BRIGHT EYES A Collection of Songs Written And Recorded 1995 - 1997 (Saddle Creek) cd 12.98
The title tells the story here: Bright Eyes recordings spanning three years. Twenty songs in all. Varied in sound quality and style. Actually much more pop oriented than their more recent more acoustic folky releases. The highly amusing review printed on the cd itself reflects the latter side of the empassioned love them/hate them response this band seems to draw.

BRIGHT EYES Cassadaga (Saddle Creek) cd 14.98
Conor Oberst sure keeps his legions and legions of adoring Bright Eyes fans happy... that is, contentedly weepy'n'wallowin' in a steady stream of his unmistakable melancholia. He follows up his two 2005 Bright Eyes albums and a sprawling 2006 rarities collection with something considerably more concise and accessible. Oberst opens Cassadaga with a swirling collage of orchestral strains which borrow a thing (or two or three) from The Beatles' "Revolution 9". Singing in an unexpectedly restrained, low register, Oberst's voice is almost unrecognizable. So much more muted and soft than usual, he could almost be mistaken for Dean Wareham. From there he sweeps into more familiarly Bright Eyes-ian folk pop territory with rollicking fiddle and his voice receding back to the withered weepy range you know and love. With this his sixth album, Oberst fully sheds his well worn indie folk cover boy beginnings as he assumes a more broadly appealing veteran Americana singer/songwriter stature. He does so with absolute ease and composure, and some very welcome support from M. Ward and Gillian Welch. Solidly onwards and upwards!
MPEG Stream: "Clairaudients (Kill Or Be Killed)"
MPEG Stream: "If The Brakeman Turns My Way"

BRIGHT EYES Cassadaga (Saddle Creek) 2lp 17.98
Conor Oberst sure keeps his legions and legions of adoring Bright Eyes fans happy... that is, contentedly weepy'n'wallowin' in a steady stream of his unmistakable melancholia. He follows up his two 2005 Bright Eyes albums and a sprawling 2006 rarities collection with something considerably more concise and accessible. Oberst opens Cassadaga with a swirling collage of orchestral strains which borrow a thing (or two or three) from The Beatles' "Revolution 9". Singing in an unexpectedly restrained, low register, Oberst's voice is almost unrecognizable. So much more muted and soft than usual, he could almost be mistaken for Dean Wareham. From there he sweeps into more familiarly Bright Eyes-ian folk pop territory with rollicking fiddle and his voice receding back to the withered weepy range you know and love. With this his sixth album, Oberst fully sheds his well worn indie folk cover boy beginnings as he assumes a more broadly appealing veteran Americana singer/songwriter stature. He does so with absolute ease and composure, and some very welcome support from M. Ward and Gillian Welch. Solidly onwards and upwards!
MPEG Stream: "Clairaudients (Kill Or Be Killed)"
MPEG Stream: "If The Brakeman Turns My Way"

BRIGHT EYES Christmas (Saddle Creek) cd 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

BRIGHT EYES Digital Ash In A Digital Urn (Saddle Creek) cd 13.98
Aw heck, these two new Bright Eyes albums probably need no introduction... folks have been askin' for them for weeks! However, in case you've been snoozing, there are TWO new Bright Eyes full lengths. And for those of you raising your eyebrows wondering how each stands up, let's just say right up front that there's nary a bit of filler nor padding in sight. Mr. Conor Oberst has become one darn prolific and consistent music man. With two such solid offerings, let's watch the legions of B.E. fans grow and grow and grow!
As the title suggests, this Bright Eyes album encorporates instrumentation of the digital kind into his usually earthy acoustic folk pop assembly. And although the programmed drums can be a bit intrusive and jarring at times, they're tempered by the inclusion of a string quartet, as well as some harp and flute. Actually many of these songs sound more like they've been plucked from a recent Flaming Lips album than one you'd expect from Bright Eyes. Much like on his other current album I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, Conor Oberst's performance comes across as much more aggressive and empassioned than on past recordings... particularly on one of the album's highlights, the seventh song "I Believe In Symmetry". Guests include Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Jimmy Tamborello (Postal Service, Dntel), and Clark Baechle (The Faint).
MPEG Stream: "Gold Mine Gutted"
MPEG Stream: "I Believe In Symmetry"

BRIGHT EYES Digital Ash In A Digital Urn (Saddle Creek) lp 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Aw heck, these two new Bright Eyes albums probably need no introduction... folks have been askin' for them for weeks! However, in case you've been snoozing, there are TWO new Bright Eyes full lengths. And for those of you raising your eyebrows wondering how each stands up, let's just say right up front that there's nary a bit of filler nor padding in sight. Mr. Conor Oberst has become one darn prolific and consistent music man. With two such solid offerings, let's watch the legions of B.E. fans grow and grow and grow!
As the title suggests, this Bright Eyes album encorporates instrumentation of the digital kind into his usually earthy acoustic folk pop assembly. And although the programmed drums can be a bit intrusive and jarring at times, they're tempered by the inclusion of a string quartet, as well as some harp and flute. Actually many of these songs sound more like they've been plucked from a recent Flaming Lips album than one you'd expect from Bright Eyes. Much like on his other current album I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, Conor Oberst's performance comes across as much more aggressive and empassioned than on past recordings... particularly on one of the album's highlights, the seventh song "I Believe In Symmetry". Guests include Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Jimmy Tamborello (Postal Service, Dntel), and Clark Baechle (The Faint).
MPEG Stream: "Gold Mine Gutted"
MPEG Stream: "I Believe In Symmetry"

BRIGHT EYES Every Day And Every Night (Saddle Creek) cd 8.98
An impressive 5-song ep from this Omaha-based indie rock act that has enjoyed not unwarranted comparisons to the Elephant 6 pop collective, especially Neutral Milk Hotel. With urgent, warbling vocals literally pushed to the brink of manic depressive outbursts, singer/songwriter Conor Oberst sounds like a cross between Jeff Mangum, Daniel Johnston, and Jandek (and maybe even some David Gedge [Wedding Present] to boot). And he's only, like, 19.

