ADKINS, HASIL The Wild Man (Norton) cd 14.98
Fuck yeah garage rawk fans, if you like to play it 'old school', Norton Records is absolutely where it's at! They've released this live album compiling select songs from four of lone wolf Hasil Adkins' 1987 shows (in New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Toronto), some of which also feature the A-Bones! The title ain't no joke. When it's time to play, this madman totally lets loose some true vintage rabble-rousin' rockabilly. If you dug his Out To Hunch album that Norton reissued a coupla years ago, you'll definitely wanna give this expanded cd reissue of The Wild Man a spin. Of the nineteen tracks, the first fourteen were originally available from Norton on lp, song #15 is taken from a 1987 vinyl 7", and the final four are previously unreleased tracks.
MPEG Stream: "Ellen Marie"
MPEG Stream: "Midnight Moan"

ADKINS, HASIL What The Hell Was I Thinking (Fat Possum) cd 12.98
Everyone's favorite rockabilly one-madman-band, back at it again, how old is he already...

ADORED, THE A New Language (V2) cd 14.98
Who has a giant ol' soft spot for really good power pop? We sure do!! And this LA band are definitely speaking our language. Influenced by the Brit excellence of The Buzzcocks and The Jam, The Adored follow in the punchy footsteps of mighty aQ fave popsters Silver Sun, Fallout Boy and Seattle's sadly defunct Pure Joy. We particularly were suckers for the vocals which bore a striking resemblance to the latter band's lead singer Rusty Willoughby. Anyways, if a heapin' serving of buoyant harmonies, snappy hooks and crunchy electric guitars are what you crave, this band has 'em all in abundant supply. Absolute fun!
MPEG Stream: "We Don't Want You Around"
MPEG Stream: "Hold-up!"

ADRENALIN O.D. Humungousfungusamongus (Relapse) cd 14.98
This was one of my favorite records when I (Andee) was in high school, not sure why exactly. I wasn't all that into punk rock at the time. I remembered it being funny and goofy and dumb. And it sort of is, but what I didn't remember was how totally weird and heavy it was. Totally awesome, thrashing and chaotic metallic punk rock. AOD careen wildly through two dozen short sharp blasts of goofy punkrock metal in a buzzing blur of sloppy metallic intensity. Songs like "AOD Vs. Godzilla", "Youth Blimp", "Masterpiece" (a cover of the theme from Masterpiece Theater!), "Fuck The Nieghbors", "Surfin' Jew" and tons more. Heavy and noisy and so so good. Includes a bunch of silly bonus tracks, covers of the theme from Spiderman and the Jeffersons theme, a Bay City Rollers cover, a Kiss cover, A Dead Boys cover and a Sex Pistols cover!
MPEG Stream: "AOD Vs. Son Of Godzilla"
MPEG Stream: "Office Buildings"
MPEG Stream: "Yuppie"
MPEG Stream: "Answer"

ADRENALIN O.D. The Wacky Hi-Jinks Of... (Chunksaah) 2cd 15.98
Adrenalin O.D. really get a bad rap as being some sort of joke band. Sure they were funny, and goofy, and had ridiculous song titles, and sang about a lot of stupid shit, but it was more a case of 4 really funny guys getting together to play some serious kick ass metallic punk rock, and the thing is when you get to the music, there's really nothing funny about it at all. A.O.D. were faster and heavier and more brutal than most of their early eighties contemporaries, just check out the first sound sample "A.O.D. Vs. Godzilla", perfectly encapsulates what's so awesome about Adrenaline O.D. With a dead pan introduction "Hi, welcome to our album", the band lurches into a chugging doomy metal dirge, that probably had the punk kids back in 1984 when this came out thinking "what the fuck?", before launching into a super heavy, ultra furious punk rock blast, that is heavier than most metal bands. A.O.D. slip back and forth between some angular Maidenesque guitar harmonies, and that furious blasting punk rock, shifting gears at the end into another kick ass buzzing outro. Holy shit. We forgot how good this stuff sounded. The rest of the disc is not quite so metal though there are moments, this is just punk as fuck punk rock, and even when these guys are singing about silly shit, the songs still destroy. Be sure and check out "Rock & Roll Gas Station", Fenriz from Darkthrone's favorite song. Which makes sense, listening to Darkthrone you can tell those guys were into punk rock as much as metal, maybe even more. There's a video floating around on internet of Fenriz being interviewed in his apartment, and there's a big part where he goes on and on about that track and these guys. FENRIZ ENDORSED!! What else do you need?!
As if the The Wacky Hi-Jinks record wasn't enough on its own, this reissue also includes a whole extra disc of rarities, including singles, comp tracks, live recordings, most of 'em as kick ass as the record proper. Also includes a bunch of photos, and essay and liner notes...
MPEG Stream: "A.O.D. Vs. Godzilla"
MPEG Stream: "White Hassle"
MPEG Stream: "Rock & Roll Gas Station"

