would be Night Ranger or Journey. House Arrest liberates the pop hooks (some of which have been shamelessly lifted) from one-hit wonder jangle, disco-lite pop, white soul crooning, and schmatzy power ballads through his chemically deranged yet free-spirited aesthetic. It could be that nobody really likes Ariel Pink all that much to begin with; and we can't really blame anybody as Ariel Pink's nostalgic pastiche is far more challenging to listen to than the next garage-rock band or the next band cashing in on the Factory Records revival kick. But seriously, if you liked either of those aforementioned records, then House Arrest will totally hit the spot.
MPEG Stream: "Hardcore Pops Are Fun"
MPEG Stream: "Interesting Results"
MPEG Stream: "Alisa"

ARIESTA BIRAWA Vol.1 (Shadoks) cd 15.98
The world-wide search for RARE PSYCHEDELIC GEMS bears fruit yet again, with this cd reissue of an impossible-to-find LP from Indonesia, originally released in 1973. Beautiful, groovy stuff, that blends Western psych and prog stylings with a definite homegrown Indonesian touch (there's only one song sung in English, the rest in their native tongue). Much more light than heavy this is, but there's no lack of wailing guitar. Imagine, maybe, if you will (if you can!), Santana meets The Steps... The music of Ariesta Birawa provides plenty of yearning vocals, gentle flute, ethnic percussion, melancholic fragility, and sunshiney melodies that we figure any fan of the further-flung installments in Shadoks' Love, Peace & Poetry psychedelia compilation series should enjoy. Likewise for those who dig the Cambodian Rocks and Thai Beat comps...
MPEG Stream: "Si Ompong"
MPEG Stream: "Will Never Die"

ARIZONA AMP & ALTERNATOR s/t (Thrill Jockey) cd 14.98
'Tis definitely one of Howe Gelb's less strange musical outings, but a few of his trademark slightly disorienting eccentricities still pop up here and there. Arizona Amp & Alternator takes him and a bunch of his musical friends loping down a long dark country road. Mind you, despite the name their travels mostly wound their way through Modesto and Denmark with very brief stops in Gelb's hometown Tucson, AZ. His collaborators this time include M. Ward, Scout Niblett, Arcade Fire's Jeremy Gara and members of Grandaddy. The second song, a duet with Danish vocalist Marie Frank, ventures quite close to the fine recordings he did with the Calexico boys and Lisa Germano under the moniker OP8 a number of years ago. Further down the line on the album's fifth song, Frank's vocals bring to mind a haunting cross between Bjork and Jolie Holland. 18 songs total. As usual, top notch and heartily recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Where The Wind Turns The Skin To Leather"
MPEG Stream: "Man On A String"

ARK, THE State Of The Ark (EMI Sweden) cd 16.98
Popular Swedish rock act The Ark, whom we were disappointed didn't sound more like Dungen...

ARKANSAW MAN s/t (Radium / Table Of The Elements) cd ep 11.98
An amazing lost artpunk artifact from the early eighties San Francisco punk rock scene, and we're talking really lost, as no one we know had even heard of these guys, but from the very first note we were smitten.
The opener is a super spare and spacious bit of post punk dub, subtly groovy, a throbbing new wave bass line, sounding like Gang Of Four or Interpol slowed waaaaaaaaay down, a simple krautrock beat peppered with handclaps, some dissonant guitar clang and a bit of moody post rock strum and jangle, with the occasional huge dissonant wash of atonal horns. Dark and creepy and almost danceable at times, that is if your dance of choice is some sort of zombie shuffle.
The other three tracks are not nearly as spare, but have the same sort of angular clang and low slung groove, the vocals sort of sung spoken, the rhythms loping and tribal, guitar harmonics ringing out, bits of angular riffage, vocals very reminiscent of Slint actually, laconic and buried way down in the mix. Stumblingly propulsive, the mix occasionally engulfed by some weird low end swell and some damaged electronics, the whole thing lurching and lumbering amidst a swirl of off kilter guitars and dubbed out ambience, it's sort of like Gang Of Four mixed with Slint mixed with This Heat. Which, we hardly need to tell you, is a very good thing indeed.
MPEG Stream: "The Ballroom"
MPEG Stream: "Angels / Aliens"