BRIGHT EYES Fevers and Mirrors (Saddle Creek) cd 14.98
Fevers and Mirrors begins with a lone guitar and the spoken words of a child, rather reminiscent of 'Dear God' by XTC, but don't let that first taste send you down the wrong path. Certainly this is music of disappointment and dismay, but far from the melodramatic. Mournful, searching melodies fleshed out with the sounds of accordion, piano, mellotron, pedal steel, vibraphone, and the fragile, hoarse voice of Conor Oberst, who sings as if there were a gun held up to his head. This is perfect for slumping on a bar stool when life's dealt you a bad hand... that is, until track 3 when you decide to launch your pint straight at the wall or someone's head. Quite possibly Bright Eyes best work to date complete with beautiful mirror cover art. "Like a dream they came to cure the fever of my brain, and sooth my burning throat." A lovely downer of an album. For fans of the more stripped down side of Built to Spill.

BRIGHT EYES Four Winds (Saddle Creek) 12" 12.98
With this generous six-song ep, Conor Oberst dangles a little samplin' of what's to come on his next Bright Eyes album! The title track will reappear on the full length due out in April (with guest stars Gillian Welch and M. Ward among others), but the other five songs are dandy exclusive 'B-sides'! Not ones to scrimp on their label's crown jewel, Saddle Creek has pressed these records on primo 180 gram vinyl!

BRIGHT EYES I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (Saddle Creek) cd 12.98
Aw heck, these two new Bright Eyes albums probably need no introduction... folks have been askin' for them for weeks! However, in case you were snoozing, there are TWO new Bright Eyes full lengths. And for those of you raising your eyebrows wondering how each stands up, let's just say right up front that there's nary a bit of filler nor padding in sight. Mr. Conor Oberst has become one darn prolific and consistent music man. With two such solid offerings, watch the legions of B.E. fans grow and grow and grow.
The way this album starts -- with Oberst tellin' a story -- you'd almost think you were listening to an old King Missile album (not a bad thing, by the way!), his hesitant storytelling here resembles that of John S. Hall quite a bit.
Anyways, aside from that minor musing, the first thing we noticed when we gave this album a spin was just how robust and feisty Oberst's voice sounds. It's so much more so than we've come to expect, but never fear, his trademark brittle warble (that you may or may not know and love) is very much still present. Plus, he's got quite an assembly of skilled musicians backing him up. Together they weave super lush and often rollicking rootsy folk arrangements that somehow don't overshadow or crowd his voice. A surprising guest appearance on this album is that of Emmylou Harris (other guests include The Faint's Clark Baechle and My Morning Jacket's Jim James). She sings on three songs (with varying degrees of prominence) and we only wish she were on more! Her presence as well as Oberst's own growing performance composure and songwriting refinement push this album beyond the mopey indie borderlines that have bound Bright Eyes' past releases. In closing, we'd venture to say that this is the stronger of the two new albums. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Train Under Water"
MPEG Stream: "Land Locked Blues"

BRIGHT EYES I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (Saddle Creek) lp 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Aw heck, these two new Bright Eyes albums probably need no introduction... folks have been askin' for them for weeks! However, in case you were snoozing, there are TWO new Bright Eyes full lengths. And for those of you raising your eyebrows wondering how each stands up, let's just say right up front that there's nary a bit of filler nor padding in sight. Mr. Conor Oberst has become one darn prolific and consistent music man. With two such solid offerings, watch the legions of B.E. fans grow and grow and grow.
The way this album starts -- with Oberst tellin' a story -- you'd almost think you were listening to an old King Missile album (not a bad thing, by the way!), his hesitant storytelling here resembles that of John S. Hall quite a bit.
Anyways, aside from that minor musing, the first thing we noticed when we gave this album a spin was just how robust and feisty Oberst's voice sounds. It's so much more so than we've come to expect, but never fear, his trademark brittle warble (that you may or may not know and love) is very much still present. Plus, he's got quite an assembly of skilled musicians backing him up. Together they weave super lush and often rollicking rootsy folk arrangements that somehow don't overshadow or crowd his voice. A surprising guest appearance on this album is that of Emmylou Harris (other guests include The Faint's Clark Baechle and My Morning Jacket's Jim James). She sings on three songs (with varying degrees of prominence) and we only wish she were on more! Her presence as well as Oberst's own growing performance composure and songwriting refinement push this album beyond the mopey indie borderlines that have bound Bright Eyes' past releases. In closing, we'd venture to say that this is the stronger of the two new albums. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Train Under Water"
MPEG Stream: "Land Locked Blues"

BRIGHT EYES Letting Off The Happiness (Saddle Creek) cd 12.98
A full length from 1998. Fragile, personal music. Ripe with emotion. Fans of Cat Power and Vic Chesnutt take note.

