ACRE Artifact (Black Horizons) cassette 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A brand new slab of epic slow moving drone from the mysteriously monickered one man band Acre. Folks went nuts for the two Acre cd-r's we carried a while back, both now sadly out of print, but we've got this brand new slab of glacial stasis, a cassette no less, to satisfy your craving for monolithic walls of chest rattling, speaker punishing dronemusic.
The best way to sum up the sound of Acre would probably be to try and imagine if Phill Niblock was raised on Wolf Eyes and punk rock, metal and noise, instead of classical and modern minimalism. The music of Acre IS modern minimalism for sure, but filtered though a more sort of postpunk/noise aesthetic. Simple tones, thick and slowly shifting, are layered and arranged, allowed to drift at practically zero rpm, the sounds swelling and shimmering almost imperceptibly, the overtones creating subtle rhythms, occasionally clashing and causing amazing super intense rhythmic pulses.
So dark and dense and meditative. Acre is definitely making some of our favorite drone music...
And this is one of the most gorgeously packaged cassettes we've ever seen. Clear tape, with black streaks, in a folded over clear plastic j-card, also adorned with black streaks, held shut by a black streaked greenish gold obi on gorgeous thick textured paper. 
Recorded live, and limited to 80 copies...

ACRE Candyflipping (Yarnlazer) cd-r 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A common practice amongst the modern noisemakers, the free folkies and the drone set, is to use everything they can lay their hands on, from run of the mill musical instruments, to random bits of furniture, to strange noise making devices. Lots of cd-r's these days feature "instrument" lists longer than a metal band's thanks list! Often including toothbrush or stained pair of pants, or handful of hair or whatever. A lot of the time it works, and that speaks to the artist's skill in transforming a jumbled mess into something listenable, but just as often, it can become just a massive chaotic cacophony, which again, is not always bad. But there is definitely something to be said for the whole 'less is more' angle. Look at Niblock for example, letting instruments and their overtones create the music, allowing minimal shifts in sound and subtle alterations in melody, duration and timbre to transform those sounds into subtly complex soundscapes. This less is more approach is specially suited for dealing with the drone.
Such is the case with Acre, whose Candyflipping was just released on Honey Owens' (aka Valet) Yarn Lazer label. Using just mixer feedback, a sampler and various filters and phase-shifters, Acre whips up some seriously delirious ultra minimal drone. A hypnotic trance like pulsing buzz, that is constantly shifting, the overtones drifting and swirling subtly, soft shimmers that build into thick streaks of downed power line buzz. The strange thing is, it almost sounds like a guitar a lot of the time, certain bits are definitely reminiscent of that sort of Spacemen 3 style raga drone. Especially on the second track, where the sounds become more active, the different drones falling out of phase and beating hypnotically against each other, creating strange rhythms, and barely discernible melodies.
The third and final track takes that same sort of static buzz, but drops the pitch and ups the distortion, turning the dreamy drift of the previous tracks into some seriously ominous low end rumble, the sort of dirgey drone that would most definitely appeal to fans of more metallic downtuned lower register exploration.
LIMITED TO 100 COPIES!!! Hand screened with glow in the dark covers!
MPEG Stream: "Together We Are Posion"
MPEG Stream: "Drifting"

ACRE Monolith (Arbor) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We heart Acre, Dronelord from the Northwest. And this, his very first foray into vinyl. And it's a doozy, A single track, appropriately titled "Monolith", taking up both sides of the 12", sounding great at both 33 and 45, but of course we prefer 33 as it's slower and lower and thus thicker and heavier.
Those familiar with Acre know just what he's all about. Drone. Or DRONE.
Big, thick, endless stretches of sound, layers and overtones, seemingly simple but dense with texture and timbre.
"Monolith" is more of the same. Even more. It begins as a single tone, simple, minimal, and gradually builds and builds and builds until it is a subtly undulating stretch of singular sound. A deep pulsing synth drone, that seems to move and change shape, melodies and harmonies drift from within its nearly static mesmer, it's all very subtle, but so gloriously thick and fuzzy and textural and yeah HEAVY. Slap on some headphones and crank this and you're in for a sound induced headtrip of the highest order.
Not sure what else to say. For the drone obsessed this is ESSENTIAL, if you dug that Drone Drug record by the Skull Defekts we listed recently, if you love Phill Niblock, if you're already the proud owner of some of the Acre cd-r's, you know what you need to do.
Limited to 200 copies. How do we know? Because the artwork consists of the band name, the track title and the legend "Edition of 200". We got a bunch, but even a bunch isn't usually enough...

ACRIMONY Bong On - Live Long! (Leaf Hound) cd 16.98
We've long been fans of the druggy stoner grooves of the UK's Acrimony, ever since 1996's Tumuli Shroomaroom, a record that has been out of print for a while now, otherwise we would have most certainly given it some long overdue love on the AQ list. Just recently, Japanese label Leaf Hound reissued Tumuli Shroomaroom (which we now have in stock, and will list next time) but also this killer odds and sods collection called appropriately enough Bong On - Live Long! So we figured we oughta tackle the newest release first, plus for long time fans like us, there's tons of amazing out of print stuff on it we'd been dying to hear.
Acrimony exist in a similar sonic universe as their metallic countrymen Electric Wizard (as well as folks like Boris, Church Of Misery, Kyuss, Bongzilla, etc.) and while not quite as filthy and blown out and Sabbath obsessed, they are definitely just as heavy, but probably way more groovy and spaced out, adding some Hawkwind to the mix, and some organ (fuck yeah!) turning crushing druggy jams into crushing freaked out groovy druggy SPACE jams which is never a bad thing. 
Collecting tracks from old eps, compilations, and a split with Church Of Misery (even a badass Status Quo cover!), every song here is a sludgy groovy stoner space jam of the highest order, the riffs are massive and downtuned, the drums a barrage of pounding pummel, the vocals a raspy howl, wah guitar everywhere, hooks galore, lots of swing and groove, throbbing distorted bass, churning riffage that often slowly morphs into a spaced out sprawl a la Monster Magnet or Hawkwind, even the folks who don't get high here (Andee, and...?), can imagine that this is exactly what that must (or at least -should-) sound like, heavy and freaky and groovy and mind blowing. 
Fans of bands like Electric Wizard and Nebula and Ufomammut and Orange Goblin and Spiritual Beggars and the like who have somehow missed out on these guys might just have found a new favorite band...
MPEG Stream: "Spaced Cat #7 (Hammond Moon - Bong Mix)"
MPEG Stream: "Earthchild Inferno"
MPEG Stream: "O Baby"