ARKHA SVA Hymne (Satanic Propaganda) cassette 4.00
More black metal cassette tape madness, this time from mysterious Japanese horde Arkha Sva, who offer up a series of super grim, ultra murky buzz drenched black rituals. Channelling the spirit of the black legions, Mutiilation, Belktre, Vlad Tepes, this is fierce and furious lo-fi blackness, the buzzing guitars a muddy swirl, the drums a throbbing murky pulse, all underpinning guttural strangled vocalisations, a swirling fuzzy black missive to the dark lord, there are some strange sonic surprises tucked away, like the WAY louder-than-everything-else high pitched scream and weird falsetto wailing in the first track. But for the most part this is just an awesome, droney blast of murky black buzz that is as hypnotic and space-y as it is blown out and brutal.

ARKHAM s/t (Cuneiform) cd 16.98
Careful students of the works of European avant-progressive rock giants Magma and Univers Zero might be excited, or at least curious, about this new Cuneiform release. Arkham was a very early '70s Belgium-based prog band featuring drummer Daniel Denis (briefly a member of Magma, and later a founding member of UZ in '74) and keyboardist Jean-Luc Manderlier (who joined Magma in '72 for their classic Mekanik Destructiw Kommandoh album). Arkham therefore has quite a place in the euro-prog rock family tree! This all-instrumental keys/bass/drums trio are indeed "lost legends" -- they never recorded an LP, but did tape their many shows and rehearsals (not leaving out the drum solos!), resulting many years later in the compilation of this cd. Their trio format and obvious virtuosity might recall ELP, but their jazz tendencies place them closer to the Soft Machine. Arkham (despite the Lovecraftian name) was definitely not nearly so dark and otherworldly as the bands Denis and Manderlier later were involved with, but still this is one for prog/fusion fans to check out. Oh, and while the sound isn't perfect, it's not terrible, and of course it's the best Arkham you're gonna hear.
RealAudio clip: "Monolithic Progression With Anticipated Rupture"
RealAudio clip: "Tight Trousers"

ARLING & CAMERON Music for Imaginary Films (Emperor Norton) cd 14.98
Dutch duo Arling and Cameron provide the soundtrack to your next space age bachelor pad party. Lots of nineties-style smooth beats on top of lounge music, breathy sixties girlpop-style vocals. A crowd pleaser, but I swear, this imaginary film soundtrack business has got to stop....

ARMANENSCHAFT Psychedelic Winter (Primitive Reaction) lp 29.00
Now that doom legends Reverend Bizarre are dead and gone, main clergyman Sir Albert Witchfinder has time to dabble in about a dozen other projects, such as this one, primitive raw black metal outfit Armanenschaft. Sir Albert is in fact known as Ancient Fisherman here, as he and his partners Morbid Necrovore and Hyperborean Princess whip up a furious squall of filthy fucked up black metal. Most of the tracks are fast and furious, brutal and buzzing, although the record begins with a super spacey tripped out Tangerine Dream style synthscape before launching into some ultra raw necro buzz. The guitars are totally blown out, ultra distorted, relentless D-beat drums buried in the mix, the vocals a harsh howl that just as often slips into a super strange strangled wail. Super simple, super stripped down, Repetitive and hypnotic, definitely for fans of Bone Awl, Ildjaarn, Ash Pool, Akitsa and the like.
BUT, there's plenty of weirdness going on too. Long stretches of buzzing black noise, some slower doomy tracks with warped, almost twangy guitars, over looping rhythms and growled vocals, plenty of droning alchemical guitar rituals, crumbling dirges, and hissed inhuman vocals. One of our favorite tracks is one that is just drums and vocals, the drums super processed and locked into a looped D-beat, pounding away, the vocals maniacal and hysterical, going from shriek to moan to mumble to scream, and sounding like some possessed muppet. WOW. But even with all that weirdness, the core of the record is stripped down raw primitive black metal, thrashing and pounding, which we totally love. The weirdness only makes it that much better.
Hail the Ancient Fisherman. Highly recommended. Vinyl only. VERY LIMITED.