BRIGHT EYES Lifted Or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground (Saddle Creek) cd 15.98
If you're partial to music that stirs from beyond the point of one's deepest melancholia - clawing at the walls in despair, drowning in a sea of tear-soaked handkerchiefs, clinging to the last sliver of hope... get the picture? - Nebraska's Bright Eyes may be for you. Primarily the work of Mr. Conor Oberst, B.E. already has an ever-growing flock of admirers for his previous two full lengths on which his frail warble of a voice threatened to collapse under the weight of his words. Much more fleshed out than on past recordings, B.E.'s lush musical backdrop on many songs seems to bolster Oberst (check out "False Advertising" or the absolutely beautiful "Nothing Gets Crossed Out" with its the sweet female vocal backups - heartbreaking!), and it's this support that seems to propel him forth as he weaves his earnest, raw, folky tales. It also serves to make the impact that much greater when the grand strings and horns are stripped away for the more minimal, acoustic moments ("Don't Know When But A Day Is Gonna Come"), not to mention how it expands the music's overall appeal. Tormented and introspective, the emotions flow from him in torrents almost beyond his control. Similar to, but still much more bare bones than the Microphones and less lyrically surreal than Neutral Milk Hotel, it also brings to mind Tom Waits or the Pogues in the carnivalesque or minstrel tones. I'd have to say my favorite songs here are the aforementioned "Nothing Gets...." and "From A Balance Beam". They're perhaps the most fully realized of the bunch, the latter was also the first song on the cdep that preceded the album. There's a hefty list of participants on this album filling out B.E.'s choirs, horn and string sections, and drum corps including folks from The Faint. Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "Nothing Gets Crossed Out"
RealAudio clip: "False Advertising"
RealAudio clip: "From A Balance Beam"
RealAudio clip: "Don't Know When But A Day Is Gonna Come"

BRIGHT EYES Lua (Saddle Creek) cd ep 4.98
Are you prepared for the imminent Conor Oberst onslaught? Huh, what are we talkin' about? Y'mean you didn't know that there's two full Bright Eyes albums comin' out in a couple of months? Well, to get your feet wet, here's two new eps that serve as sort of a sneak peek at each new full length. This one is "Lua" and the respective upcoming B.E. album that it's from is the characteristically brittle emo-folk I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. To sweeten the deal further, there's three non-album songs that'll surely draw a few more tears from your melacholic warbly pop-lovin' eyes.
MPEG Stream: "Lua"
MPEG Stream: "True Blue"

BRIGHT EYES Motion Sickness (Blood of the Young) 7" 3.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Two more sadsack songs from Omaha, Nebraska's Conor Oberst and co. Songwriting of the bleak and despairing kind. On a swirly storm cloud of grey vinyl.

BRIGHT EYES Motion Sickness: Live Recordings (Team Love) cd 14.98
Yes, half of this album's title is accurate. This is Conor Oberst and company in concert. They sound great. Although these tracks were recorded during the 2005 I'm Wide Awake It's Morning tour in front of massive hordes of rabid B.E. fans, the crowd noise is surprisingly unobtrusive. Fifteen tracks including a couple covers of Feist and Elliott Smith songs ("Mushaboom" and "The Biggest Lie" respectively)! Rest assured, you won't be experiencing an ounce of nausea or dizziness... unless you're just not a Bright Eyes fan!
MPEG Stream: "We Are Nowhere And It's Now"
MPEG Stream: "The Biggest Lie"

BRIGHT EYES Noise Floor: Rarities 1998 - 2005 (Saddle Creek) cd 13.98
You get a little bit of everything on this new Bright Eyes rarities collection -- singles, b-sides, unreleased stuff, a Spoon cover ("Spent On Rainy Days")-- but you especially get Conor Oberst's trademark most heartfelt of heartfelt indie boy poetics sung in those endearingly wimpery, near breathless vocals. Seriously folks, we've said it before but we'll say it again, he sounds like he's either being dangled by a thread over a cliff or he's got someone with a gun to his head or he got caught in a chilly downpour without an umbrella. Definitely an acquired taste! The second song "I Will Be Grateful For This Day" brings blasts of thick distortion that interrupt the delicate electronics laced indie folk pop melody. Other tunes are more straightforward folk singer/songwriter numbers, of which he become increasingly adept at writing. Total heart string tuggin', pit of your stomach sentiments. So Bright Eyes fans, consider this a little something to tide you over 'til Oberst hits the studio for his next album!
MPEG Stream: "I Will Be Grateful For This Day"
MPEG Stream: "Amy In The White Coat"
MPEG Stream: "Spent On Rainy Days"

BRIGHT EYES Noise Floor: Rarities 1998-2005 (Saddle Creek) 2lp 17.98
And yes Bright Eyes fans, we do have this release on double LP too! This vinyl version includes five bonus tracks not on the CD!
Here's what we said about the CD version... You get a little bit of everything on this new Bright Eyes rarities collection -- singles, b-sides, unreleased stuff, a Spoon cover ("Spent On Rainy Days")-- but you especially get Conor Oberst's trademark most heartfelt of heartfelt indie boy poetics sung in those endearingly wimpery, near breathless vocals. Seriously folks, we've said it before but we'll say it again, he sounds like he's either being dangled by a thread over a cliff or he's got someone with a gun to his head or he got caught in a chilly downpour without an umbrella. Definitely an acquired taste! The second song "I Will Be Grateful For This Day" brings blasts of thick distortion that interrupt the delicate electronics laced indie folk pop melody. Other tunes are more straightforward folk singer/songwriter numbers, of which he become increasingly adept at writing. Total heart string tuggin', pit of your stomach sentiments. So Bright Eyes fans, consider this a little something to tide you over 'til Oberst hits the studio for his next album!
MPEG Stream: "I Will Be Grateful For This Day"
MPEG Stream: "Amy In The White Coat"
MPEG Stream: "Spent On Rainy Days"

BRIGHT EYES People's Key (First Edition) (Saddle Creek) cd 14.98

BRIGHT EYES People's Key (First Edition) (Saddle Creek) lp+cd 23.00

BRIGHT EYES Take It Easy (Love Nothing) (Saddle Creek) cd ep 4.98
Are you prepared for the imminent Conor Oberst onslaught? Huh, what are we talkin' about? Y'mean you didn't know that there's two full Bright Eyes albums comin' out in a couple of months? Well, to get your feet wet, here's two new eps that serve as sort of a sneak peek at each new full length. This one is "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)" and the respective upcoming B.E. album that it's from is the startlingly non-folk oriented Digital Ash In A Digital Urn (that, if this ep is any indication, will be both somewhat more aligned with the sound of his other harder-hitting band Desparecidos and also a venturing out into as yet unchartered B.E. territory). To sweeten the deal further, there's two non-album tracks that'll surely surprise fans (one is a cover of the Simon Joyner song "Burn Rubber").
MPEG Stream: "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)"
MPEG Stream: "Burn Rubber"