ACRIMONY Tumuli Shroomaroom (Leaf Hound) cd 16.98
A few lists back, we reviewed a newly released collection of odds and ends from stoner doomlords Acrimony, a UK band, who combined all the best parts of many of our favorite bands, Electric Wizard, Kyuss, Monster Magnet, Hawkwind, Church Of Misery, Boris, Bongzilla, that list alone should have many of you already leaping for the 'buy' button, and that's as it should be. These guys destroy. Unbelievably heavy, crazy catchy, killer riffs, hooks galore, and plenty of spaced out druggy drone.
But YEARS before that comp, Bong On- Live Long!, we were already huge fans of this here disc right here, Tumuli Shroomaroom, now reissued with new improved sound, maybe one of the best stoner rock records EVER. High praise indeed, but not unwarranted we think. The guitars are massive, downtuned and crunchy, spitting out groovy Sabbathy riffage, but way more psychedelic, plenty of wah guitar, streaks of wild leads, all over a super dense rhythmic foundation. The drums heavy as fuck, pounding away, the bass throbbing and buzzing and holding it all together. The vocals a rough raspy, but melodic caterwaul. And the songs, as catchy as they are heavy, super charged and blown out, like someone took perfect pop songs, dipped them in LSD, rolled them in broken shards of Monster Magnet, wrapped them in thick sheets of Hawkwind, lit them on fire and smoked them, and then picked up guitars and this was the result. Not sure why these guys weren't huge.
Besides being a kick ass band, heavy and catchy, they also have a serious thing for repetition, and drone, most of the songs have long stretches of churning riffage that just repeats and repeats, mantra like, mesmerizingly headbanging, lots of them also lock into some sort of endless groove near the end, the song often transforming into an ultra heavy hypnorock workout, looped over and over, repeating sometimes for minutes, and then sometimes unexpectedly slipping right back into the song. Definitely part of what gives them such a druggy vibe. The best example of that is the track "Motherslug (The Mother Of All Slugs", a massive stoner rock jam, that is constantly locking into perfect looped grooves, so tight and hypnotic they almost sounds like the cd is skipping, a single riff churning again and again, so completely trancelike, while all around the main riff, other guitars swell and swoop, shimmering in little squalls pf psychedelic FX, sort of like those kick ass spaced out Hawkwind outros but way less spacey and more relentlessly and repetitively rocking, until the track suddenly and effortlessly slips back into the main groove again, eventually drifting apart into some awesome spacious doom jam, the guitar and drums locked in big crashes, spaced way far apart, the guitar chords crumbling and fading almost completely before the next crash comes, finally fading into some throbbing drone, buzzy and muted, maybe a didgeridoo or faux throat singing or something, finally fading out into the space-rock Sabbath riff that opens the next track.
Hard to know what else to say, one of our favorite heavy records ever, every track on here is a killer. Heavy and groovy, droney and hypnotic, druggy and spaced out, the ultimate stoner rock doom disc for sure. As we mentioned above, folks into Monster Magnet, Sleep, Electric Wizard, Ufomammut, Orange Goblin, Kyuss, Black Sabbath, Spiritual Beggars, Nebula, Bongzilla, Green Machine, Boris, Lowrider, Spirit Caravan, Solarized, Fu Manchu, Dozer and Mammoth Volume and have somehow made it this far without hearing Acrimony, might just have discovered their new favorite band.
MPEG Stream: "Hymns To The Stone"
MPEG Stream: "Million Year Summer"
MPEG Stream: "Vy"

ACTION ACTION Don't Cut Your Fabric To This Year's Fashion (Victory) cd 13.98
A curious title since so many elements of this album remind us of other things that are riding a cresting wave of popularity. Depeche Mode sounding keyboards meets The Faint's vocal stylings meets an onslaught of angular dark wave guitar riffs. Its production quality is quite polished, and apparently they used a Univox Super Fuzz pedal that The Who's Pete Townsend owned and used on the recording of Live At Leeds. I don't really think that's a selling point for the record, but if you're into the dark wave scene that's been going on lately, you'll dig this for sure.
MPEG Stream: "This Year's Fashion"
MPEG Stream: "Drug Like"

AD HOMINEM Climax Of Hatred (Avantgarde Music) cd 14.98

AD HOMINEM Planet Zog - The End (Musique & Tradition) cd 14.98

ADACHI TOMOMI ROYAL CHORUS Yo (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Leave it to John Zorn's Tzadik to unearth the most absurd and maddening Japanese underground groups for our amusment/amazement. Certainly this one qualifies in that regard. Composer Adachi Tomomi leads this eight-member vocals-only ensemble, who don't let their lack of instruments hold them back musically! Nope, the human voice is the only instrument they need. Perhaps you remember the accapella Ruins side-project Zubi Zuva that also had a Tzadik release some years back? Well, this is kinda like that, but with more than twice as many voices, both male and female. Adachi's songs oft utilize a complex overlap of voices and precise arrangements that sometimes fall into a repetitive Minimalist compositional zone, and at other times will remind you of Warner Bros. cartoon scores. It's zany conceptual experimental stuff that touches on a lot of sounds and styles of singing, both with words and wordless. There's a certain amount of humor at play as well -- one of the highlights here is "Gu", an 8-minute epic of sleeping, snoring sounds!
MPEG Stream: "Ganzin"
MPEG Stream: "Gu"

ADAM ELK Labello (Dep't of Ways & Means) cd 11.98
Solo album from Mommyhead's frontman Elk.