ADULT Why Bother? (Thrill Jockey) cd 15.98
Awww c'mon Adult., why the resigned tone in your new album title?! We know you're not the defeatist types, and your new album has a momentum all its own!
This duo's music has gone through a few shifts in direction since their inception in the late nineties -- from the sharp icicles of classic Detroit techno and electro to the incensed shove of grrrrl punk -- but regardless of which direction they turn, there persists an overriding sense of frazzled nervous instability or 'anxiety always' (the title of their 2003 album), if you will. Fists and teeth are still clenched on this their fourth album, but Miller and Kuperus turn their wheels away from the abrasive electro-punk of their last album. They haven't returned completely to their minimal electro roots though. While the aggressive energy remains from the comparatively untethered Anxiety Always and 2005's Gimmie Trouble, Adult. have sharpened their focus and control here while at the same time unleashing a far more consuming, dense atmosphere; sinking deeper into the depths of goth industrial territory. Miller's prickly programmed beats have been partially engulfed by a thick ominous fog. Looming clanks and churnings occupy the former robotic stark spaces, and yet, Kuperus' sharp vocal exclamations still pierce out of the cloudy dank air. Her confrontational vocal performance continues to channel early female fronted post-punk bands such as Malaria!, X-Ray Spex, Liliput, and The Slits, if somewhat more muted and even-tempered than on their last couple albums. Check out the fevered itch of "I Feel Worse When I'm With You". Some folks around here were also reminded of Romeo Void and Fuzzbox. Alternately brooding and manic, and definitely devoid of the lethargy and apathy implied by the album's title.
Cool cover photos once again by Kuperus featuring a fresh manicure, milky skin, wheat, a rusted axe and a woman with her head concealed in a piece of luggage.
MPEG Stream: "Good Deeds"
MPEG Stream: "I Feel Worse When I'm With You"

ADULT Why Bother? (Thrill Jockey) lp 13.98
Awww c'mon Adult., why the resigned tone in your new album title?! We know you're not the defeatist types, and your new album has a momentum all its own!
This duo's music has gone through a few shifts in direction since their inception in the late nineties -- from the sharp icicles of classic Detroit techno and electro to the incensed shove of grrrrl punk -- but regardless of which direction they turn, there persists an overriding sense of frazzled nervous instability or 'anxiety always' (the title of their 2003 album), if you will. Fists and teeth are still clenched on this their fourth album, but Miller and Kuperus turn their wheels away from the abrasive electro-punk of their last album. They haven't returned completely to their minimal electro roots though. While the aggressive energy remains from the comparatively untethered Anxiety Always and 2005's Gimmie Trouble, Adult. have sharpened their focus and control here while at the same time unleashing a far more consuming, dense atmosphere; sinking deeper into the depths of goth industrial territory. Miller's prickly programmed beats have been partially engulfed by a thick ominous fog. Looming clanks and churnings occupy the former robotic stark spaces, and yet, Kuperus' sharp vocal exclamations still pierce out of the cloudy dank air. Her confrontational vocal performance continues to channel early female fronted post-punk bands such as Malaria!, X-Ray Spex, Liliput, and The Slits, if somewhat more muted and even-tempered than on their last couple albums. Check out the fevered itch of "I Feel Worse When I'm With You". Some folks around here were also reminded of Romeo Void and Fuzzbox. Alternately brooding and manic, and definitely devoid of the lethargy and apathy implied by the album's title.
Cool cover photos once again by Kuperus featuring a fresh manicure, milky skin, wheat, a rusted axe and a woman with her head concealed in a piece of luggage.
MPEG Stream: "Good Deeds"
MPEG Stream: "I Feel Worse When I'm With You"

ADULT. Anxiety Always (Ersatz Audio) cd 13.98
Is this highly anticipated Adult. full length: (a.) raw in an in-your-face punky fashion, or (b.) raw in an unfinished, half-assed state? It seems that folks have already begun taking sides. Either way if you haven't heard Adult. yet, this shouldn't be your introduction to the music of this Detroit duo. They've done so much better than this - namely their "Resuscitation" release. However, that wasn't an album proper; it was a lively collection of their assorted singles, and clearly that is where Adult. shine brightest. Despite their attempt at crafting a fully realized album, "Anxiety Always" just doesn't hold up to "Resuscitation." It seems obvious that Adult. has gotten frustrated with all of the hub-bub that has exploded around them in the electro-whatever crowd. "Anxiety Always" finds Adult. attempting to re-invent themselves, by emphasizing the punk snarl that was always lurking under that mechanical sheen of industrialized paranoia. Thus Nicola Kuperus' vocals jump to the foreground, spastically crashing into the electro-clash they've taken such care to craft. Furthermore, Adam Lee Miller picks up the bass on a couple of tracks to add a human touch to Adult.'s machinations, recalling the pre-Joy Division outfit Warsaw. At their best, Adult. also references the mutant sounds of Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire; but at the same time, their ability to flesh out their tracks into wholly realized, infectious songs isn't as precise as on "Resuscitation." The shrill and redundant cut "Turn Your Back" leaves little to the imagination, sounding like a mediocre, punk-grrrrl, electronic outfit on Kill Rock Stars. Yet the album picks up steam as it continues, highlighted by the ominous, electro-obliqueness of "People You Can Confuse."
Jim who has enjoyed revisiting all of those old Hula records from the '80s, has become rather fond of this admittedly flawed release.
MPEG Stream: "Turn Your Back"
MPEG Stream: "People, You Can Confuse"

ADULT. Anxiety Always (Ersatz Audio) 2lp 12.98
Is this highly anticipated Adult. full length: (a.) raw in an in-your-face punky fashion, or (b.) raw in an unfinished, half-assed state? It seems that folks have already begun taking sides. Either way if you haven't heard Adult. yet, this shouldn't be your introduction to the music of this Detroit duo. They've done so much better than this - namely their "Resuscitation" release. However, that wasn't an album proper; it was a lively collection of their assorted singles, and clearly that is where Adult. shine brightest. Despite their attempt at crafting a fully realized album, "Anxiety Always" just doesn't hold up to "Resuscitation." It seems obvious that Adult. has gotten frustrated with all of the hub-bub that has exploded around them in the electro-whatever crowd. "Anxiety Always" finds Adult. attempting to re-invent themselves, by emphasizing the punk snarl that was always lurking under that mechanical sheen of industrialized paranoia. Thus Nicola Kuperus' vocals jump to the foreground, spastically crashing into the electro-clash they've taken such care to craft. Furthermore, Adam Lee Miller picks up the bass on a couple of tracks to add a human touch to Adult.'s machinations, recalling the pre-Joy Division outfit Warsaw. At their best, Adult. also references the mutant sounds of Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire; but at the same time, their ability to flesh out their tracks into wholly realized, infectious songs isn't as precise as on "Resuscitation." The shrill and redundant cut "Turn Your Back" leaves little to the imagination, sounding like a mediocre, punk-grrrrl, electronic outfit on Kill Rock Stars. Yet the album picks up steam as it continues, highlighted by the ominous, electro-obliqueness of "People You Can Confuse."
Jim, who has enjoyed revisiting all of those old Hula records from the '80s, has become rather fond of this admittedly flawed release.