ARMATRON Mutation Programming (GSL) 7" 4.98
Lincoln, Nebraska. America's heartland. Corn Huskers. Saddle Creek (technically Omaha, but whatever). Now bear witness to the spastic grinding futurist attack of Armatron. Veterans of the Midwest hardcore-metal crossover scene, the newly expanded quartet has been slowly perfecting their brand of mutant electro pummel. Two basses, one drummer and an army of synths spit sonic venom in the vein of The Locust (as Armatron mastermind Lux had a short lived stint with said groop), though with a more powerful low end rumble. A long overdue followup to their split disc with Cattle Decapitation and Ticwar on Toyo's "The Science Of Crisis". Hopefully we haven't heard the last from these kids. More to come? Incredibly hilarious artwork by J. Vonwolf (also responsible for the Erase Errata cover art).

ARMISEN, FRED PRESENTS: JENS HANNEMANN Complicated Drumming Technique (Drag City) dvd 15.98
To truly enjoy this dvd, from Fred Armisen, he of Saturday Night Live fame as well as bit parts in numerous funny big time Hollywood movies, and before that the drummer for Trenchmouth (remember them?), you need to either be a drummer, or have seen one of those super cheesy drum instruction videos. Preferably both.
Set up like one of those videos that seem to be playing in a constant loop on the tiny TV set on the counter at Guitar Center, Armisen plays European fusion rock drummer Jens Hannemann, complete with accent, pony tail, soul patch, and sleeveless t-shirt. He performs some awesomely and brutally cheesy fusion jams, with his equally cheesy band, his drumming purposefully unfunky, and retarded. Not bad, just "Advanced" in a way few of us can handle! The songs are so bad, it's almost impossible to sit through them, but it's worth it, as after each track, Hannemann breaks his drum parts down, into totally nonsensical patterns, made up drum techniques, ridiculous time signatures, and he'll play it, then demonstrate it and count it out, then play it again totally different. The he'll play it fast, and then slow again. Hard to explain why it's funny, you really need to have seen some drum videos to get it, but if you have, you will.
The screen is peppered with various bits of useless information (like "0 bpm") and shots of his stumbling double kick work, and of course sweeping shots of his MASSIVE kit (at one point he says "of course, I hope you have 17 toms like me" as he's demonstrating some complex and shitty tribal tom jam).
These bits of drumfoolery are peppered with Armisen's other alterego, an East Coast, journeyman drummer, with a thick accent, who teaches us how to tune a snare, hold you sticks, and of course play a reggae groove. So dumb, and so goddamn funny. Also included are several pages of musical notation, which start out sort of playable, but by the final page, the notes are so dense, it's almost a solid black rectangle or an Asci program gone haywire.
Recommended for EXTREME drum nerds only.

ARMORED SAINT March Of The Saint (Rock Candy) cd 17.98
Some metal records truly stand the test of time. Sounding as good now as they did when you first heard them. And rare is the record that sounds as good at 36 as it did at 16. But if you ask the metalheads around here, we all agree that Armored Saint's March Of The Saint is one of those records. Part of the same L.A. scene that produced W.A.S.P., Quiet Riot, Dokken, Malice, Ratt, and Motley Crue (Tommy Lee was almost a member of Armored Saint), Armored Saint were somehow a whole lot heavier, blending the thrashy sound of Metallica with the melody and songwriting of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. Plus you got John Bush, who has to have one of the best metal voices EVER, not one of those soaring high eighties metal voices, instead a super raspy, melodic croon, that managed to be both rough and melodic at the same time. It was hard not to love the Anthrax records that featured Bush on lead vocals (well, okay, not that hard) but in Armored Saint everything just clicked. A lot of it of course had to do with the songs. Every one packed with hooks, killer leads, amazing riffs, kick ass drumming, unforgettable choruses, one of the best metal records of the eighties for sure. Not sure what else to say. This is one of the few records that we've been listening to for basically the last 20 years. In fact, all of us have it on our iPods as well, and every time it comes on, it's sort of an unspoken truth, that it gets turned up so we can all revel in the metal majesty of March Of The Saint.
As with all the Rock Candy reissues (including the Billy Squier reviewed elsewhere on this list), there are tons of liner notes, interviews with the original band members (who strangely talk mostly about how disappointed they were with the album), rare photos, and three bonus tracks, 24 track demo versions of "March Of The Saint", "Mutiny On The World" and "Seducer" (one of Lars Ulrich from Metallica's favorite songs!).
MPEG Stream: "March Of The Saint"
MPEG Stream: "Can U Deliver"
MPEG Stream: "False Alarm"