ADAMS, JOHN Violin Concerto / Shaker Loops (Nonesuch) cd 16.98

ADAMS, JOHN LUTHER In The White Silence (New World) cd 16.98
Oooh. So utterly blissful, beautiful, and contemplative. In The White Silence is a musical evocation of the endless white Arctic tundra. John Luther Adams lives in Alaska and this piece, like much of his work, is inspired by the remote Alaskan wilderness, in all its vastness and stillness, what he considers exploration in "sonic geography". We thought at first that sounded like it might be a bit too New Agey or something but as soon as we heard this we couldn't help but fall in love with it!
This was recommended to us by one of our customers who said that it was basically the closest any modern composer had come to making "Pop Ambient" music (as in, the Pop Ambient compilations released by the Kompakt label, stuff like Gas, Markus Guentner, and Klimek). But it's not electronic, it's chamber music, performed by the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble. That means lots of sweet strings -- violins, violas, cellos, bass, harp. Also some additional coloration (and this is colorful, in the way that white is all colors) from vibraphone, celesta and orchestra bells. Although of course this composition has a beginning and an end, it seems like something that could go on forever, though it really only lasts about 75 minutes -- slowly unfolding, built from layers of cloud-like tone clusters and barely-shifting rhythms. The musically learned liner notes (which will tell you a lot more about the musical theory behind the construction of this piece than I could ever hope to do) speak of "static textures of densely layered sound, sustained tones, short repetitive patterns, and long rising and falling lines." All true, but you have to hear it to understand how NICE that can be. If the Arctic really sounds like this, we're all set to fly up there and strap on the snowshoes... A gorgeous, extended, and immersive piece of minimalist, "pop ambient" chamber music indeed!!
MPEG Stream: "Letter F"
MPEG Stream: "Letter L"

ADAMS, JOHN LUTHER Red Arc / Blue Veil (Cold Blue Music) cd 14.98
We've always loved the blissful and beautiful work of John Luther Adams, one of the great American modern composers. His album In White Silence is a bonafide all time AQ favorite but truth is, Adams has plenty of other records that are equally worthy of our attention. Red Arc / Blue Veil blew us away the first time we heard it as it shows a much more intense side to the Alaskan composer then we were accustomed to. Yes, it's still stunningly crisp and beautiful, but there is a velocity and urgency to this work that struck us immediately. In some ways this is the darkest recording we've heard from Adams, yet within this music, there is still a shining mystical light beaming so brightly. Whether it's the dueling pianos in "Dark Waves" or the monumental bass drums pounding to the heavens in "Qilyuan" or the majestic vibes and keys that close out the record on the title track "Red Arc/Blue Veil", Adams has created a piece of music that demonstrates again that as a supposedly "academic" or "modern classical" composer, he's capable of creating some of the most beautiful and sublime sounds imaginable, regardless of genre.
MPEG Stream: "Red Arc/Blue Veil"
MPEG Stream: "Qilyuan"

ADAMS, JOHN LUTHER Strange and Sacred Noise (Mode) cd 16.98
Percussion-centric composition from the guy who brought us the lovely In The White Silence.

ADAMS, PATRICK Master of The Masterpiece 2: More of The Best of Patrick Adams (P&P Records) cd 16.98
We couldn't be happier about the disco revival that has swept through the music scene over the last year or two. It's exciting that a whole new generation is discovering the high energy and sexually charged dance floor burners that were such important anthems for so many underrepresented communities in popular culture (queer, African-American, Latino, etc.). While producers like Giorgio Moroder and Patrick Cowley have finally been rediscovered by a whole new generation of kids who dig stuff like Justice, Glass Candy and the Chromatics, we're hoping it will happen for Patrick Adams too.
Born in Harlem in 1950, Adams is an amazingly rare breed of producer, having managed to stay fresh and vital for more then three decades. He has worked with everyone from Astrud Gilberto to Eric B. & Rakim, Sister Sledge to Salt 'n Pepa, Eddie Kendricks to The Salsoul Orchestra. Maybe best known for the irresistible disco jam by Musique "In The Bush", Adams was one of the few producers of the disco-era who continued to make cool and innovative records throughout the '80s and well into the '90s.
Master Of The Masterpiece 2 digs really deep into Adams' vaults, as none of these tracks have been available on cd before, and finding original vinyl versions is damn near impossible. From the playful disco of Bumble Bee Unlimited, the strong and soulful stylings of Debbie Taylor, the electro robotic sounds of The "P" Crew and the breezy funk of the Universal Robot Band, all 12 tracks here show how carefree sounds can be made with backbone and conviction. So when you wanna dance in style or ride around town with the top down, we can't think of a better of a soundtrack than these Patrick Adams gems!
MPEG Stream: BUMBLE BEE UNLIMITED "I Got A Big Bee (Original Demo Version)"
MPEG Stream: SINE "Rotation"
MPEG Stream: DEBBIE TAYLOR "No Deposit No Return"

ADAMS, PATRICK Master of The Masterpiece 2: More of The Best of Patrick Adams (P&P Records) 2lp 19.98
We couldn't be happier about the disco revival that has swept through the music scene over the last year or two. It's exciting that a whole new generation is discovering the high energy and sexually charged dance floor burners that were such important anthems for so many underrepresented communities in popular culture (queer, African-American, Latino, etc.). While producers like Giorgio Moroder and Patrick Cowley have finally been rediscovered by a whole new generation of kids who dig stuff like Justice, Glass Candy and the Chromatics, we're hoping it will happen for Patrick Adams too.
Born in Harlem in 1950, Adams is an amazingly rare breed of producer, having managed to stay fresh and vital for more then three decades. He has worked with everyone from Astrud Gilberto to Eric B. & Rakim, Sister Sledge to Salt 'n Pepa, Eddie Kendricks to The Salsoul Orchestra. Maybe best known for the irresistible disco jam by Musique "In The Bush", Adams was one of the few producers of the disco-era who continued to make cool and innovative records throughout the '80s and well into the '90s.
Master Of The Masterpiece 2 digs really deep into Adams' vaults, as none of these tracks have been available on cd before, and finding original vinyl versions is damn near impossible. From the playful disco of Bumble Bee Unlimited, the strong and soulful stylings of Debbie Taylor, the electro robotic sounds of The "P" Crew and the breezy funk of the Universal Robot Band, all 12 tracks here show how carefree sounds can be made with backbone and conviction. So when you wanna dance in style or ride around town with the top down, we can't think of a better of a soundtrack than these Patrick Adams gems!
MPEG Stream: BUMBLE BEE UNLIMITED "I Got A Big Bee (Original Demo Version)"
MPEG Stream: SINE "Rotation"
MPEG Stream: DEBBIE TAYLOR "No Deposit No Return"