ADULT. Blank Eyed (Clone) 12" 9.98

ADULT. D.U.M.E. (Thrill Jockey) cd ep 10.98
On their newest cdep/12" and first release on Thrill Jockey, Detroit electro-punk duo Adult. sure have got a bee in their bonnet. Continuing to move further from their icy, true electro origins into an increasingly raw'n'aggressive punky territory, vocalist Nicola Kuperus whoops and sneers her way through the lead-off track "Hold Your Breath" -- definitely in line with Glass Candy or Le Tigre -- while her partner Adam Miller churns out the dank, brooding bass and bristling guitars that punch through the unrelenting programmed beats. Actually this might've served as a better transitional follow-up to their fine compilation Resuscitation (which collected together a bunch of their singles) than was their last full length Anxiety Always. D.U.M.E. more cohesively bridges their electro past and recent more punky leanings. Really, Adult. comes across as much more focussed, infectious and potent on shorter format releases (12"s, EPs, etc). Not only are the songs more structured, but the lyrics are also more fully fleshed out (like Resuscitation's songs than A.A.'s more repetitive one-liners). Kewl.
MPEG Stream: "Get Me Out"
MPEG Stream: "Hold Your Breath"

ADULT. D.U.M.E. (Thrill Jockey) 12" 9.98
On their newest cdep/12" and first release on Thrill Jockey, Detroit electro-punk duo Adult. sure have got a bee in their bonnet. Continuing to move further from their icy, true electro origins into an increasingly raw'n'aggressive punky territory, vocalist Nicola Kuperus whoops and sneers her way through the lead-off track "Hold Your Breath" -- definitely in line with Glass Candy or Le Tigre -- while her partner Adam Miller churns out the dank, brooding bass and bristling guitars that punch through the unrelenting programmed beats. Actually this might've served as a better transitional follow-up to their fine compilation Resuscitation (which collected together a bunch of their singles) than was their last full length Anxiety Always. D.U.M.E. more cohesively bridges their electro past and recent more punky leanings. Really, Adult. comes across as much more focussed, infectious and potent on shorter format releases (12"s, EPs, etc). Not only are the songs more structured, but the lyrics are also more fully fleshed out (like Resuscitation's songs than A.A.'s more repetitive one-liners). Kewl.
MPEG Stream: "Get Me Out"
MPEG Stream: "Hold Your Breath"

ADULT. Gimmie Trouble (Thrill Jockey) cd 14.98
Lest they forever be genre-saddled with the electro-clash albatross, Adult. have wisely broadened their scope. And the path they've chosen is much more outwardly aggressive and punky. Truckloads of abrasive attitude. This is most evident in the vocal department which has claimed even more prominence in the band's sound. Formerly ice-cold monotone vocalist Nicola Kuperus further expands her range, swooping from a high pitched shriek to a mid-pinched sneer and way down to a deep throaty snarl. Brings to mind early-'80s Berliners Malaria! or more recently SF/Berliners The Vanishing. Likewise, Adam Miller's dirtied up his former ultra-sterile, scalpel-sharp, old school Detroit electro palette. Nevertheless, his steely mechanized beats are what link the tracks on Gimmie Trouble to those of the Adult. of old -- cutting through the newly added chunks o' industrial guitar which come courtesy of new member Samuel Consiglio. Their new(ish) direction and expansion aim them right for the spot recently vacated by the abovementioned, recently disbanded, art-punk/goth-dustrial duo-turned-trio The Vanishing.
MPEG Stream: "Gimmie Trouble"
MPEG Stream: "Scare Up The Birds"

ADULT. Gimmie Trouble (Thrill Jockey) lp 12.98
Lest they forever be genre-saddled with the electro-clash albatross, Adult. have wisely broadened their scope. And the path they've chosen is much more outwardly aggressive and punky. Truckloads of abrasive attitude. This is most evident in the vocal department which has claimed even more prominence in the band's sound. Formerly ice-cold monotone vocalist Nicola Kuperus further expands her range, swooping from a high pitched shriek to a mid-pinched sneer and way down to a deep throaty snarl. Brings to mind early-'80s Berliners Malaria! or more recently SF/Berliners The Vanishing. Likewise, Adam Miller's dirtied up his former ultra-sterile, scalpel-sharp, old school Detroit electro palette. Nevertheless, his steely mechanized beats are what link the tracks on Gimmie Trouble to those of the Adult. of old -- cutting through the newly added chunks o' industrial guitar which come courtesy of new member Samuel Consiglio. Their new(ish) direction and expansion aim them right for the spot recently vacated by the abovementioned, recently disbanded, art-punk/goth-dustrial duo-turned-trio The Vanishing.
MPEG Stream: "Gimmie Trouble"
MPEG Stream: "Scare Up The Birds"

ADULT. Hand To Phone (Clone) 12" 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Four versions of fab Detroit electro duo Adult.'s track "Hand To Phone". They are: the original as heard on their awesome album 'Resuscitation', an instrumental mix by the group themselves (which in my opinion falls a bit short without Nicola's unflinchingly icy vocals), plus two remixes by Carl Craig and Mat 101. Come over!