BRIGHT EYES There Is No Beginning to the Story (Saddle Creek) cd ep 8.98
Just under twenty minutes of new music from Omaha, Nebraska's favorite heavyhearted combo Bright Eyes! Don't mean to bum out any of their ultra-mope-core fans, but... Conor Oberst seems - dare we say it? - much more energetic and spirited than usual. Perhaps it was the feisty emo pop influence of his other group Desaparecidos that put the tiger in his tank? We're not sure, but one thing we don't have to worry about is that his songwriting hasn't suffered a bit in this subtle transformation.
Raw emotion continues to flow from each of folkish numbers. These new songs just might appeal to fans of the lush, bittersweet pop of The Microphones or The Weakerthans. Features musical input from Simon Joyner, as well as a few of his Saddle Creek labelmates and Nebraska pals Todd and Clark Baechle (of The Faint) among others. Please note that the lead-off track will also be included on the forthcoming full length, but there's three others that won't so if you're a particularly impatient Bright Eyes fan, you won't wanna miss this.
RealAudio clip: "From A Balance Beam"
RealAudio clip: "We Are Free Men"

BRIGHT EYES Vinyl Box Set (Saddle Creek) 7lp 34.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
By the time you read this, adoring fans of Mr. Conor 'Bright Eyes' Oberst will undoubtably have already scooped up a copy (or two) of this seven record set.
If you count yourself among those legions, but are also a cardcarrying member of the slowpoke club then... guess what?! There's a seven record box set of Bright Eyes! It includes five of his albums (many of which have been out of print for some time) plus other rare goodies. Here's the lowdown: A Collection of Songs Written and Recorded 1995-1997 (pressed on 2 lps, first time on vinyl!), Letting off the Happiness (with its original cover art and a Japanese import bonus song), the Every Day and Every Night ep, the excellent Fevers and Mirrors (remastered on 2 lps and including two Japanese import bonus songs), Don't Be Frightened of Turning the Page (aka the four B.E. songs from Oh Holy Fools - The Music of Son, Ambulance and Bright Eyes plus two bonus songs). If you're not familiar with the woeful, trembling indie folk sounds of B.E. yet, this might not be the place to start (unless you're also a vinyl nut and an extreme completist to boot). Maybe first check out his most recent full length Lifted Or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground.

BRIGHT EYES & BRITT DANIEL Home: Volume IV (Post-Parlo Records) cd ep 10.98
Back in print! We had this very fleetingly a couple of years ago. Since then, the popularity of both fellows' respective musical endeavours has ballooned. For those of you who missed out the first time around, the cd's been reissued. Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and and Spoon's Britt Daniel got together a whiles back and collaborated on a number of songs. These four songs are the result -- Oberst wrote the first and third and Daniel penned the second and fourth. Sure to please fans of both artists!
MPEG Stream: "Spent On Rainy Days"
MPEG Stream: "You Get Yours"

BRIGHT EYES / NEVA DINOVA One Jug Of Wine, Two Vessels (Crank!) cd 10.98
When we first put this disc on for a spin, many here recognized the indie folk sound of Bright Eyes right away (without seeing the artists' and cd's names), but the vocals seemed unfamiliar. Either Conor Oberst has swiftly become a very mature, composed singer or someone else is handling some of the vocal duties. Well, to reassure those who adore Oberst's woebegone voice, it's the latter. Yup, hot on the heels of the Bright Eyes/Britt Daniel reissued split EP comes another Oberst pairing -- this time with fellow Omaha, Nebraskans Neva Dinova. You can certainly take the title as a tip-off that these two parties got together to drown their sorrows in wine and song. The six songs are warm and casual including bits of chitchat in the opening tune. On the non-Oberst-sung songs, things tend towards a lush, countrified Coldplay sound (check out the third song "Poison"). This may not win Bright Eyes many new admirers, but it surely should pique interest in Neva Dinova.
MPEG Stream: "Poison"
MPEG Stream: "Black Comedy"

BRIGHT EYES F/ SON, AMBULANCE Oh Holy Fools (Saddle Creek) cd 12.98
This is a split release featuring Omaha-based indie popsters Bright Eyes and related band Son, Ambulance, who each do four songs. Bright Eyes member Joe Knapp is the mastermind behind Son, Ambulance who, despite sounding super lo-fi and sort of patched together, aspire to the lofty heights of sophistico Brit pop, complete with orchestrated bits and surprisingly good arrangements that nonetheless sound like you've already heard them in a Bacharach or Squeeze song or something. Very quiet, introspective, and not super exciting.
Bright Eyes are headed by the trembly-voiced mouse Conor Oberst whose hold-nothing-back style lays his emotions bare right out there on the floor for everyone to see -- his only peer in the break your heart with his voice category is Jeff Mangum of Netural Milk Hotel. You'll either love it or hate it. The last song was written for AQ-pal Kathy w/a K!
RealAudio clip: SON, AMBULANCE "Brown Park"
RealAudio clip: BRIGHT EYES "Going for the Gold"
RealAudio clip: BRIGHT EYES "Kathy with a K's song"

BRIGHT GREY WING, THE Facts & Figures (self-released) cd ep 6.98
We liked what we heard on the first few outings by The Bright Grey Wing, but with this record it feels like Jaime Borschuk has really come into her own. Such beautiful sketches of songs with no wasted moments and such tender and delicate delivery. Like the soft breeze of the Tenniscoats or Durutti Column with an undercurrent of twee influences and a soft touch similar to folks like Tara Jane O'Neil, Mirah, Rose Melberg, Eddie Marcon and Mary Timony. Such perfect sounds for an early morning or those times when you just want to get lost in a soft Summerbreeze. So nice.
MPEG Stream: "Abundance"
MPEG Stream: "A Curious Mystery"
MPEG Stream: "Slip & Slide"
MPEG Stream: "Inside Out"