ADAMS, RYAN 29 (Lost Highway) cd 15.98
This fella can't be stopped, can he? When does Ryan Adams sleep? When does he eat? Crikey! This album's title could very well reflect the number of releases the man has put out... well, not quite! Yeesh, he's no Jandek nor Bob Pollard, but you get the picture. Released in very early January 2006, it almost marked Adams' third album in one calendar year (and actually if you're goin' by mere number of months, it is his third in eight!). That said, as has been somewhat problematic with Adams' musical output in the past, there's always the sticky issue of quantity over quality. As such, 29 is definitely the weakest of his past three albums. Geez, and he was doin' so well... the first of the trio, the excellent Cold Roses double cd, truly resurrected our long waning appreciation of Ryan Adams. Things were sounding... er, rosy (groan!). Next was the more country rockin' Jacksonville City Nights, which wasn't nearly as solid as Cold Roses, but was quite good nonetheless. Now we reach 29, and frankly it's pretty darn lackluster. There's a few sparks here and there but overall it comes across as tired and uninspired. As the first track begins we find Mr. Adams playin' the blues, but that dour mood doesn't linger too long. The rest is rooted in the old country folk earthiness and seems almost like leftover tracks from the recording sessions for his last album. Really, the best thing about this album is the cover art -- a drawing of the Grim Reaper approaching a gate. Too bad it was wasted on such a disappointing album. A damn shame!
MPEG Stream: "Twenty Nine"
MPEG Stream: "Nightbirds"

ADAMS, RYAN Demolition (Lost Highway) cd 14.98
This new album from Ryan Adams compiles a baker's dozen of the demos from his Nashville, Hollywood and Stockholm recording sessions of the last couple of years. Nice to hear his music at this stage before every speck of immediacy and grit were swept away in the recording process (which seemed to be the downfall of his 2001 Gold album). Reportedly each song was recorded in one take without overdubs. That said, they do already sound very very polished, full and finished. Overall, he sounds much older and more weathered than on Gold or his fine debut Heartbreaker. Some of these songs completely resemble the catchy college rock of the Replacements - he *really* sounds like Paul Westerberg! - while others are more in the Americana vein of Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen. Actually those latter songs really reminded me of the Traveling Wilburys too which says a lot considering the caliber of artists on that group's roster. The standout track however is the final one, the solemnly moving "Jesus (Don't Touch My Baby)". So beautiful, it veered away from any of the other songs and reference points, and left me wishing the rest of the album were more along those lines.
RealAudio clip: "Starting To Hurt"
RealAudio clip: "Gimme A Sign"
RealAudio clip: "Jesus (Don't Touch My Baby)"

ADAMS, RYAN Easy Tiger (Lost Highway) cd 14.98
This cd was still in its shrinkwrap and yet it'd already gotten our hackles (and chuckles) up. Now nine albums under the bridge, we don't really need to go in depth about our love/hate feelings for Mr. Adams, do we? If you need to know the nitty gritty, go ahead and peruse our past reviews of his albums. Simply stated, we've long admired his songsmithery, but have questioned the motivations behind some of his creative and marketing decisions. Fickle? In the case of Easy Tiger, well, we could go on about the sci-fi font and the strategic use of spot color on the album cover by Adams' design team, to focus on his wristwatch, sporting the time 4:20, umm, yep, the only color on the cover... 4:20 DUDE!!! But... see for yourself. Targeting a new market perhaps? Aww, let us not waste any more energy grousing. The music, the music! Is this Adams' most consistent, wholly alt-country rock album since his solo debut Heartbreaker? Yes, it just might be! Back in 2000, that album's blend of well crafted roots and pop won many of our hearts, and while this album can't possibly erase the interim sore spots, it does possess a number of songs that have unearthed the lil' Adams' lovin' spot in our chests long buried. Now, we won't go into how Cup has a violent aversion to people yelling "gee-taaar solo!" which Adams does on the fourth track "Halloweenhead" 'cause then he turns around and presents one of the sweetest sensitive songs on the album ("Oh My God, Whatever, Etc"). Pardon us if we're keeping a sidelong gaze on our sincerity meter. He still changes his country boy vocal delivery at the drop of a hat -- adopting some Neil Young-ish yearn/bleat inflections on the sing-along-with-the-guitar-melody number "Off Broadway" then switching to a deeper George Jones-esque intonation on "Pearls On A String". He does it all very well indeed, but it does leaving you wondering if he's multiple personality'd or is a well versed human mockingbird. Nonetheless, stick around for the closer, the sweetly introspective "I Taught Myself How To Grow Old".
MPEG Stream: "Halloweenhead"
MPEG Stream: "Off Broadway"

ADAMS, RYAN Gold (Lost Highway) 2cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
"Gold" is Whiskeytown vocalist Ryan Adams' second solo effort, and with each release both in solo and band mode, his songwriting's gotten progressively more and more accessible and radio-friendly, and much less rootsy. And quite honestly, much less appealing. Adams previous effort was a breathtaking Beatlesque rock record with just the right amount of twang. Unfortunately, this record pales in comparison and could just as easily be a Counting Crows record or some other middle of the road FM rock record. Features an American flag-emblazoned, very Tommy Hilfiger-esque cover photo. With bonus limited edition cd.

ADAMS, RYAN Heartbreaker (Bloodshot) cd 14.98
Solo record from singer of alt-country darlings Whiskeytown. Rambunctious and relaxed, more intimate, and a little less polished than his Whiskeytown stuff. The sound is a bit more Beatlesy pop than Hank Williams twang. Nice.
MPEG Stream: "My Winding Wheel"
MPEG Stream: "To Be The One"

ADAMS, RYAN Llor N KcoR (Lost Highway) cd 15.98
Ryan Adams has been a very busy, prolific man, and the fruits of his labor are two new full lengths (well, technically one is a lengthy 8-song ep). With both, he stretches out and takes another sizable step away from his Whiskeytown / alt-country rock past. Through the first few songs of each release, it seems they're quite drastically different from one another, however as they progress the two draw closer and closer. Released concurrently with the the slower paced and more dramatic Love Is Hell Pt. 1, this one, titled and themed Llor N KcoR (yep, that's Rock N Roll backwards), is filled to the gills with anthemic rock -- each song packed with high wailing lead guitars, chunky rhythm guitars, a solid driving beat, and plentiful cymbal crashes. However, it's not completely the Americana type (akin to Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and Paul Westerberg) for which he's well-known. Many of the songs have a decidedly British rock flair. Take the fifth song "So Alive" for instance, a very U2-ish flag waver. Gets the blood pumpin'. Just as he does on Love Is Hell, Adams throws a single song into the middle of Rock N Roll that's a bit incongruous with the rest. Oddly enough it's actually the title track. Set amid the raucousness of the other thirteen songs, it's a subdued, intimate voice and piano number laced with a quiet texture of sampled dialogue. Nice. A final note: we have to say that, surely much to his chagrin, vocally Mr. Ryan Adams seems to be drawing nearer and nearer to the hoarse rasp of Bryan Adams (no relation, right?).
MPEG Stream: "This Is It"
MPEG Stream: "So Alive"