ADULT. Limited Edition (Ersatz Audio) 7" 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Two exclusive tracks from this increasingly popular electro duo. "Run Run Crying" might sound familiar if you saw their fabulous live set recently. Simply one their best tracks to date. The b-side is a new version of the first Adult. track from 1997, "Modern Romantic". Limited to 1000 hand numbered copies with a fold out 14"x14" poster featuring, as always, the stunning photographic work of Adult. vocalist Nicola Kuperus. Seriously, this one will not stick around for long, so act real fast.

ADULT. Misinterpreted (Ersatz Audio) 12" 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Detroit electro superstars offer one new track, "Don't You Stop". Three remixes follow, based on that old kids' game of "Telephone Operator" or "Pass It On" or "Chinese Whispers" or whatever you called it when you were young -- basically the original Adult. track was passed to Solvent, who reworked it and passed their results to Phoenecia, who worked their magic and passed those results to Skam artists Alder & Elius. Neither Phoenecia or Alder & Elius heard the original track, which of course is the beauty of the concept of this 12". Four individually wonderful and unique tracks grace another fine Ersatz Audio release.

ADULT. Resuscitation (Ersatz Audio) cd 13.98
Strap on your electro pants, baby. 'Cause Adult. (don't forget that punctuation) are here. Witness the awesome android power of this Detroit duo - one half of which is Mr. Adam Miller, formerly of the mighty electro-kings known as LeCar. If you were a fan of said group or fellow Motor City techno duo Drexciya, what are you waiting for? Get on this now! Imagine a hard electro hybrid of Berlin, Add N to (X) and Miami booty bass beats - and although they utilize plenty of super '80s retro sounds, Adult. never get stuck in the past. Instead, they forge ahead cutting a very new and now path of fresh 'n' groovy tracks complete with a battery of wonderfully tweaked, effected vocals (as performed by Ms Nicola Kuperus - the other half of Adult. not to mention uber-cool photographer to boot). Check out the anxious twitch and sputter of "Minors at Night" and "Nausea". On their own Ersatz Audio label. Yes, quite recommended.
RealAudio clip: "Contagious"
RealAudio clip: "Nausea"
RealAudio clip: "Lost Love"
RealAudio clip: "Pressure Suit"

ADULT. Suck The Air / High Heels On Tile Floors (Ersatz) 7" 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
On "Suck The Air", vocalist Nicola Kuperus assumes a much more pissy-pouty tone than her usual cold android stare - aligning Adult. more with the punky rather than electro crowd. Think Glass Candy or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. She's honed her sassily sneering delivery somewhat from their recent Anxiety Always album on which her vocals wavered dangerously close to the grating, shrill side of things. On the flipside, the rubbery beats and aquatic synth clangs of "High Heels..." aims the ear more towards the work of electro-technician Adam Miller. It's a fun no-frills track, but much too short to get the party fully rolling. Truly, this 7" should've been a 12"! Nonetheless, it (especially the A-side) shows the duo doing what they do best, crafting *single* tracks into terrific electro-pop.

ADVENTURES IN STEREO Alternative Stereo Sounds (Bobsled) cd 12.98
Imagine Jan and Dean meets Mamas and Papas with pretty, delicate female harmonies a la His Name is Alive.

ADVENTURES IN STEREO International (Bobsled Records) 7" 4.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
If you've yet to hear the loveliness that is Adventures In Stereo, what are you waiting for? Here's a prime opportunity to get a wee sampling of their swirling ribbons of pop sweetness. Two songs, one from their wonderful album "Monomania" and one unreleased.

ADVENTURES IN STEREO Monomania (Bobsled Records) cd 14.98
Beginning softly with some very retro dreamy balladry, this album then shifts into a bit of country guitar pickin' and on to perkier numbers, but the lovely high female vocal harmonies continue throughout. Very, very pretty swirling melodies from this pop sextet. Actually, these songs would have been very much at home on the Sarah record label or early SpinArt. Lovely.

AE Love Your Smile (Fresh Air) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

AEFFECT, THE A Short Dream (Fueled by Ramen) cd ep 7.98
Have to say that the current trend of new New Wave is right on with me. Love those old synth sounds and programmed beats... just as long as these new bands bring some fresh elements into the sound as opposed to simply rehashing Human League, Pet Shop Boys or New Order tracks. Unfortunately in the case of the Gainesville, FL trio known as The Aeffect, it seems to be leaning towards the latter. Perhaps they've not quite found their own boots, and in the meantime are trying on the ones of those mentioned above? I'm not quite sure, but Ladytron and The Faint do this much better. And to further puzzle me, the final track is an unexpected switch into a non-synth, piano prettiness.

AELTERS Volu Beit (Tigerbeat6) 3" cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Solo effort from a member of the Dat Politics crew. Much like his contemporaries, Aelters kicks out infectious shards of high frequency agitglitchfunk. If you like Blechdom and Dat Politics, you probably already have this. If you don't, there's very little reason to be concerned. Addictions are ugly.
RealAudio clip: "Volu Beit"
RealAudio clip: "Astericken"

AELTERS, E El Frustrator (Skipp) cd 12.98
E. Aelters (a member of Belgian PowerBook band Dat Politics) specializes in really active, wacky electronica Fuckery (with a capital F) that resembles one one-man version of Dat Politics: hyperkinetic babble and grating drone abound. Also reminiscent of the more recent output from Mouse On Mars or perhaps Kid 606, without the drill & bass workouts. Very nice lo-attention span stuff.

