BATTLES Tras (Coldsweat) cd ep 9.98
This is one pedigreed post-rock combo here! Battles consists of Ian Williams (Don Caballero, Storm And Stress), Tyondai Braxton (son of jazz genius Anthony and solo artist in his own right), John Stanier (Helmet, Tomahawk) and Dave Konopka (Lynx). These gents have joined forces to tangle their guitar strings, various drum implements, and electronic gadgetry into a big knot that might seem loose but is probably really tight if you were to try and unravel it. And while their compositions might be 'difficult', listening to this is not. Battles sounds like a post rock band (a la Don Cab or Lynx) playing the music of Conlon Nancarrow on Raymond Scott's Manhattan Research equipment. Or Gershon Kingsley making math rock. Weird, complex, delightful. And rather than debut with a full length, they've released two new eps in various formats. There are the five tracks of EP C cd ep, and the two-song limited Tras 12" vinyl and cd ep (the latter of which also includes a video clip).
MPEG Stream: "Tras"

BATTLES Tras (Coldsweat) 12" 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This is one pedigreed post-rock combo here! Battles consists of Ian Williams (Don Caballero, Storm And Stress), Tyondai Braxton (son of jazz genius Anthony and solo artist in his own right), John Stanier (Helmet, Tomahawk) and Dave Konopka (Lynx). These gents have joined forces to tangle their guitar strings, various drum implements, and electronic gadgetry into a big knot that might seem loose but is probably really tight if you were to try and unravel it. And while their compositions might be 'difficult', listening to this is not. Battles sounds like a post rock band (a la Don Cab or Lynx) playing the music of Conlon Nancarrow on Raymond Scott's Manhattan Research equipment. Or Gershon Kingsley making math rock. Weird, complex, delightful. And rather than debut with a full length, they've released two new eps in various formats. There are the five tracks of EP C cd ep, and the two-song limited Tras 12" vinyl and cd ep (the latter of which also includes a video clip).
MPEG Stream: "Tras"

BATTLES, THE Tomorrow's Eager Hands (Soft Abuse) cd 14.98
Please note this is Vancouver band THE Battles, not to be confused with the post-rock Battles (no 'the')!
This is The Battles' follow-up to their 2001 debut Lycanthropy. While their record label has stickered this cd's shrinkwrap with mentions of "stylistic nods to Todd Rundgren, Mayo Thompson and Robyn Hitchcock", we hear The Battles' veering more towards Split Enz / Crowded House territory. That's a-ok with us, 'cause those Finn brothers are a couple of mighty fine songwriters with expressive voices and on the first few songs of Tomorrow's Eager Hands, The Battles' mainman Steve Wood sounds like he could be their younger brother. Later in the album, the abovementioned nods become more apparent as they draw in closer to the sound of their Vancouver brethren Destroyer (a few of whose members also appear here as well as a few from New Pornographers and Loscil). As well, they take a brief spacey soundscape detour which is much more in line with their five-years-ago selves, but seems somewhat incongruous here. Overall though there's plenty of retro pop smarts and poetic penmanship to sink your ears into... good stuff!
MPEG Stream: "Omega Man"
MPEG Stream: "Northern Man"

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA 25th Anniversary Edition Original Soundtrack (Geffen) cd 14.98
25 years? Oh my god. Well, if you're at least that old you'll remember the movie/TV show Battlestar Galactica, a Mormons-in-space allegory that gave the world those Cylon baddies and inspired George Lucas' even more successful Star Wars cycle of films. Oh, ok, maybe it was the other way around. Ahem. Anyway, here (at last) is a remastered cd reissue of the soundtrack, which proves to be a pretty fine faux-classical bit of work composed by Stu Phillips and performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Play it for your hoity-toity symphony goin' friends and tell 'em it's a rare 20th century classical thing from Russia or a new Jonathan Bepler Cremaster score or something... then see what they think when the bonus track, the *Disco Version* of the main theme, comes on at the end! Lotsa fun. And the cover art bears mentioning: it's hard to believe this was the actual movie poster, but it was -- it looks so much like you'd imagine the Mad magazine parody to look like. I mean, that's a caricature of Lorne Greene, not a proper portrait, right?
MPEG Stream: "The Cylon Trap"
MPEG Stream: "Theme From Battlestar Galactica (Disco Version)"

BATTLETORN Evil Chains (Mega Blade) cd 13.98

BAUER, KARL AND ELISA AMBROG (AXOLOTL & MAGIK MARKERS) Psychic Hygiene (Spirit Of Orr) 7" 8.98
Found a little stash of these. Already out of print so these are the last copies...
Another strange (but then again, maybe not so strange) collaboration. Karl from Axolotl and Elisa from Magic Markers get together to make some beautiful and slightly noisy music together.
Elisa's guitar seems to be taking center stage on the A side, scrabbly and angular, chaotic and scarping and grinding, dense tangles of high end squiggle and scrape laid over a distant hum of tape hiss and other abstract ambience.
The flipside is more bluesy, kind of. A sort of ghostlike disembodied folk, a bit of twang, lots of clunk and clatter, stumbly and spacious, the notes and melodies gnarled and twisted into strange atonal shapes, deep rumbling swells here and there, clouds of high end shimmer, soft washed out buzz, a dreamy creaky blissed out noiseflecked abstract guitarscape. Haunting and strangely pretty.