ADAMS, RYAN Love Is Hell (Lost Highway) cd 14.98
A sticker on this cd proclaims: "The complete album as Ryan originally conceived it."
And we've gotta say is: "How fucking lame!!!"
If this was the way he "originally conceived it", he and/or his record company sure wasted everyone's time and money this past year releasing these songs on two separate EPs (Love Is Hell Pt. 1 and Pt.2). Oh, there's one non-EP song on here called "Anybody Wanna Take Me Home"? Big whoop! It's not like some great amount of time has passed (during which time those EPs went out of print, etc) or something else to warrant this. Shame on you Ryan Adams/Lost Highway! But if you never got the ep's, here are the reviews from when they came out:
Love Is Hell Pt. 1:
Ryan Adams has been a very busy, prolific man, and the fruits of his labor are two new full lengths (well, technically this is actually a lengthy 8-song ep). With both, he stretches out and takes another sizable step away from his Whiskeytown / alt-country rock past. Through the first few songs of each release, it seems they're quite drastically different from one another, however as they progress the two draw closer and closer. Released concurrently with the one titled and themed Llor N KcoR (yep, that's Rock N Roll backwards), the slower paced and more dramatic Love Is Hell Pt. 1 (part two coming next year, apparently) seems to be the album on which Ryan Adams decided to don Rufus Wainwright's somberly introspective brocade coat for a few numbers. The results are mixed, but of the two releases this one is definitely the stronger. Furthermore, it's leaps and bounds better than most of his recent efforts (which consistently fell short of the high caliber set by his debut Heartbreaker) revealing a much more mature, composed, heartbaring Adams. Amid the smoky, lush instrumentation he howls, croons and emotes much like Wainwright and on occasion like Thom Yorke ("Afraid Not Scared") or Bruce Springsteen ("This House Is Not For Sale") too. As the centerpiece of this release, he delivers a stirring cover of "Wonderwall". He successfully makes the song his own (and sets it apart from the other seven songs) by stripping away Oasis' melodramatic grandeur to bring the focus solely on his voice and picked guitar.
Love Is Hell Pt. 2:
Hot on the heels of his Llor N Kcor album and Love Is Hell Part 1 ep comes Part 2. We were expecting it in the new year, but it appears he (or his record label) just couldn't wait. Geez, if he continues at this pace his fans will have to set up a whole separate shelf for just his albums... not that they haven't already! Anyways, Part 2 is comprised of seven new lushly produced songs on which Adams' voice very unsettlingly resembles that of other vocalists -- for instance, we heard more than a little Glen Campbell and Elliott Smith. Weird! Perhaps he's trying to reach a wider audience by diversifying his vocal delivery since he's already done so with the different musical styles. Now don't get us wrong, we're not harshing on Adams for stretching out in different directions and trying new things. That in itself is great. Other artists venture out all the time, but when Adams does it, somehow it just seems calculated and less than sincere. Give 'er a listen and assess for yourself. That said, of his three newest releases, we still favor L.I.H. Pt.1.
MPEG Stream: "Political Scientist"
MPEG Stream: "Wonderwall"
MPEG Stream: "City Rain, City Streets"

ADAMS, RYAN Love Is Hell Pt. 1 (Lost Highway) cd ep 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Ryan Adams has been a very busy, prolific man, and the fruits of his labor are two new full lengths (well, technically this is actually a lengthy 8-song ep). With both, he stretches out and takes another sizable step away from his Whiskeytown / alt-country rock past. Through the first few songs of each release, it seems they're quite drastically different from one another, however as they progress the two draw closer and closer. Released concurrently with the one titled and themed Llor N KcoR (yep, that's Rock N Roll backwards), the slower paced and more dramatic Love Is Hell Pt. 1 (part two coming next year, apparently) seems to be the album on which Ryan Adams decided to don Rufus Wainwright's somberly introspective brocade coat for a few numbers. The results are mixed, but of the two releases this one is definitely the stronger. Furthermore, it's leaps and bounds better than most of his recent efforts (which consistently fell short of the high caliber set by his debut Heartbreaker) revealing a much more mature, composed, heartbaring Adams. Amid the smoky, lush instrumentation he howls, croons and emotes much like Wainwright and on occasion like Thom Yorke ("Afraid Not Scared") or Bruce Springsteen ("This House Is Not For Sale") too. As the centerpiece of this release, he delivers a stirring cover of "Wonderwall". He successfully makes the song his own (and sets it apart from the other seven songs) by stripping away Oasis' melodramatic grandeur to bring the focus solely on his voice and picked guitar.
MPEG Stream: "Political Scientist"
MPEG Stream: "Wonderwall"

ADAMS, RYAN Love Is Hell Pt. 2 (Lost Highway) cd ep 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hot on the heels of his Llor N Kcor album and Love Is Hell Part 1 ep comes Part 2. We were expecting it in the new year, but it appears he (or his record label) just couldn't wait. Geez, if he continues at this pace his fans will have to set up a whole separate shelf for just his albums... not that they haven't already! Anyways, Part 2 is comprised of seven new lushly produced songs on which Adams' voice very unsettlingly resembles that of other vocalists -- for instance, we heard more than a little Glen Campbell and Elliott Smith. Weird! Perhaps he's trying to reach a wider audience by diversifying his vocal delivery since he's already done so with the different musical styles. Now don't get us wrong, we're not harshing on Adams for stretching out in different directions and trying new things. That in itself is great. Other artists venture out all the time, but when Adams does it, somehow it just seems calculated and less than sincere. Give 'er a listen and assess for yourself. That said, of his three newest releases, we still favor L.I.H. Pt.1.
MPEG Stream: "City Rain, City Streets"