AEMAE Maw (Isounderscore) cd 8.98
Second full length full length from East Bay sound technician (and AQ customer) Brandon Nickell, who spent the last year painstakingly assembling the sounds that would eventually become this here disc.
His previous full length, a big AQ fave was a blissed out collage of deep drones and thick soundscapes of high end skree, soft focus whispery minimalism and dense squalls of swirling noise. Even some shuffling skittering rhythms found there way into the mix.
On Maw, Nickell's approach is similar, although the first track threw us for a loop. A strange spacious slab of music concrete, the focal point being a strange grunting gasping reverb drenched animal sound. Like some mysterious electronic beast, confined to a tiny pen and registering his displeasure as it ruts and calls out to others of its kind. Creepy but pretty dang cool. The second track returns to more familiar waters, a super tranquil drift of burbling barely there rumble and subtle electronic pulses. A slow lugubrious crawl beneath and within the tiny sounds that make up a mysteriously indistinct low end world. After that it's another visit to the strange electronic zoo, to observe the insect enclosure, where some seriously angry winged creatures buzz wildly as they careen back and forth in front of the glass.
We move on into another long form stretch of abstract ambience, sparkling and glimmering like the glassy surface of a pond in the late afternoon, and then it's one more quick glimpse into the final enclosure, the beasts within are much more calm, lazing in the fading sunlight, their cooing and snorting, like some sort of shortwave radio static, interrupted by electronic birdcalls and the manufactured whoosh of a warm electronic breeze. So weird but strangely compelling and beautiful.
There's some definite Nurse With Wound worship here, as well as nods to Coleclough, Hafler Trio, and the like, but Nickell knows enough than to just ape his heroes, instead he takes what he needs and does some serious exploring on his own... and we like it.
Packaged in a super simple and striking white on white sleeve.
MPEG Stream: "PDE"
MPEG Stream: "Confound Me"

AEMAE The Helical Word (Isounderscore) cd 10.98
First record from longtime AQ pal / customer Brandon Nickell aka Aemae, two long years in the works and we dare say it was well worth the wait. A gorgeous and exquisitely crafted abstract free noise drone record. Dark and deliriously dense, a perfect amalgamation of the experimental dronework of the Hafler Trio, the sweeping skreescapes of Sunrooof! and Vibracathedral Orchestra and the abstract minimalism of Mirror or Jonathan Coleclough. As well, this has plenty of distinctly unique sonic elements. Heavily reverbed chimes and bells are smeared into a twinkling fog, slowly thickening into a dense slab of electrical impulses, woven together so tightly it resembles a buzzing ball of hornets, a throbbing thrumming drone. Strange steel drum like electronic pulses, an alien gamelan, pickes out a tranquil melody beneath swooping and blooping spaciness, sheets of industrial shuffle, scrape and rumble, leaving sparkling trails of dense and complex almost IDM skitter in their wake, albeit wrapped in thick gauzy veils of warm reverberant flutter. All stretched into distant, soft focus soundscapes of warbling whir and creaking ambience. Quite lovely and sublime!
MPEG Stream: "Walking Along Edges"
MPEG Stream: "41667"

AEMAE / ARASTOO s/t (Isounderscore) lp 14.98
A long in the works collaboration from two aQ favorites, Aemae and Arastoo. We've listed both Aemae releases, but Arastoo has been a bit more elusive, with tons of super limited vinyl and cd-r releases, of which we've only ever managed to review 3.
Well, the two have come together, to produce this, the first in a new salvo of Bay Area sound art from Aemae, aka Brandon Nickell's Isounderscore label. And a pretty fantastic start. Arastoo plays the piano, and then the two shape and mold the piano into two side long pieces, both quite impressive.
The A side is mostly straight piano all the way through, some gorgeous fluid playing, some stunning arrangements, but the two subtly shape and twist throughout, adding mysterious little music box flourishes, sudden squalls of super high end skree, but those moments are actually quite controlled, the sounds sculpted onto dog whistle melodies, and haunting upper register textures. The subtle production tweaks really only augment, creating complimentary sounds, or add bits of ambience, allowing the piano to drift and sway and unfurl its melody, seemingly oblivious to what's going on around it.
The B side however, finds the sound of the piano obliterated, transformed completely into long shimmering streaks of layered metallic reverberation, a bit industrial sounding, layers of constantly shifting whir and rumble and hiss and roar, like a choppy sonic sea, building to a buzzing crescendo before settling back down into a tranquil sea of black ambience, as the piano returns, unfurling gentle, yet ominous minor key melodies, all very creepy and cinematic, but also quite lovely.
LIMITED TO 320 COPIES. Super striking silkscreened covers, with original artwork by Arastoo.

AEOLIAN STRING ENSEMBLE Eclipse (Robot) cd 16.98
In our review of the first Aeolian String Ensemble records, we attempted to discern who or what this British conglomerate was, postulating that perhaps Nurse With Wound's Steven Stapleton may have been involved with the Ensemble at some point. The truth is that we still have no clue who these people are or what else they've worked on. If he contributed anything to the Ensemble, Stapleton's contributions were in all likelihood minimal. Regardless, that first Aeolian String Ensemble record Lassithi / Elysium has long been one of our favorite drone-based albums. Similarly, we can again wholeheartedly endorse the second Aeolian String Ensemble album Eclipse.
What is so striking about this album (and the Aeolian String Ensemble in general) is the single-minded approach to sound making that spans almost 20 years. Eclipse features 3 extended tracks from 1981, 1986, and 1998 respectively; and all of them share a very similar timbral quality in their melancholic, sweeping ambience rippled with generous amounts of reverb and delay. The Ensemble claims to generate everything from Aeolian Harps, which are stringed instruments designed to be excited by the wind; yet, the resulting sounds have a post-Kraut / late'70s prog-ambient sensibility closely resembling the synth and guitar driftspaces of Klaus Schulze and Popul Vuh, rather than actual aeolian harps. No matter, as their sonic poetry is utterly beautiful. Eclipse will certainly rank as one of the best drone records of 2005.
MPEG Stream: "Eclipse"
MPEG Stream: "K1"
MPEG Stream: "Espacios"