BRIGHT GREY WING, THE Homecoming (Extra Small) cd 10.98
Here's the second full length from this lo-fi solo honey-sweet popster (aka Jaime Borschuk who is also in Plan To Pink). Last time, we noticed that occasionally some of the vocals drifted away from 'in tune'. Well, that's the case on Homecoming too -- it seems she's created her very own key to sing in and often a guitar seems to follow suit as well. The problem is actually more pronounced this time out 'cause the rest of the music that surrounds the vocals is much more polished than last time. Really, when she hits her mark it's like the warmest hug! This could've been a totally soft'n'cozy pop confection, but it falls short on a few occasions. Sort of like an unintentional Shaggs tribute band in its total wide-eyed earnestness. Includes a cover of Daniel Johnston's "Speeding Motorcycle".
MPEG Stream: "Island"
MPEG Stream: "Speeding Motorcycle"

BRIGHT GREY WING, THE I (Extra Small) cd 10.98
The Bright Grey Wing make music just like in the good ol' early '90s days in Olympia, WA when lo-fi twee pop and K Records were king. That is, heart-on-your-sleeve, cardigan sweater tunes with earnest sing-song gal vocals that do the hokey-pokey with the tuning fork every now and again. Seventeen (!) intimate, bare bones, bedroom-y songs ranging in length from a mere 21 seconds to three and half minutes. Ever so marshmallow soft 'n' sweet, I closes with a 32-second rendition of Jim Morrison's "The End".
MPEG Stream: "Good Luck"
MPEG Stream: "Song From Hope Film"

BRIGHTBLACK Ala.Cali.Tucky (Galaxia) cd 13.98
Wonderful! BrightBlack weave the gentlest, languid country folk music around with drawled male and murmurred female vocals. They sure used their largest ladle when they poured on the reverb. Everything is drenched in it like a blanket of gravy -- especially the gorgeous pedal steel. Really, this is the perfect heavily-lidded album to soothe and drift you off into the land of dreams. They even kindly end the cd with the sound of whispery cricket chirps.
FYI: bassist Paul Oldham just happens to be the brethren of Mr. Bonnie Prince Billy, and Brother Will slips in for a mysterious "high ghost sing".
MPEG Stream: "New Mexico"
MPEG Stream: "Oceanblue"

BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT Motion to Rejoin (Matador) cd 13.98
Picking up so nicely where their Matador debut left off a couple years back, Brightblack Morning Light are back with a new set of dreamy hippie hymnals that sway and melt with ease and affection. Adding subtle horns and gospel-like back up vocals to their slow and beautiful songs, they've made a record that after constant listens has seeped into out souls wrapping our psyches in warm and woozy sound. With rich connections to the land and the sky Brightblack are able to make music that feels natural and ethereal and unlike so many others polluting the world with overly forced takes on psych-folk. There is something undeniably sincere and for real about the tender and textured sounds that BBML create. Their stunning opening set last year for Vashti Bunyan showed that even when the pressure is on these are people whose music and presence is always so relaxed and tranquil and dreamily psychedelic, their bodies and spirits so at peace. Make sure to spend some serious time with this record as it's one that really benefits from deep listening, and will reward you with its deep melting glow.
MPEG Stream: "A Rainbow Aims"
MPEG Stream: "Oppressions Each"
MPEG Stream: "Hologram Buffalo"

BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT Motion to Rejoin (Matador) lp 14.98
Picking up so nicely where their Matador debut left off a couple years back, Brightblack Morning Light are back with a new set of dreamy hippie hymnals that sway and melt with ease and affection. Adding subtle horns and gospel-like back up vocals to their slow and beautiful songs, they've made a record that after constant listens has seeped into out souls wrapping our psyches in warm and woozy sound. With rich connections to the land and the sky Brightblack are able to make music that feels natural and ethereal and unlike so many others polluting the world with overly forced takes on psych-folk. There is something undeniably sincere and for real about the tender and textured sounds that BBML create. Their stunning opening set last year for Vashti Bunyan showed that even when the pressure is on these are people whose music and presence is always so relaxed and tranquil and dreamily psychedelic, their bodies and spirits so at peace. Make sure to spend some serious time with this record as it's one that really benefits from deep listening, and will reward you with its deep melting glow.
MPEG Stream: "A Rainbow Aims"
MPEG Stream: "Oppressions Each"
MPEG Stream: "Hologram Buffalo"

BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT s/t (Matador) cd 14.98
FINALLY BACK IN STOCK, now that the official release date is here!
With its custom packaging which includes amazing "tripping" rainbow glasses that you can wear and see stars and colors all summer long, this is a record you are gonna want to get your hands on as soon as you can. You often hear people talking about a record that has warmth. But you don't always really melt in that supposed warmth. With their new full length and first outing for Matador. Brightblack Morning Light (we think they might slightly change their name on everything they put out) have made a record that makes you melt in all the best possible ways. With the morning light added to their moniker, Brightblack have made one of the most perfect morning records we've heard in ages. This is the kind of record you put on right when you get up, sun is shining through the windows, slight breeze caressing your neck as Brightblack's Rabob and Nabob let their laid back, trance inducing southern charm seep deep into your pores. There is an overall ambiance to this recording that allows their soothing vocals and rich instrumentation to come together so perfectly as one. You can hear the influence of South American psychedelia, all warm and seductive, you can also hear bits of Americana transmitted with all the right haze and glaze. This is THE summer record, to serenade you as you while away the long warm days in bed all summer long. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Everybody Daylight"
MPEG Stream: "All We Have Broken Shines"

BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT s/t (Matador) 2lp 26.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL, WITH ONE BONUS TRACK NOT ON THE CD!!
With its custom packaging which includes amazing "tripping" rainbow glasses that you can wear and see stars and colors all summer long, this is a record you are gonna want to get your hands on as soon as you can. You often hear people talking about a record that has warmth. But you don't always really melt in that supposed warmth. With their new full length and first outing for Matador. Brightblack Morning Light (we think they might slightly change their name on everything they put out) have made a record that makes you melt in all the best possible ways. With the morning light added to their moniker, Brightblack have made one of the most perfect morning records we've heard in ages. This is the kind of record you put on right when you get up, sun is shining through the windows, slight breeze caressing your neck as Brightblack's Rabob and Nabob let their laid back, trance inducing southern charm seep deep into your pores. There is an overall ambiance to this recording that allows their soothing vocals and rich instrumentation to come together so perfectly as one. You can hear the influence of South American psychedelia, all warm and seductive, you can also hear bits of Americana transmitted with all the right haze and glaze. This is THE summer record, to serenade you as you while away the long warm days in bed all summer long. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Everybody Daylight"
MPEG Stream: "All We Have Broken Shines"

BRIGHTER Singles 1989-1992 (Matinee) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We're sure getting our fill of UK sweet pop this month! For more shining examples, be sure to check out the new albums from Camera Obscura and Joanna Newsom. In the meantime though, what about this Brighter singles retrospective? Spanning just four years, this cd follows Brighter's path from buoyant janglin' twee melodies with shy boy vocals to more atmospheric and moody shoegazer songs with shy boy vocals!
MPEG Stream: "Inside Out"
MPEG Stream: "British Summertime"

BRIGHTER DEATH NOW Greatest Death (Cold Meat Industries) cd 14.98

BRIGHTER DEATH NOW Necrose Evangelicum (Cold Meat Industries) cd 16.98
"Necrose Evangelicum" is a bleak 'death ambient' album from the founder of the Swedish label Cold Meat Industries. Ghastly sounds from beyond the grave wallow through the bass-heavy drones in the best Lustmord tradition of dark ambience.

BRIGITTE & THE HANSEN EXPERIENCE Frau Hansen Am Bass (Psychedelic Pig) cd 15.98
Psychedelic Pig has had a great track record of uncovering wonderful and rare recordings of avant-esoterica. The first PP reissue was the Metgumbnerbone album which found The New Blockaders' Richard Rupenus working with a bunch of occultishly minded individuals for a fantasticly creepy ritual music for found percussion and Tibetan horns. Then, there was the unreleased material from the idiot-savant-garde ensemble Die Todliche Doris; but now, they've chosen to dig up this album from the Dadaist realm of the Hirsche Nicht Aufs Sofa. It's unclear who Brigitte is but supposedly she had worked with H.N.A.S. at sometime, and the Hansen Experience does feature the H.N.A.S.' mainstay Achim P. Li Khan. Let's just say that if you like H.N.A.S. then you'll love this album, as it sounds very similar to The Book Of Dingenskirchen and Kuttel Im Frost with lots of asynchonous tape loops whirling sickly in elliptical patterns, prog-rock basslines, fumbled drum-kit workouts, and a ubiquitous delay pedal that casts every sound in the pedestrial, Experimental 101 atmosphere of ECHO, Echo, echo, e-c-h-o, ECHO, Echo, echo, e-c-h-o, etc. If you're simply curious about how Surrealism and Dadaism can be applied to sound, look to Nurse With Wound and irr. app. (ext.); otherwise this is mostly for adventurous listeners and H.N.A.S. fans / completists.
MPEG Stream: "Meine Abende Im Haupquartier"
MPEG Stream: "Illegales Kindergartnern"

BRIGMAN, GEORGE Jungle Rot ( Bona Fide) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We listed the vinyl reissue last time, now we're blessed with a deluxe cd reish of this rare-ass 1975 private press LP from Baltimore's George Brigman, digitally remastered from the original 30 year old tapes, complete with three bonus tracks! It's something that anyone who digs, say, Michael Yonkers should perk up their ears at. It's that sort of outsider psych obscurity. Guitarist/vocalist George Brigman, a teenager at the time we're pretty sure, was definitely into such underground (back then) influences as The Stooges and the Velvet Underground. This record consists of fierce, fuzz-fueled punk rockers, lo-fi acid blues, and VU-inspired melancholia -- a downer vibe typified by such songs as "It's Misery", "Worrying", and "I'm Married Too". He's got worlds of woe. There's more of the latter so don't get the idea that this is Raw Power part II or anything. But the Stooges moments, like the killer title track, ARE super Stoogey. And ULTRA fuzzed. So imagine an unholy, amateur, low-budget blend of Iggy, Lou Reed, and some Nick Drake too. Sounds good don't it? It is pretty great. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Jungle Rot"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Bother Me"

BRIGMAN, GEORGE Jungle Rot (Anopheles) lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This is a vinyl reissue of a rare-ass 1975 private press LP from Baltimore that anyone who digs, say, Michael Yonkers should perk up their ears at. It's that sort of outsider psych obscurity. Guitarist/vocalist George Brigman, a teenager at the time we're pretty sure, was definitely into such underground (back then) influences as The Stooges and the Velvet Underground. This record consists of fierce, fuzz-fueled punk rockers, lo-fi blues, and VU-inspired melancholia -- a downer vibe typified by such songs as "It's Misery", "Worrying", and "I'm Married Too". There's more of the latter so don't get the idea that this is Raw Power part II or anything. But the Stooges moments, like the killer title track, ARE super Stoogey. So imagine an unholy, amateur, low-budget blend of Iggy, Lou Reed, and some Nick Drake too. Sounds good don't it? It is pretty great. Very soon a cd reissue on the Bona Fide label should also be arriving in our shop, but for the vinyl-enabled among you, Anopheles has the goods right now, on clear vinyl, mastered from the original tapes.
MPEG Stream: "Jungle Rot"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Bother Me"