ARMPIT Butta Daze (Celebrate Psi Phenomenon) cd 14.98
Thought this was out of print, but managed to get a few more copies albeit at a slightly higher price). Don't miss out again!
We raved about the last Armpit record (they were known then by the more regal monicker Thee Armpit) which demonstrated the Armpit as being one of the few outfits boldly and successfully carrying on the rich NZ noise rock tradition of bands like the Dead C and Gate.
This record continues in the same vein, mining the past for reusable noise artifacts while giving things their own unique spin. Murky, dirty rumbling riffs, spread out all thick and nasty like hot tar on toast, with yelped indecipherable vocals, bound and gagged by filthy sheets of white noise, droning amp buzz, ominous soundscapes dotted with scattered percussion and obscured sheets of wild feedback WAY in the distance, slow motion sort-of-garage-rock with hardly-there melodies and impossible-to-tap-your-foot-to rhythms, gritty crackle and hum with guttural frog-like vocals, and warm walls of thrum and fuzzz, like a more lo-fi Sunroof! So nice.
MPEG Stream: "Shiti Withs Gods Attention"
MPEG Stream: "Passover"

ARMPIT Reach Out (Dreamtime Taped Sounds) 5xcd-r 26.00
It's been ages since we've heard from NZ combo Armpit (also occasionally known as Thee Armpit). Past releases (on PseudoArcana, Celebrate Psi Pheomenon and Pink Skulls) have been huge faves around here, and this latest seems to be no different. Armpit seem to thrive when given plenty of space to stretch out, when allowed to sprawl, their bizarre blend of dreamdrone and murkpop and thudrock is transformed into something otherworldly and divine, trancelike and intense, epic and gorgeously confusional. 
Their finest moment as far as we're concerned was their double cd The Praying Mantis, two plus hours of strange and wondrous sounds for sure, but now we have what might be the ultimate Armpit document (never thought we'd ever type that phrase), a massive FIVE cd-r set, 4+ hours documenting Armpit's strange musical universe. The set opens with a 12 minute Dead C like free rock jam, so very murky. The various instruments are hard to separate from one another. It's like a strange organic being, made up of percussive thud and rumbling feedback, mumbled voices and the smeared whir of distorted guitar, but with a glorious pop core, glowing in there, buried under layers of hiss and crunch. And while the record swerves and veers all over the place, the sound of this track is sort of a touchstone to which Reach Out always seems to return.
Over the course of the five discs, the sound drifts widely from the aforementioned murky blurry free rock, to blissed out folky jangle, to super abstract raga like skree, to billowy soft focus drone, often some strange tangled blend of all of those. Blissed out, meditative, dreamy, hypnotic, occasionally abrasive, always fascinating and just so goddamn good. Fans of stuff on either PseudooArcana or Celebrate Psi Phenomenon will find this to be essential for sure, and anyone looking to get gone in some mystical murky world of strange sound could hardly do better than this one right here. 
The packaging is as mysterious as the music within. All the cd-r's packaged in multicolored sleeves, with what seem to be bits of found art, includes an insert/poster, almost no liner notes at all, no song titles, all housed in a sewn fabric bag. And as if we even needed to tell you, limited as all get out...
MPEG Stream: "One"
MPEG Stream: "Two"
MPEG Stream: "Three"
MPEG Stream: "Four"