AEOLIAN STRING ENSEMBLE Lassithi Elysium (Robot) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It's a little hard to say who or what the Aeolian String Ensemble is, but a few references point toward the Nurse With Wound emcampments, as Christoph Heemann takes some credit for this album (as both a contributor to the ensemble and as the cover artist), as David Kenny (longtime Nurse With Wound / Current 93 collaborator) produced and engineered the album, and as United Dairies was originally scheduled to release this album. Yet the most intriguing reference came from the Audion Pages of the Nurse With Wound site at Brainwashed (http://www.brainwashed.com/nww/words/audion.html), which pointed to Steven Stapleton himself as being the man behind the Aeolian String Ensemble. While all of these personnel details are interesting puzzles to attempt to solve, they shouldn't distract from an exceptional album!
Presumably the source material for the Aeolian String Ensemble is the aeolian harp, an antique instrument which gained popularity in the nineteenth century in English country gardens. The aeolian harp is fitted with a number of strings with different thicknesses but all tuned to the same key on top of a resonator box. Wind sets the strings in vibration in such a way that their harmonics are heard, rather than the fundamental note; thus creating an impressionistic chorus of droning sounds. From these harps and the subsequent post-production of judicious delay pedals and sustained reverb, the Ensemble coaxes some of the most beautifully immersive drones from these harps, on par with the Andrew Chalk / Jonathan Coleclough "Sumac" album, any of the Troum recordings, and the score to Tarkovsky's "Stalker." A truly fantastic album that is fortunately enjoying its second pressing!
RealAudio clip: "Elysium"
RealAudio clip: "Lassithi"

AER Project (Touch) 7" 7.98
The newest entry in Touch's ongoing series of limited 7"s singles, with past installments from Oren Ambarchi, Fennesz, Philip Jeck and Chris Watson, this is the first one by an artist new to us, but it manages to fit well with the other releases in the series, and has us dying to hear more from the mysterious AER (actually the musical moniker of Touch design director Jon Wozencroft). Utilizing nothing but "four atmosphere recordings, radio and an organ stop" AER concocts a darkly minimal soundscape of field recordings and hushed melody. The sounds from the street outside, footstep, voices talking, singing, sirens, thunder (or automobile backfires, or perhaps firecrackers), interwoven with strange clicking, machine like chatter, like a spinning bicycle wheel, random clanks and clatters, room noise and other sonic detritus, while beneath it all, warm whirring melodies drift up from below, adding nuance and mood to what might otherwise be a straight field recording, a rhythm way off in the distance or buried way down in the mix, is sometimes discernible, but only barely, and in fact, could be a trick of the ears, random sounds falling into place, creating not-really-there rhythms. But it hardly matters, we hear them, and they offer a sort of ghostly structure to the proceedings. Quite nice, and we can't wait to hear more.

AEREOGRAMME A Story In White (Matador) cd 14.98
Wow, what a refreshing surprise of an album, sez Miss Windy. Aereogramme, a four-piece band started by Craig B of Ganger, play a super appealing combination of (get this) the theatricality and LOUD-soft dynamics of Mogwai, and the intensely emotional delicacy of Sparklehorse. Gigantic crashing guitars swell, voices scream in anguish (heartbreak, no doubt), then it all gives way to stillness: quietly tinkling piano, evocative strings, and sensitive barely-whispered vocals. There are very catchy, epic melodies throughout. The effect is extremely pleasant, folks!
Aereogramme has released two 7"s and an EP, and this is their full length debut, on Matador via the respected Scottish label Chemikal Underground (Arab Strap, Mogwai, Delgados). Highly recommended if you like Mogwai or Sparklehorse, Badly Drawn Boy, Delgados, Red House Painters, etc.
RealAudio clip: "Post-Tour, Pre-Judgement"
RealAudio clip: "A Meaningful Existence"
RealAudio clip: "The Question is Complete"
RealAudio clip: "Sunday 3:52"

AEREOGRAMME My Heart Has A Wish That You Would Not Go (Sonic Unyon) cd 14.98
Whoa, this new Aereogramme full length really unveils a new side of the band. They're downright gentle, romantic, and dare we say, emo even. Most notably they traded in their thick metal-leaning bottom end for spiraling stratospheric strings. Perhaps it's the altitude, but this album's overall sound comes across as much thinner and more brittle than last year's Seclusion, but no less epic. For the first half of My Heart Has A Wish That You Would Not Go, everything -- from the piano to the guitars to the strings to the percussion -- is played with a contemplative, often delicate touch. Drifting atop this spacey gauziness are timorously sensitive male vocals. Think more Flaming Lips and maybe Frog Eyes than Mogwai and Isis. The hefty Aereogramme of old does resurface briefly at the album's midpoint, the sixth song "Living Backwards", injecting an effective dose of tension and gravity into the proceedings.
MPEG Stream: "A Life Worth Living"
MPEG Stream: "Living Backwards"