BRIGMAN, GEORGE Jungle Rot (Obscure Oxide ) lp 22.00
Cool! This '70s underground/outsider rock obscurity has been reissued again on vinyl! Here's what we said about it way back when the our pal Karl and his Anopheles label first turned us on to it some years ago, that version long out of print now:
This is a vinyl reissue of a rare-ass 1975 private press lp from Baltimore that anyone who digs, say, Michael Yonkers should perk up their ears at. It's THAT sort of outsider psych obscurity. Guitarist/vocalist George Brigman, a teenager at the time we're pretty sure, was definitely into such underground (back then) influences as The Stooges and the Velvet Underground. This record consists of fierce, fuzz-fueled punk rockers, lo-fi blues, and VU-inspired melancholia - a downer vibe typified by such songs as "It's Misery", "Worrying", and "I'm Married Too". There's more of the latter, so don't get the idea that this is Raw Power part II or anything. But the Stooges moments, like the killer title track, ARE super Stoogey. So imagine an unholy, amateur, low-budget blend of Iggy, Lou Reed, and some Nick Drake too. Sounds good don't it? It is pretty great.
This new edition comes packaged with a full-color insert.
MPEG Stream: "Jungle Rot"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Bother Me"

BRIGMAN, GEORGE AND SPLIT I Can Hear The Ants Dancin' (Solid) cd 16.98
Last list we had the deluxe reish of Baltimore guitarist George Brigman's long-lost Jungle Rot album, a self-released obscurity from '75 that seemed to be one man's tribute to The Stooges and the Velvet Underground. Fuzz-punk-blues-psych from way underground. Well, turns out that as a blues guitarist, George Brigman's biggest influence was probably Tony McPhee of British blues rockers The Groundhogs. So his late '70s outfit was called Split for a reason -- it's the name of (imho) the best Groundhogs album. And Brigman's blues bag is bigger on Split's 1977 album for sure. But if you've been diggin' Jungle Rot like we have, you might want to check this out too. We can't say it's quite as good, but it surely has its moments and many fans of Jungle Rot will like it too. The messed up downer punk attitude, and the fuzz, of Jungle Rot is prevalent here as well. At its worst, decent bar band blues rock with a great guitarist. At its best, really freaking awesome and weird bar band blues rock with a great guitarist. 19 tracks, some previously unreleased bonus cuts included.
MPEG Stream: "Vacation"
MPEG Stream: "I Can Hear The Ants Dancin'"

BRILLIANT COLORS Again And Again (Slumberland) cd 12.98
We've been smitten with these local ladies ever since their first couple 7"s released a few years back. We predicted back then that they should/would end up on Slumberland, and we're happy that our prediction came true, as they really are a band that represents the best aspects of Slumberland's awesome legacy and reemergence as one of the best labels around to trust for indie-pop done right. On Again And Again, Brilliant Colors have created their most free flowing set of songs, each one capable of being a pull-away single, but each track leading right into another with such carefree ease. The kind of album you want blasting in your car as you take to the coast to soak up some sun and dip your feet into the sea. It's got a kind of driving breeze to it that makes for such infectious repeated listening. Still channeling the influence of greats gone by like The Shop Assistants, Heavenly, Velocity Girl and Black Tambourine, as well as groups like Tsunami, Veronica Lake, and Butterglory, but continuing to flex their own vision, and undeniable integrity.
There is such a cool DIY spirit to so much of what Brilliant Colors do. Their handmade flyers, the all-ages shows they play in super unique places, in fact the record release party for this album is going to be held in a tiny hair saloon just a few blocks from our shop. Even though their sound isn't "punk" you can tell that they've got a punk ethos, and that classic post-punk bands really helped influence their sound. If they lived in D.C. rather than SF, they no doubt would be on Dischord. We've been blasting this on repeat ever since it arrived in the store, as its become a major contender for our favorite summer album of the year!
MPEG Stream: "How Much Younger"
MPEG Stream: "Back To The Tricks"
MPEG Stream: "Telephone Stories"

BRILLIANT COLORS Again And Again (Slumberland) lp 12.98
We've been smitten with these local ladies ever since their first couple 7"s released a few years back. We predicted back then that they should/would end up on Slumberland, and we're happy that our prediction came true, as they really are a band that represents the best aspects of Slumberland's awesome legacy and reemergence as one of the best labels around to trust for indie-pop done right. On Again And Again, Brilliant Colors have created their most free flowing set of songs, each one capable of being a pull-away single, but each track leading right into another with such carefree ease. The kind of album you want blasting in your car as you take to the coast to soak up some sun and dip your feet into the sea. It's got a kind of driving breeze to it that makes for such infectious repeated listening. Still channeling the influence of greats gone by like The Shop Assistants, Heavenly, Velocity Girl and Black Tambourine, as well as groups like Tsunami, Veronica Lake, and Butterglory, but continuing to flex their own vision, and undeniable integrity.
There is such a cool DIY spirit to so much of what Brilliant Colors do. Their handmade flyers, the all-ages shows they play in super unique places, in fact the record release party for this album is going to be held in a tiny hair saloon just a few blocks from our shop. Even though their sound isn't "punk" you can tell that they've got a punk ethos, and that classic post-punk bands really helped influence their sound. If they lived in D.C. rather than SF, they no doubt would be on Dischord. We've been blasting this on repeat ever since it arrived in the store, as its become a major contender for our favorite summer album of the year!
MPEG Stream: "How Much Younger"
MPEG Stream: "Back To The Tricks"
MPEG Stream: "Telephone Stories"

BRILLIANT COLORS Highly Evolved / Takes So Little (Captured Tracks) 7" 6.98
We've been loving everything we've heard from this fairly new Bay Area female trio but we were too slow to snag enough copies of their first 7" to list, but luckily we've got this great new single with two new brand new songs that are sure to show the world that these gals belong in the new league of great garage popsters like the Vivian Girls, Dum Dum Girls, Thee Oh Sees, etc. There is a really cool early '80s minimalist garage pop aesthetic to Brilliant Colors that reminds us a bit of Young Marble Giants, The Raincoats, the heyday of Flying Nun records or some song by an obscure band on a Messthetics compilation that you would want to play over and over. It's much smarter then run of the mill garage rock, but it's also smart enough not to let their brains get in the way of their simple stripped down songs that sound better and better each time we lay the needle in the groove.