ADAMS, RYAN & THE CARDINALS Cold Roses (Lost Highway) 2cd 15.98
If you're a regular AQer, you're probably more than a little familiar with our love/hate relationship with Ryan Adams' music. His albums have proven to be a source of much frustration around here. There'll be an absolutely fantastic song that you immediately fall in love with right alongside something unbelievably bland and generic. His latest release being a double cd had us wondering if he simply has difficulty editing himself. However, we were happy to find that this is perhaps his most consistent work in ages... and it's really not all that lengthy. The 18 songs could have fit on one cd, but Adams' choice to split it up harkens back to those '70s classic rock double albums from which he clearly draws much inspiration. The embossed gatefold sleeve and LP-looking disc art only add to this feel. Music-wise, for the most part, Adams keeps to the sorrowful country rock road, and this mid-tempo pace suits him well. Cold Roses reveals a more mature Adams who's not out to prove anything nor hop aboard any bandwagons. Oozing with confidence, not cockiness, and conveying a level of sincerity and expressiveness previously unheard from him since his Whiskeytown days. In fact, it seems he may have finally (re)discovered his own voice on this album. Although his music is still very much in the same stylistic vein as a number of his seniors, his vocal delivery this time sounds the least like those other folks (Westerberg, Springsteen, Petty). Perhaps all of this goodness is the result of his finding a new group of musicians for his backing band? It sure seems like they've clicked well, he actually co-wrote all of the songs with The Cardinals. Nothing like some new faces to recharge one's creative batteries, and even better when the end results are as good as this!
MPEG Stream: "Sweet Illusions"
MPEG Stream: "Let It Ride"

ADAMS, RYAN & THE CARDINALS Follow The Light (Lost Highway) cd ep 5.98
Can't get enough of Ryan Adams? Well, he definitely makes sure that you never have to wait too long for something new! It's like clockwork. Sometimes this can be a bit problematic when a release seems rushed out and uninspired... and some have indeed seemed so. Still, his last few releases have been surprisingly consistent, and consistently good. The only gripe we've had recently is with his major label style generic artwork. Anyhoo, four months after his Easy Tiger album, here is his new seven song ep which include two new songs (the title track and "My Love For You Is Real"), the song "Blue Hotel" which was written by Adams and originally recorded by Willie Nelson for his own most recent album, a cover of Alice In Chains' "Down In A Hole", new versions of "Dear John and "This Is It" as well as one other song "If I Am A Stranger". The latter five were recorded live in the studio. A solid country rock fan pleaser.
MPEG Stream: "Blue Hotel"
MPEG Stream: "Down In A Hole"

ADAMS, RYAN AND THE CARDINALS Cardinology (Lost Highway) cd 14.98
Why mess with a good thing, right? Well, Ryan Adams' not known to be one to follow that advice, but it seems like he has with his latest full length. He's kept on track with his great backing band The Cardinals. Sounding totally at ease, they really seem to ground him with their exceptionally sound foundation. Although throughout his contrivance-riddled past we've been forced to be somewhat suspicious of the sincerity when he dons his 'sensitive guy' persona. Here, the haunting melancholia and sweet sentiments of some of the quieter songs such as "Cobwebs" and "Evergreen" ring true. Also, unlike his former tendencies to churn out album after album with nary a breath in between, he and the band took their time with Cardinology (*gasp* almost a year!). The album itself take its time too, unwinding at a laidback reflective pace. A hushed fine follow-up to the Americana goodness that was his Follow The Light cdep.
MPEG Stream: "Cobwebs"
MPEG Stream: "Evergreen"

ADAMS, RYAN AND THE CARDINALS Cardinology (Lost Highway) lp 17.98
Why mess with a good thing, right? Well, Ryan Adams' not known to be one to follow that advice, but it seems like he has with his latest full length. He's kept on track with his great backing band The Cardinals. Sounding totally at ease, they really seem to ground him with their exceptionally sound foundation. Although throughout his contrivance-riddled past we've been forced to be somewhat suspicious of the sincerity when he dons his 'sensitive guy' persona. Here, the haunting melancholia and sweet sentiments of some of the quieter songs such as "Cobwebs" and "Evergreen" ring true. Also, unlike his former tendencies to churn out album after album with nary a breath in between, he and the band took their time with Cardinology (*gasp* almost a year!). The album itself take its time too, unwinding at a laidback reflective pace. A hushed fine follow-up to the Americana goodness that was his Follow The Light cdep.
MPEG Stream: "Cobwebs"
MPEG Stream: "Evergreen"

ADAMS, RYAN AND THE CARDINALS Jacksonville City Nights (Lost Highway) cd 14.98
Seems like Mr. Flights-of-fancy, Ryan Adams is stickin' with a good thing. The ridiculously prolific singer/songwriter hooked up with The Cardinals for his last album Cold Roses, and it turned out to be a winning combination! Perhaps his most 'old country' sounding album to date, and a dandy one at that.
MPEG Stream: "A Kiss Before I Go"
MPEG Stream: "Dear John"

ADAMSON, BARRY As Above So Below (Mute) cd 15.98
Adamson's previous records have intentionally been film scores for films that never existed, blueprints for him to explore the issues in his life, not the least of which is his biracial ethnicity. In his fifth solo album, the former bassist for the Bad Seeds and Magazine unveils his most song-oriented album. The trademark apocalyptic noir swing and murky production are present but with a sinister application of Leonard Cohen-style vocals. There's a point in the middle of the album (Here I Stand) where all of the ghosts and demons are scared up to intense peaks of aural chaos... and it sounds so good!

ADAMSON, BARRY Moss Side Story (Mute) cd 15.98
Mute U.K. has finally seen fit to reissue this: hallelujah! This is his first soundtrack (of 4, 3 of which are for films that don't exist). Brilliant album from one of my favorite musicians in the whole world. The cd version adds 3 songs unavailable elsewhere, including the truly essential theme from the Sinatra-as-junkie film The Man With The Golden Arm. "In a black & white world, murder adds a touch of colour." Get this album first!

ADAMSON, BARRY Moss Side Story (Mute) lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Mute U.K. Has finally seen fit to reissue this: hallelujah! This is his first soundtrack (of 4, 3 of which are for films that don't exist). Brilliant album from one of my favorite musicians in the whole world. The cd version adds 3 songs unavailable elsewhere, including the truly essential theme from the Sinatra-as-junkie film The Man With The Golden Arm. "In a black & white world, murder adds a touch of colour." Get this album first!