AEREOGRAMME Seclusion (Sonic Unyon) cd 10.98
Now released on this side of the pond by the Canadian label Sonic Unyon! And at a much friendlier price! Here's what we said about it late last year when we got in the UK import version:
On their past two fine albums A Story In White and Sleep And Release, these Scots' waves of crashing dynamics have drawn comparisons to Mogwai, but on Seclusion they've taken their sound to such a heavy and dark place where perhaps even those Mogwai lads dare not tread. Although the album starts out sounding like it's gonna be a college radio ready emo-rock record with the song "Inkwell", a sense of emotional unravelling gradually seeps in over the course of the other five songs that rises to the distraught degrees of bands such as Xiu Xiu and Frog Eyes. Ahh, what d'ya know, we just noticed the third song's title... "The Unravelling". Some might find the stormier, near-metal moments on this album to be downright fierce, but the fever is broken by some truly lovely melodic, heartrending phrases as well as some brief bursts of mathiness. Another great one from Aereogramme, available as an import only for some reason we don't know. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Inkwell"
MPEG Stream: "The Unravelling"

AEREOGRAMME Sleep and Release (Matador) cd 15.98
What we have here is a fantastic -- and to our ears widely appealing -- record which hopefully won't disappear underneath most folks' radar like their first one did. Aereogramme are a four-piece from Scotland, and even though this comparison might sound a wee bit too convenient, it is nonetheless true that they sound like the perfect distillation of fellow Scots Mogwai and the Delgados! They have the fragile delicacy and pure indie-rockness of Delgados (and Death Cab for Cutie, especially in the vocals), but you know how just when the sweetness is so sad and heartbreaking, you want something to scream, that's gonna mirror the despair and howl the pain? That's when Aereogramme lashes out with crashing metallic noisiness a la Mogwai -- although we think it sounds more authentically heavy like the Melvins or a Hydrahead metalcore band. And it *really* works as an album: the dynamic changes are not unpleasantly distracting; they're as skillfully executed as on Radiohead's "OK Computer", and the climaxes come exactly when you most need them too. There are also judiciously wielded violins and cello soaring above the warm guitars, some genuinely death metal, hoarse vocal roars, and guitar parts that could be from an authentic '70s prog or metal album. At one moment the tight discipline of Shellac, the next the delicate melodies of Sparklehorse, and then some sheer black metal creepiness...wow. Some might call their style a gimmick, though we can't when it's so satisfying and brilliantly executed!
So this record should appeal to fans of all of the bands mentioned above, plus to fans of bands that are doing similar dynamic genre blends like emo-metalcore outfits Poison the Well, From Autumn To Ashes, and Cave In. Indeed, Aerogramme's debut "A Story In White" -- a favorite around here -- made good use of the same dynamics, but rather than simply mixing up their indie-rock with some surprisingly metal moments as on that disc, Aereogramme here sound like a genuine hybrid...like maybe it's the other way around, they're a metalcore band toying with utterly gorgeous indie-pop songwriting.
RealAudio clip: "Indiscretion #243"
RealAudio clip: "Wood"
RealAudio clip: "No Really, Everything's Fine"

AERIAL M As Performed By Aerial M (Drag City) cd 12.98
Dave Pajo (formerly of Slint and now of Tortoise).

AERIAL M M Is... (Drag City) cdep 4.98
A two-song EP of post-rock guitar explorations from David Pajo (Slint, Tortoise). The second song "Mountains Have Ears" with its inclusion of flute samples and programmed beats is considerably more kinetic than his usual ultra-soothing mellowness.

AERIAL M October (Drag City) cdsingle 4.98
As we never seem to tire of saying, "Aerial M is a solo project of David Pajo of Tortoise doing lonely things." Peaceful post rock guitar.

AERIAL M Post-Global Music (Drag City) cd 12.98
Remixes of ex-Slint-er Dave Pajo's solo work as Aerial M, by none other than Bundy K Brown of Tortoise, Tied and Tickled Trio, DJ Your Food, and Flacco.

AERIAL M Post-Global Music (Drag City) lp 12.98
Remixes of ex-Slint-er Dave Pajo's solo work as Aerial M, by none other than Bundy K Brown of Tortoise, Tied and Tickled Trio, DJ Your Food, and Flacco.

AERIAL MORGANUM As Performed By Aerial M (Drag City) lp 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Dave Pajo (formerly of Slint and now of Tortoise).

AERIAL RUIN 133306668 (self-released) cd-r 5.98
This 22 minute cd-r is the debut for Aerial Ruin, the solo project of Erik Moggridge (guitarist for SF's bearded metal stalwarts Old Granddad). He was assisted in this dark endeavor by Eric Peterson of fellow Bay Area hard rock vets Lost Goat. Don't be expecting a rush of thunderous volume, guitar solos and downtuned heaviness though! Taking a considerably different path, Moggridge has crafted a half dozen songs of somber acoustic folk. Very hushed and slow creeping. The man himself likened it to slowcore leaders Low, but we hear more shades of Mark Lanegan or the solo efforts of Neurosis' Steve Von Till and Scott Kelly.
MPEG Stream: "To Slave"

AERO-MIC'D I Think You're Great (Aero-Mic'd records) cd 7.98
Artist/Designer/Musician Wayne Smith's third outing as Aero-Mic'd (not including last years collaboration with the Sadnesses, Cloud Mama) is a family affair but not in the usual familial way. Made to coincide with a exhibition of new artworks at Queen's Nails Annex in San Francisco, I Think You're Great, includes many guest appearances from friends and local luminaries, including video artist Anne McGuire on vocals, writer Kevin Killian (intoning a series of tai chi movements on opening track "Cloud Hands"), and performer/painter Cliff Hengst, all of whom have been collaborating on each others' projects off and on for at least the past ten years. Smith is a master of mining magical significance through the filtering, manipulating and repetition of found sounds and images (celebrity, the cultic and the mundane play against each other constantly). On the title track, clocking in at over 15 minutes (an epic by Aero-mic'd standards whose songs normally clock in at under 2 minutes), he expands his sound from previous efforts by including excerpts from a live performance at the Headlands last year with William Collins from Mire on guitar and tibetan bowls and Cliff Hengst on percussion. Intermixed with the live and programmed bells and filtered guitars, Smith includes one of his signature sound pieces, "Hello", recorded by calling people randomly from the phone book and recording their standard but delightfully varied greetings. With I Think You're Great, the feeling is definitely mutual!
MPEG Stream: "Last Four Shakers"
MPEG Stream: "I Think You're Great"