BRILLIANT COLORS Introducing (Slumberland) cd 12.98
We knew it was only a matter of time before San Francisco's Brilliant Colors broke out of the Bay and into the ears and hearts of listeners across the globe, and it makes such perfect sense that Slumberland is the proud label to get to release their debut full length.
After a couple amazing 7"s, we knew the time was ripe for Brilliant Colors to make a big splash with their energetic, raw and super charged garage pop, gloriously drenched in feedback and soaring amplification. They really are like a modern day version of Black Tambourine (the awesome short-lived early '90s band who just had their Complete Recordings reissued by Slumberland). Part pop, part garage, part punk, all coming together in such perfect alignment. BC belong near the top of the list of awesome bands who have emerged in the last few years very much influenced by the likes of The Vaselines, Shop Assistants, Talulah Gosh, Jesus & Mary Chain, Pastels, etc. Alongside folks like Grass Widow, Dum Dum Girls, Vivian Girls, and Pens, Brilliant Colors have injected a much needed blast of full throttle female energy into the post-punk scene and this debut full length picks up where their great singles left off, adding even more intensity and uncompromising tenacity to their delivery.
MPEG Stream: "Absolutely Anything"
MPEG Stream: "Short Sleeves At Night"
MPEG Stream: "Yell In The Air"

BRILLIANT COLORS Never Mine (Slumberland) 7" 4.98
Another awesome slab of wax from San Francisco's Brilliant Colors. A bit more poppy than their full length, this is pretty much perfect post-punk with a distinctly lo-fi vibe and a timeless quality that connects the dots between folks like Black Tambourine, Chin Chin and The Vaselines to the present day. Both these songs find these ladies in absolute top form, in fact we think this may be our favorite release from them yet. Finding a way to a more melodic and even jangly feel yet sounding fuzzier and more free then ever. Cool to see that these songs were recorded by their pal Ty Segall who knows a thing or two about bringing together fuzz and melody. One of those amazing 7"s where you won't be able to decide which side is better, as both these songs are smoking!

BRILLIANT COLORS Walk Into The World (Make-A-Mess) 7" 7.98
Ok, make that not one but two new awesome 7"s from San Francisco's Brilliant Colors. Like the other reviewed BC 45 this week, these two new burners were also recorded with their pal Ty Segall and find the band reaching even higher. The band definitely seem to be coming into their own with their songwriting, finding such a great way to combine their lo-fi post punk sensibilities with such great hooks and incredible melodies. We hope it's just a matter of time before these ladies get the widespread attention and praise they deserve as their songs as just as infectious and raw as folks like Dum Dum Girls, Vivian Girls and Golden Triangle.
Make-A-Mess releases tend to disappear quickly so best to snag one of these before it's too late!

BRILLIANT SWORDS Loves Lessons Learnt (Don't Fuck With Magic) cd-r 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We reviewed this on the last New Arrivals list, but figured we oughta list it again, in order to let folks know, that in fact, this 'mystery group', whose cd came in the most recent batch of Our Love Will Destroy The World cd-r's (now ALL out of print sorry to say) was less of a mystery than we thought, as it is in fact Campbell Kneale, aka Birchville Cat Motel, aka Our Love Will Destroy The World. The fuzzy poppiness might have thrown us, but really, when you think about what just might make Kneale's music so catchy, considering that for the most part it's abstract and free form and noisy, is that, maybe, just maybe, those extended free form droned out psychnoise blissouts, are actually essentially just pop songs like these, slooooowed waaaaaaay doooooown.
So yeah, Brilliant Swords, seven songs in thirteen minutes, and not at all what you might expect from Campbell Kneale or his Don't Fuck With Magic Label. Instead of thick clouds of abstract free noise, or twisted dronescapes of blown out loops and buried rhythms, Brilliant Swords are a pop band. Yep, a pop band. Fuzzy and noisy for sure, but this is totally buzz drenched noise pop, and it's pretty goddamn great. A little bit Husker Du, a little bit nineties indie rock, the guitars are super distorted, the vocals super melodic, the songs are short sharp and hooky as hell, the longest clocking in at 2:53, the shortest at :58, but pop music like this doesn't need any more than that.
The liner notes simply state that each song was written, recorded and mixed in less than two hours, and heck it sounds like it, which is not a bad thing, the songs are super intense, passionate, catchy bursts of fuzzy lo-fi power pop, we hear some My Dad Is Dead, Hard Ons, Buffalo Tom, a little Nova Scotia jangle (Eric's Trip et al), all wound into some seriously kick ass pop. The sort of pop that if it found its way from a super limited release on an obscure micro cd-r label to the right ears, this stuff could definitely be huge, or could have been 15 years ago. Either way, we're loving this a LOT. It's short, but that just means we've been listening to it over and over.
LIMITED TO 50 COPIES! We're the only source for these in the US and we only have about 10 copies left, so once those are gone, that's it.
MPEG Stream: "Don't Believe Anymore"
MPEG Stream: "We Can Be Friends"
MPEG Stream: "Turning Blue"

BRIMSTONE Carving A Crimson Career (Nuclear Blast) cd 14.98
Digipak. Brimstone play melodic, Hammerfall-style metal with raspy black metal-style vocals.