ARMPIT AND PUMICE Society Of Dogs (Pink Skulls) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another missive from Pink Skulls, the label started by Glenn Donaldson of Jewelled Antler /Thuja / Skygreen Leopards / etc. for stuff that was too punk or weird for JA. And boy does this certainly qualify, a New Zealand noiserock tag team of unprecedented proportions. First up is Pumice, whose recordings sound like they were played through a tin can in a cave and recorded on a microcassette recorder. And that's a good thing! The first track finds Pumice turning G.G. Allin's "I Want To Fuck Women" into Pumice gold, fitting perfectly with his other two tracks, hyper distorted ballads, guitars so distorted they threaten to stop being guitars, while melodies waver and wobble under a wild wash of delay and hiss. Good stuff. We raved about Thee Armpit a few lists back, and even though they've dropped the Thee from their name, they still whip up some serious treble (like trouble, get it? Oh forget it.) Deliberately strummed guitars amidst clouds of angrily hissing shortwave, songs rendered completely unrecognisable by the thick patina of buzz and skree and battered equipment-malfunction glitch. Seriously speaker shredding. And great.
MPEG Stream: PUMICE "I Want To Fuck Women (G.G. Allin)"
MPEG Stream: ARMPIT "Never See You Again"

ARMPIT, THEE The Praying Mantis (PseudoArcana) 2cd-r 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This unfortunately monickered duo make up for the name, with a wild and woolly sound, raw and noisy but dreamy and soothing at the same time. Carrying on the tradition of 'classic' NZ noise ala the Dead C / Gate, TA take instruments, REAL instruments, and spread them over our ears in a thick and prickly, warm and sticky, pummellingly beautiful mess of sound. From thud rock dirge, to outer sound explorations, to almost-pop, to deconstructed rhythmic workouts, to shoe-gazey space rock, all filtered through that distinctly noisy NZ lo-fi aesthetic. Really really great. Two cd-r discs in a nice handpainted cover, with some truly strange comics inside.
RealAudio clip: "Rocket"
RealAudio clip: "Gallows"
RealAudio clip: "Hot Gossip"

ARMS AND SLEEPERS Bliss Was It In That Dawn To Be Alive (Fake Chapter) cd 14.98
Here's one to sink into! The new album from Cambridge, MA's Arms And Sleepers is the perfect instrumental soundtrack for golden sunrises and amber sunsets. For its approximately half hour running time, the gentle ebb and flow of Bliss Was It In That Dawn To Be Alive effectively slows your day down. This is envelopingly sumptuous, airily expansive ambient music with world-y beats not heard since the heydays of Dead Can Dance, Delerium or Enigma. Very hypnotic and soothing.
MPEG Stream: "Beneath Bricks And Books"
MPEG Stream: "Warm"

ARMY OF GHOSTS The Horror (Parallelism) cd 12.98
On the same label as Air Traffic Controllers is this NYC jazz improv duo (sax and drums). They have an Vietnam-era anti-war theme going (via the song titles, artwork, brief spoken bits, and samples) but it's hard to tell if that's more of an aesthetic choice or really what they're all about. Either way, an interesting listen.

ARNALDS, OLAFUR Eulogy For Evolution (Erased Tapes) cd 17.98
That magical air in Iceland continues spawn some of the most soaring and beautiful sounds found anywhere on the globe. At just 21 years old, Olafur Arnalds is emerging as a strong voice in a new wave of modern classical inspired majestic sounds. On this, his debut full length, he employs strings, piano, guitar, organ, melodica and subtle ambient electronics at times, to create incredibly rich and lush sounds. Inspired by everyone from Eric Satie, to John Luther Adams, Kronos Quartet to the Rachels and even Godspeed You Black Emperor, as well as, of course, his countrymen Sigur Ros who he's often perfromed with live. Somber and elegant and packaged beautifully with artwork that compliments the kind of fragments of memory his beautiful music evokes.
MPEG Stream: "1953"
MPEG Stream: "3326"

ARNOLD, CHRIS Dark Out (self-released) dvd 9.98
Dark Out is a dvd by indie filmmaker Chris Arnold, and the 45-minute film features the music of many fond, familiar SF faces... Jolie Holland, Sonny Smith, Mark Growden, Sean Hayes, Ara Anderson, Virgil Shaw and Mark Eitzel to name a few. Certainly worth getting for the music alone which fits well with the visuals, a contemplative, grainy, black and white film shot in the yes, dark depths of night.