ADAMSON, BARRY Stranger On The Sofa (Central Control International) cd 14.98
While we have in the past been fans of Adamson's soundtrack without a movie vibe, (most notably, the all time classic Moss Side Story) this more song-oriented and vocal heavy affair feels a bit late in the lounge. It still gives off a soundtrack sort of feel, but with synth-stabs, slap bass, as well as strange narrative elements from Anne Chancellor, which creates a soundtrack that seems to be from an eighties B-movie now shown only on the Spanish channel late at night. Perhaps its because Adamson plays all the instruments himself, which is a commendable feat in itself, but we wish that all that effort made for a more rewarding listen.
MPEG Stream: "The Long Way Back Again"
MPEG Stream: "Deja Morte"

ADAMSON, BARRY The King of Nothing Hill (Mute) cd 16.98
A huge Barry Adamson fan, I still maintain that he hasn't surpassed his first two albums, but nonetheless The King of Nothing Hill, his eighth proper album, is worth a listen or two. It's just that ex-Bad Seeds Adamson's musical trajectory (which involves the scoring of non-existent -- and on two occasions *existent* -- films) has evolved from the delicate, shiveringly evocative art noir scores Moss Side Story and Soul Murder to... well... these slightly more bombastic productions more suited to blockbuster status. I mean, the James Bond franchise should just give him a go already. He'd do a fine job. Anyway, here we've got smoky atmospheres laced with groovy vibes (RIP Lionel Hampton btw!) and Adamson's lounge singer / circus barker croon. Hovering helicopter noises punctuate the tension. At its worst it's like the soundtrack to Rocky XVII or something, but on the other hand at its best he'll pop out with, for example, a *gorgeous* song with pretty Chicago-style trumpet on it ("That Fool was Me"), definitely the album's highlight. Occasional samples include those borrowed from Ike Turner, Archie Shepp / John Coltrane, and Bob James, and Cypress Hill.
RealAudio clip: "Black Amour"
RealAudio clip: "That Fool was Me"
RealAudio clip: "Second Stain"

ADAMSON, BARRY The Murky World of... (Mute) cd 15.98
A "best of" collection from Barry Adamson's five solo albums outside of his work from the Bad Seeds and Magazine... filmic scores of very dark and moody jazz, rumble-ass basslines, brassy outbursts, and post-punk pop.

ADAMSON, BARRY + PAN SONIC The Hymn Of The Seventh Illusion (Kitchen Motors) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
From its beginnings, the Icelandic arts organization Kitchen Motors has been pairing off interesting cross-platform artists who may not have otherwise had the opportunity to work together. "The Hymn Of The Seventh Illusion" was a commission by Kitchen Motors for Pan Sonic and Barry Adamson to score a composition for the Hljomeyki Choir from Iceland. Surprised yet delighted to be working together, Adamson (best known for coining the term "imaginary filmscore" within his amazing noir albums such as "Moss Side Story) and Pan Sonic (the Finnish pioneers of ultra-minimal techno) had arrived an amazing piece that could have been a snippet from the eerie GYoRGY LIGETI chorales that were so instrumental to the sense of alienation within Kubrick's "2001." Utilizing the natural reverberation from Digraneskirkja church in Reykjavik, Pan Sonic and Adamson gently fluttered sustained vocal tones amidst the space, occasionally allowing for the choir to delve into a simple haunting melody, whilst Pan Sonic sets down a very subdued electronic back beat. Hopefully, the Kitchen Motors collaboration between Adamson and Pan Sonic won't end here!
Compounding the collaborative spirit, Kitchen Motors employed The Hafler Trio (whose solo member Andrew McKensie now lives in Iceland) to remix "The Hymn Of The Seventh Illusion." As McKensie has been moving further away from the fictional research projects and more towards the electro-acoustic studies from Luigi Nono, The Hafler Trio is a perfect fit. This remix has stretched and abstracted the polyphony of the chorus into a very creepy extended drone collage. Very nice work!
RealAudio clip: "The Hymn Of The Seventh Illusion"
RealAudio clip: "The Hymn Of The Seventh Illusion (Hafler Trio Remix)"

ADD N TO (X) Add Insult To Injury (Mute) cd 17.98
With the awesome explosion that Add N To (X) provided with the super limited single "Little Black Rocks On The Sun," there was hope that Add N To (X) would do something as good as the second album "On The Wire Of Our Nerves." But the two following releases including "Add Insult To Injury" proved that they only had about 90 minutes of good music in them. Right now, the UK trio has only been interested in the irony of using analogue synthesizers and vocoders... how boring.
RealAudio clip: "Adding N to X"

ADD N TO (X) Avant Hard (Mute) cd 15.98
Veering from the sci-fi bleakness of their last effort On The Wires Of Our Nerves, Add N To (X) have modernized the Moog exotica of the '60s with this propulsive collection of epic analog fuckery... Ignore the record-label hype that this is some sort of Stockhausen meets Motorhead experimental hard rock record (what were they thinking, it's not).

ADD N TO (X) Loud Like Nature (Mute) cd 16.98
When listening to the first track of the new Add N To (X), I could not escape the overwhelming feeling that I was listening to an analog synthesizer muzak version of the Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack. A rousing, campy, kitschful time. Confirming once again that they're a one-trick pony, ANTX have assembled another album that gets the toes tapping and rumps shaking yet ultimately leaves the listener's ears unsatiated. There's an abundance of burly vocoded vocals, and vintage synths that bloop and blurp out gelatinous cycles of riffs... which all sound super cool, if very predictable. Frankly this probably wouldn't be such an issue at all if only they'd never released their first two albums which surpass - in both composition and rocking power - anything they've done since. However... they did. If you're new to this London trio, definitely check out either of their first two before venturing into later territory. For further ANTX thoughts, please see the review of the "Take Me To Your Leader" ep.
RealAudio clip: "Total All Out Water"
RealAudio clip: "All Night Lazy"

ADD N TO (X) On The Wires Of Our Nerves (Mute) cd 16.98
Somewhere between Gary Numan and Jean-Jacques Perrey. The aesthetics of Kraftwerk fused with punk brought the industrial sounds of SPK, Esplendor Geometrico, and Nocturnal Emissions...this continuum continues under the guise of "post-rock" with Trans Am, Six Finger Satellite, and now Add N To X...a bloody assault of analogue synths, propulsive bass lines and hyper catchy tunes...recommended by those kids at the Wire!

ADD N TO (X) Take Me To Your Leader (Mute) cd ep 8.98
These three new songs (two of them edit versions) offer a mere glimpse at their fifth album Loud Like Nature. What to expect? Churning robot rock in 4/4 time featuring a whole gang of highly processed vocals - not unlike what you might think garage rock performed completely on analog synths would sound. Fun, funky and repetitive, these songs will probably make for ideal additions to a party comp tape, but will they stand up to repeat listens? Not so sure about that. Once again it seems this London trio recorded some jams, and from the outcome, chose a handful of cool synth and bass lines and came up with some even cooler synth sounds, but didn't pursue composing fleshed out songs around them. It appears their best work is still the aforementioned sophomore release. Note: the vinyl features an extended mix of "The Trees Are Dreamless Leafless Genius" whereas the cd version includes a video for the title track.
RealAudio clip: "Take Me To Your Leader"

ADD N TO FU(X)A And Another Thing (Rocket Girl) cd 10.98
This is a collaboration between Barry from Add N To (X) and Randall from Fuxa. Hardly the fusion of Michigan space rock and the antiquated electronic grooves of Add N To (X) we might expect, "And Another Thing" is a smug collage of looping dorky electronics that strives to be charming rather than innovative. And it is charming in the same way that Pram is. Randall and Barry have set up a monotonous rhythm around a sampled loop of a clanging xylophone and bass clarinet that strolls along at an awkward bowlegged pace. Little melodic elements of swelling Lawrence Welk strings and vibes waltz around the rhythm to sound much more like the obtuse comedy records concocted by People Like Us or Nurse With Wound.