AERO-MIC'D s/t (Aero-Mic'd) cd ep 7.98
From local musician Wayne Smith comes this *excellent* little slip of a 25-minute album. A record this genre-hopping might in lesser hands be a chore to listen to, but with Aero-Mic'd the first few minutes are just so good that you easily put your trust in wherever he's going to take you. It starts with echoing layers of nefarious percussion, then seamlessly moves into fucked up dub and then lots of gorgeous treated and looped guitar that sounds like the arty instrumentalism of Gastr del Sol mixed with the melodic electronica of Mouse on Mars. It also occasionally reminds us of His Name is Alive and Fennesz. Yeah, it's that good, and that fun to listen to. The arrangement and juxtaposition of the pieces is the key. With the aforementioned Gastr del Sol and Mouse on Mars leanings, plus droning layers of metallic tinny guitarness and shimmering pure, vibrating tones, this album displays so many of the general sounds and separate sub-sub-genres that the AQ-staff likes to listen to whole albums of, yet here they are compacted into short segments that build up to a perfect whole. A very good record, sez Windy, and the price is right too. (Fans of the Brian and Chris record will like this too.)
RealAudio clip: "A Flat Tax"
RealAudio clip: "Dead Ends"
RealAudio clip: "Cold Dust"

AERO-MIC'D Under A Sun (self-released) cd 7.98
We sure loved the first Aero-Mic'd record from a few years ago, a genre hopping electronic excursion touching on melodic melancholy pop, laptop glitch, cinematic ambience, and arty instrumentalism. Hard to believe, but we may like this new one even more. It's much more focused and cohesive, with the focus this time on ambience and drone. Reminds us of a more vaired, less low-end Kopernik. Soaring Orb like ambient flutter, chirping birds, the sound of children playing, muted percussion, sing song-y melodies, fuzzy, whispery drones with melodic swells, industrial clatter under gauzy slowed down loops all coalesce into one seriously great listen.
MPEG Stream: "Lifesize Timeline"
MPEG Stream: "Take Acre!"

AERO-MIC'D & SADNESSES Cloud Mama (Aero-Mic'd) cd-r 7.98
According to the back of this limited-to-100-copies cd-r release, the mathematical equation is as follows:
Aero-Mic'd + The Sadnesses = Cloud Mama
And if you ask us, that adds up perfectly well. It's no secret, we here at AQ have been mighty fond of the past two releases by SF's Aero-Mic'd, and this new collaborative effort with the likeminded Sadnesses is no exception. Ultra delicate glitchiness, wispy clouds of shimmer, whimsical sounds and song titles. Oh so nice 'n' soothing. We only wish it were longer than its fleeting 25 minutes.
MPEG Stream: "The Righter You Smell"
MPEG Stream: "Inefficiency Of Candy Clocks"

AEROVONS, THE Resurrection (RPM) cd 16.98
BACK IN STOCK!
What a find! This is a record made in 1969 by The Aerovons, a St. Louis quartet led by the talented 17-year old songwriter/producer Tom Hartman. But except for one 7" single that had 2 songs on it, The Aerovons' full length was NEVER released. This is its first proper showing, and it's a doozy. Made by fanatical Beatles fans, who even used the same model instruments their idols did, this record at times sounds just like a late-'60s Beatles album, especially in "Say Georgia" which sounds like "Oh! Darling" and "Resurrection" which sounds like "Across the Universe" and Tom's voice is just like Paul McCartney's. This is a good thing! It's a real pity the band never saw their debut released, cos for a while they had everything going for them. They were hits in their hometown, journeyed (with Tom's mum!) to London, got signed to Parlophone, jammed with the Hollies, hung with George Harrison, got Paul's autograph, even borrowed the Beatles' tambourine while recording at ABBEY ROAD. Can you imagine how stoked these kids were?
Not just a hell of a backstory, but a fine Beatlesesque treat. Some folks might find some of the songs (like the aforementioned two) just a little TOO close to Beatles originals for comfort, actually, but we were charmed. After all, it takes a certain sort of teenage nerve to go ahead and rip off "Across The Universe" when it hadn't even been released yet -- the band simply got an Abbey Road engineer to play the Beatles' latest tapes for 'em, and then promptly repaired to their studio suitably inspired! Perhaps this doppelganger aspect is why the album never was released, or perhaps the label backed out fearing that the group would not be able to promote the album properly after one of the Aerovons split for the US due to personal problems. So goes a footnote in rock history, what could've been a major band. Still, thanks to RPM we've got our first chance to hear this real pleasure of a record, complete with copious liner notes, photos, article clippings, and four bonus tracks. The Aerovons. Who knew?
MPEG Stream: "World of You"
MPEG Stream: "Resurrection"
MPEG Stream: "The Children"

AESOP QUARTET Fables For A New Millennium (8thHB) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

AESOP QUARTET s/t (8thHB) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Chicago new jazz group, with Hamid Drake (well known Peter Brotzmann sparring-partner) on drums, Jeff Parker (of Tortoise) on guitar, Ernest Dawkins playing reeds, and Rollo Radford on bass. With special guests DJ Rob Swift of the X-ecutioners doing his turntable thing, and Reggie Gibson (1998 National Poetry Slam Winner, ack!) doing some spoken word stuff.