AROVANE Icol Diston (Din) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Icol Diston is a collection of the first three 12"s from Berlin's Arovane, who in his brief career, has succeeded in recreating the melancholic IDM / electronica of Boards of Canada, Autechre, and Markant. Arovane is at his best when maintaining a repetitive flow of counterpointing minor-key melodies alongside sputtering breakbeats, but tends to lose focus when dropping the structures of his music in favor of floating ambience and fluttering basslines. Mastered entirely from the vinyl editions of these tracks "to preserve the original sound quality."
RealAudio clip: "parf"
RealAudio clip: "yua:e"

AROVANE Lilies (City Centre Offices) cd 17.98

AROVANE Tides (City Centre Offices) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Arovane's debut is a fitting complement to the rainy day electronics of Boards of Canada. Arovane set up downer IDM rhythms that have slowed down considerably from the mid-tempo algorithmic skitter of his earlier Funkstorung-esque singles. "Tides" is filled with seaside ambient washes and Durutti Column like guitar plucks for an album focusing more on moody timbre than rhythmic exposition.

ARP In Light (Smalltown Supersound) cd 16.98
In Light is the sublime debut solo effort from local musician/writer Alexis Georgopoulos who has been a stalwart presence in many amazing bands around these parts including A Tension, The Alps and, until recently, Tussle. The tumultuous break from the latter band has worked in Georgopoulos' favor as we're not sure he would have delved as deeply into this project, as it is so far removed from Tussle's infectious party grooves. Instead on In Light, he channels the warmer elements of seventies German electronica (Cluster, Eroc, Popol Vuh), and the more organic qualities of twentieth century composition (Terry Riley, Jon Gibson) to make an album that has the strange effect of moving while standing still. Even Roedelius from Cluster has given his blessing by remixing an Arp track for an upcoming single release. Like the picture of the sunset on the cover, let Arp's warm and effervescent rays of sound wash over and envelop your psyche. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "St. Tropez"
MPEG Stream: "Potentialities"
MPEG Stream: "Premonition Of The Sculptor Steiner"

ARPANET Quantum Transposition (Rephlex) cd 15.98

ARRUGA, LORENZO, DAVE LOMBARDO & FRIENDS Vivaldi: The Meeting (Thirsty Ear) cd 15.98
Yes, ex-SLAYER drummer, Dave Lombardo drumming furiously along to VIVALDI. Simultaneously amazing and ridiculous. Produced by Alberto Contini, who some metalheads might remember as A.C. Wild from Bulldozer (Italy's answer to Venom). Highly recommended. Sort of. One of those completely uncalled-for projects like, uh, well I can't think of one quite like this actually. Note: the Vivaldi is not "arranged for thrash-metal", "switched-on" or anything like that - it's straight operatic classical Vivaldi with The Great Lombardo incongrously adding his trap kit double bass stylings... Apparently inspired by a real encounter that Vivaldi himself had with a Cuban percussionist several hundred years ago (Lombardo is Cuban-born). Possibly the ultimate novelty record of the year (1999) so far!

ARSONISTS As The World Burns (Matador) cd 13.98
Hip hop on Matador! One of the songs: Lt. Worf & Chewbacca!

ARSONISTS As The World Burns (Matador) 2lp 10.98
Hip hop on Matador! One of the songs: Lt. Worf & Chewbacca!

ARSONISTS Date of Birth (Matador) cd 14.98
Bushwick, Brooklyn-based Arsonists release their second album. Apparently the trio of MCs have a really loyal following, but maybe that's based on their live shows cos I find their rhyming a little clunky and stumbling, somehwat awkward and kind of obvious. If there are any hedz out there wanna disagree with me, I'd welcome your comments -- I *wanna* get it, I just can't see the light.
RealAudio clip: "Language Arts"

ART BEARS The Art Box (ReR) 6cd 98.00
Finally! The Art Box sees the light of day. A gorgeous boxset from one of the most influential / seminal / legendary art-rock bands ever. For those out of the loop, the Art Bears featured guitarist / composer Fred Frith, drummer / percussionist Chris Cutler, and vocalist Dagmar Krause. This boxset contains the band's first three albums (Hopes & Fears, Winter Songs, The World As It Is Today) all remastered and gussied up. Also included are two discs of remixes and reworkings from Christian Marclay, Ground Zero, the Residents, Biota and loads more. And finally a whole disc of unreleased rarities!