ADELAIDE s/t (self-released) cd ep 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This new Portland, OR band Adelaide make pastel-hued instrumentals from the swirlingly pretty side of post-rock. Each of the five tracks is sort of the aural equivalent of a dewy spring blossom gently nodding its head under the weight of the water droplets. Everything's all softly focussed with shimmery cymbal washes, gauzy guitarwork and chiming keyboard melodies. Very nice.
MPEG Stream: "Games Without End"
MPEG Stream: "Entrance"

ADEM Homesongs (Domino) cd 14.98
Homesongs by Adem (aka Adem Ilhan of electronic post-rockers Fridge) is an album very much in the somber folk vein of contemporaries Sufjan Stevens, M. Ward or Arab Strap's Malcolm Middleton. These late-night bedroom songs, though, are totally fresh and beautifully crafted with inspiration, intimacy and minimal assembly. Bounding sincerity is matched by a considered use of restraint musically. Meanwhile, the production in spite of its home-recording is terrific. What a great debut!
MPEG Stream: "There Will Always Be"
MPEG Stream: "Ringing In My Ears"

ADEM Love And Other Planets (Domino) cd 14.98
Dulcet. That's good word and a fine one to describe this new album from Adem. While this was playing in the store, we had quite a few queries as to whether this was a new Rufus Wainwright album. It isn't, but it still might please folks who swoon at the thought of Mr. Wainwright singing in a more pastoral setting. For those of you just joining us (and who are wonderin' what all the fuss is about), Adem Ilhan (along with Four Tet's Kieran Hebden) used to be in the aQ fave band known as Fridge. Love And Other Planets has also drawn comparisons to Sufjan Stevens in his more celestial folk-tronic mode. This lovely album is filled with the sincerest heartfelt but not overly sweet sentiments. Check out "X Is For Kisses". Awwww.
MPEG Stream: "X Is For Kisses"
MPEG Stream: "You And Moon"

ADEM Takes (Domino) cd 14.98
Adem spent most of his teens in one of the most influential post-rock groups of the '90s, Fridge. While his former bandmate Kieren Hebden has enjoyed a bit of a higher profile with Four Tet and his various other projects, Adem hasn't been slacking, keeping quite busy himself releasing several records of pastoral and bittersweet indie-pop. Takes is his stab at a covers record, and while we're starting to grow a bit tired of the 'covers album' concept, we have to say we do appreciate how Adem actually covers contemporary artists and doesn't try to pretend to have obscure influences just to get cool points. And thankfully we are spared from hearing another Bob Dylan cover. Instead Adem wears his influences proudly, an indie boy at heart for sure, covering the likes of Pinback, Yo La Tengo, Bedhead, Low, Aphex Twin, The Breeders, Tortoise, Bjork and more. Kind of like hanging out with your crush in their dorm room as he serenades you with all your favorite songs from the '90s.
MPEG Stream: "Loro"
MPEG Stream: "Unravel"

ADKINS, HASIL Moon Over Madison (Norton) cd 14.98
Hurrah! Norton Records has reissued two more awesome albums from the true holy terror of the rockabilly and garage world, the late Hasil Adkins. Both of them are compiled from the home recordings of the man himself circa 1958-1963. Needless to say... amazing documents of his early years! Each presents a very very different Adkins -- one a wildman hellbent on rawk fury, the other a considerably more sedate, damp-spirited country crooner. This one offers the latter, subtitled The Lonesome And Blue Sounds Of Hasil Adkins, was first released back in 1990 by Norton on LP only. This time around it's on LP and CD with an additional four bonus previously unreleased tunes sandwiched between the sixteen original warbly raw tunes.
MPEG Stream: "I Had A Dream About You"
MPEG Stream: "Somebody Help Me"

ADKINS, HASIL Out To Hunch (Norton) cd 14.98
We're totally delighted that this has finally been reissued. Hasil Adkins is fucking insane and totally rockin'. Like Elvis Presley's evil twin, fucked up, dangerous and COMPLETELY MAD. All of these songs were recorded at home in a cabin in the mountains of West Virginia, rockabilly acoustic guitar under a creepy snarly, freaked out voice, interspersed with a Adkins' cackling laugh. Having spent time touring in a beat up old car with "the greatest one man band in the world Hasil Adkins and his happy guitar" painted on the door, Adkins leaves no doubt as to who is the most rockingest man around! This reissue collects songs from 1955-1965, right at the beginning of his long and consistently nutty career. The first song 'She Said' might rings some bells, since rockabilly freaks the Cramps covered it years back. Nice booklet with liner notes penned by Adkins himself.
RealAudio clip: "She Said "
RealAudio clip: "We got A Date"
RealAudio clip: "The Hunch"

ADKINS, HASIL Peanut Butter Rock and Roll (Norton) cd 14.98
Hurrah! Norton Records has reissued two more awesome albums from the true holy terror of the rockabilly and garage world, the late Hasil Adkins. Both of them are compiled from the home recordings of the man himself circa 1958-1963. Needless to say... amazing documents of his early years! Each presents a very different Adkins -- one a wildman hellbent on rawk fury, the other a considerably more sedate, damp-spirited country crooner. This one offers the former, and it's fuckin' great! Ultra dirty, murky and strange. Drums sound like wellworn cardboard boxes, pots and pans. Vocals distort as he howls the high notes, and his loosely tuned, feverishly strummed guitar keeps 'em company. It was first released back in 1990 by Norton on LP only. This time around it's on LP and CD with an additional four bonus tunes (two previously unreleased in the U.S. and two previously unreleased anywhere) sandwiched between the sixteen original raw'n'blistered tunes.
MPEG Stream: "Blue Suede Shoes"
MPEG Stream: "Come On And Do The Shake With Me"