ART BRUT Bang Bang Rock & Roll (Downtown) cd 13.98
Now available domestically!
When you first put this on your stereo, it might almost have you convinced that it's some lost '80s British post-punk band, that is, until you zero in on the lyrics. Majorly hipster, irony-laden, clever-clever phrases spoken-sung in such an over the top British accent that it nears jokeish Mark E. Smith impersonations. In the first song "Formed A Band" there's even a reference to it -- "And yes, this is my singing voice, it's not irony, it's not Rock'n'Roll, we're just talking, to the Kids." Pretty silly stuff playing dress-up in The Fall's closet. But still pretty darn cool. Funny rock anecdote / rumor: Art Brut's first single was on Rough Trade, who were also planning on releasing their full length, that is until supposedly one of the Rough Trade head honchos went and saw them play, decided they were the worst, most amateur rock band he had ever seen and had them promptly dropped from Rough Trade!
MPEG Stream: "Formed A Band"
MPEG Stream: "Moving To L.A."

ART BRUT It's A Bit Complicated (Banana) cd 14.98
Despite the title of Art Brut's second full length, this doesn't seem a bit complicated at all. And although their singer Eddie Argos still sounds like he could very well be Mark E Smith's smartaleck kid brother, the trademark sneering cynical tone is softened by lighter, more juvenile topics -- "Sorry if my accent's flawed I learnt my German from a 7" record." and "People in love lie around and get fat. I didn't want us to end up like that." Ho ho! No shortage of jaded, sardonic witticisms, but unlike the pointed vitriol of Mr. Smith, Art Brut isn't tackling any big issues or aiming to lower the socio-political boom on anyone any time soon. No rallying cries here, their lyrics are more self deprecating and defeatist -- "Life is what you make it, and I made mine a mess." But while the vocals might be exuding an apathetic shrug, they get roped into the good times, uplifted and fueled by the band's crunchy guitars and snappy drumming. Super tongue-in-cheeky London pop.
MPEG Stream: "People In Love"
MPEG Stream: "I Will Survive"

ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO A Jackson In Your House/Message To Our Folks (Charly / BYG / Actuel) cd 14.98
BACK IN STOCK! We thought these the cds in Charly's fantastic reissue series of stuff from the French free jazz label BYG/Actuel were gone forever, but lo! here they are again. Dunno what's up, but get 'em while you can. This classic AEC disc features Lester Bowie, Roscoe Mitchell, Joseph Jarman and Malachi Favors, jazz titans all, recorded live in Paris summer '69. Wild & peaceful. "Great black music" indeed.

ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO A.A.C.M. Great Black Music / A Jackson In Your House (BYG / Actuel) lp 16.98
Recorded at Studio Davout in Paris on August 12, 1969. Released last year on CD with another amazing document "A Jackson In Your House", this reissue restores the original gatefold artwork and is pressed on 180 gram vinyl. LP only for now...

ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO Bap-Tizum (4 Men With Beards) lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Originally released in 1973 on the Atlantic label, 'Bap-Tizum' is highly regarded as one of the finest moments in the vast output of the Art Ensemble. Recorded in 1972 during the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival, this dynamic performance is a testament to the brilliance and intensity of the group. Not just for jazz heads, the AEC intertwined elements of African funk, tribal rhythms and poetry with their unique brand of avantgarde sturctures and improvisations. Remastered from the original tapes, pressed on audiophile 180 gram HQ vinyl and packaged in a heavy stock gatefold sleeve with new, detailed liner notes.

ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO Certain Blacks (America) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
WOW. And do we mean WOW!! Fifteen classic free jazz records from the late sixties / early seventies, long out of print, finally getting the ULTRA deluxe reissue treatment. Incredibly limited, these will probably be out of print before you know it.
Comes in a gorgeous diecut fullcover three panel sleeve, with new artwork, as well as a huge booklet with the original album sleeve notes, new liner notes in french and english as well as a bunch of cool photos. So nice!

ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO Chi-Congo (Fuel) cd 13.98

ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO Les Stances A Sophie (Universal Sound) cd 19.98
Recorded in France in 1970, 'Les Stances...' features all the Art Ensemble regulars (Bowie, Jarman, Mitchell, and Favors) but holds the distinction of featuring two new members, drummer Don Moye, and more strangely, Bowie's wife Fontella Bass, a fairly successful soul singer. That sort of explains the unique sound of this recording, soulful vocals AND lyrics alongside the traditional Art Ensmble sound.

ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO Phase One (America) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
WOW. And do we mean WOW!! Fifteen classic free jazz records from the late sixties / early seventies, long out of print, finally getting the ULTRA deluxe reissue treatment. Incredibly limited, these will probably be out of print before you know it.
Comes in a gorgeous diecut fullcover three panel sleeve, with new artwork, as well as a huge booklet with the original album sleeve notes, new liner notes in french and english as well as a bunch of cool photos. So nice!

ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO Reese And The Smooth Ones (Fuel 2000) cd 12.98
The Art Ensemble's approach to improvisation is far more sparse and delicate on "Reese And The Smooth Ones" than many of their other releases, although not neccessarily less complex. Much room is given to spare, individual instrumental expression, in which the Ensemble sretch far outside their primary instruments to include whistles, marimba, banjo, gongs, bells, steel drums and more. Recorded in Paris in 1969.
RealAudio clip: "Reese / The Smooth Ones (Part One)"

ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO With Fontenella Bass (America) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
WOW. And do we mean WOW!! Fifteen classic free jazz records from the late sixties / early seventies, long out of print, finally getting the ULTRA deluxe reissue treatment. Incredibly limited, these will probably be out of print before you know it.
Comes in a gorgeous diecut fullcover three panel sleeve, with new artwork, as well as a huge booklet with the original album sleeve notes, new liner notes in french and english as well as a bunch of cool photos. So nice!

ART FLEURY I Luoghi Del Potere (Die-Schachtel) cd 27.00
There's thankfully more than a few labels whose reliable track record and special aesthetic makes us ALWAYS interested in what they're putting out. Several examples: EM Records, Hapna, Ektro, Holy Mountain, Paradigms, Lampse, and Andee's own tUMULt (of course). Also among those "likely essential" labels is Italy's Die Schachtel, an outfit that either digs up the most wonderful Italian experimental obscurities from the '70s or presents the most intriguing new underground bands from their country, always in super-snazzy packaging. Unfortunately, 'cause so much of their output is so great, it's tough for us to keep up with 'em all, but here at least is a review of our of their more recent gems, a cd reissue of an unusual 1980 record by what was a young Italian group called Art Fleury, who played shows with the likes of Area and Henry Cow and was right there on the cutting edge of politically and musically radical avant-prog, Rock In Opposition sound-making... This album of theirs, the title of which means "The Places Of Power", was apparently conceived as an imaginary soundtrack of sorts, and it's indeed quite soundtracky, you could imagine this being the score to a very arty, serious and suspenseful Italian film. It's a sonic collage that effectively deploys skittering percussion and tape-splicing studio fuckery, instrumental prog bombast and jazz improv freedom, the proceedings often infused with moody textures of glitch and crackle, visited by musical cues or voices set amidst radio static, as if sampled from a random spin of the dial. This is very much in keeping with the sounds of modern-day Die Schachtel acts like A and Christa Pfangen, and their colleagues 3/4hadbeeneliminated. We're also reminded of AQ faves Village Of Savoonga, and to several of Art Fleury's contemporaries or near-contemporaries like Faust, This Heat, and Nurse With Wound. You probably get the idea: recommended!
This cd comes packaged in a oversized cardboard box, inclosing a booklet with liner notes along with a poster of the album's black & white cover graphic of a clenched fist. By the way, while six tracks are listed, there's only five actually indexed on the cd, implying that two are run together... thus we might not have gotten the titles of our sound clips right (i.e "e=mc2" might be "La Morte Al Lavoro" actually).
MPEG Stream: "e=mc2"
MPEG Stream: "L'Overdose"
MPEG Stream: "Uno Spettro Si Aggira Per"