BAUER, MATT Nandina (self-released) cd 9.98
San Francisco has quite the impressive (and ever-growing) grassroots folk / country / blues music community, both past and present. Jolie Holland, Sean Hayes, Dieselhed, Virgil Shaw, Crooked Jades, Waycross, Court & Spark... the list goes on and on. Of course, there's always room for one (or two or three) more, isn't there? Well, over the last few weeks, a few folks have been comin' in asking for a gent known as Matt Bauer (not to be confused with Skullflower / Total / Sunroof! / Youngsbower's Matthew Bower, mind you!). Apparently Mr. Bauer had a new self-released cd out, but after much sleuthing about we were unable to track the elusive fellow down... that is, until last week! Yes, we're pleased to report that he's surfaced, and kindly brought in some of his cds himself. And it was worth the wait. Nandina is a fine album of earthy, comforting, melancholic folk songs with warm and weathered male vocals.
MPEG Stream: "Window Hill"
MPEG Stream: "Cold Valley Rain"

BAUER, MATT The Island Moved In The Storm (La Societe Expeditionnaire) cd 13.98
As the temperature and leaves gradually fall into autumn, a fittingly dusky and haunting album from former Bay Area now New York based folk troubadour Mr. Matt Bauer has arrived! It's a devastating song cycle inspired by the story about the mysterious death of a girl (posthumously known as Tent Girl) which took place back in 1968 in Bauer's old stomping grounds in Kentucky. Absolutely heart-rending and beautifully realized, The Island Moved In The Storm is a wonderful progression from his 2006 Wasps And White Roses cdep. Unquestionably his best work to date! The artfully Spartan arrangements allow much room for his achingly withered voice and deeply affecting words to sink in. He was ably assisted by many musical luminaries: Elizabeth Dotson-Westphalen of St. Vincent, Alela Diane, and Dirty Projectors' Angel Deradoorian to name a few. Fans of M. Ward, Jolie Holland, Sean Hayes and maybe even Calexico too, please take note immediately! This just may be your new favorite album and artist! Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Sheltering Dark"
MPEG Stream: "Florida Rain"

BAUER, MATT Wasps And White Roses E.P. (Crossbill) cd ep 6.98
A familiar face around this neighborhood -- you might recall his debut cd Nandina a couple of years back -- Mr. Bauer caught us off guard recently when we received a package from him addressed from New York. He'd pulled up anchor and moved across the country! Fortunately his brother still lives around the corner from our shop and can supply us with Matt's latest cdep. It picks right up where he left off on the final somber strains of Nandina's closing track "Jordan In A Plastic Bag". Such achingly beautiful, weathered folk melancholia, this time with the added pleasure of female vocals accompanying Matt's on a pair of songs. Who might those ladies be? Why, noneother than Ms Jolie Holland ("Carve It Out") and Ms Mariee Sioux ("Wasps And White Roses"). Each voice compliments the other so well! Also making a couple of appearances are fiddle player Alisa Rose ("White Horse" and "Poor Robin"), and Nathan Wanta guest sings along on the last number "Poor Robin" too. Seven songs of which five are originals (three with vocals, two without), plus two traditional numbers. Wonderful!
MPEG Stream: "Carve It Out"
MPEG Stream: "Wasps And White Roses"

BAUHAUS Burning from the Inside (Beggars Banquet) cd 12.98

BAUHAUS Go Away White (BMI) cd 14.98

BAUHAUS Gotham (Metropolis) 2cd 19.98
Documenting these Goth superstars' recent live reunion tour, two discs worth. At first listen, one thing we can say is that this is surprisingly damn HEAVY. Yes, this includes "Bela Lugosi's Dead" amongst other black eyeliner hits. And, this has a new studio track too, their first in like 15 years, a cover of Dead Can Dance's "Severance".

BAUHAUS Shadow of Light / Archive (Beggars Banquet) dvd 15.98
Both Shadows of Light and Archive had been made available in the '80s as collections of Bauhaus' videos and live recordings; and now they've been compiled onto a single DVD for your viewing pleasure. Shadows of Light originally featured all of the videos Bauhaus made, including the particularly grotesque chiaroscuro of "Mask" as well as four live tunes recored in stark black & white at the Old Vic in London. Archive fills in the remainder of the live material shot at that Old Vic show, albeit framed by a curious vignette of a Victorian gentleman being pursued by a couple of no-good thugs. Nonetheless, Peter Murphy stands out as a vampish hybrid of David Bowie and Iggy Pop during these outstanding live versions of "The Passion Of Lovers," "Dark Entries," and "Stigmata Martyr." Essential for anybody bit by the '80s revival bug.

BAUHAUS The Sky Gone Out (4 Men With Beards) lp 16.98

BAUHAUS The Sky's Gone Out (Beggars Banquet) cd 12.98

BAXENDALE You Will Have Your Revenge (Le Grand Magistery) cd 15.98
A total meltdown between Stephin Merritt's Future Bible Heroes and Momus' melodramatic baroque-pop. Heavy duty dance beats with pouty Brit boy and candy-coated girl vocals. For fans of Pulp too.

BAXTER, LES Black Sunday / Baron Blood (Citadel) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Mostly known for his exotica work, Les Baxter did compose a few stirring horror scores. "Black Sunday" and "Baron Blood" (both from the early 60s) are blood-and-thunder compositions for dissonant chords of cymbals, timpani, and brass. According to the liner notes: "It scarred a generation."

BAXTER, LES Cry of the Banshee / Edgar Allan Poe Suite (Citadel) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
"Whatever caused this, some said that during this particular passage they thought they saw Satan materialize - others were not sure just who the spiritual image was, but I feel I must warn those who might have a fear of the supernatural of the possibility of such an occurance" - Les Baxter, referring to the unexplained mysteries which were perported to occur when listening to his scores of "Cry of the Banshee". Truely scary stuff. Also featured on this disc are his score for "The Edgar Allan Poe Suite" and John Cacavas' "Horror Express."

BAXTER, LES Fruit Of Dreams (El Records) cd 16.98
You usually know that you are either an obsessive music addict or totally eccentric or hell both when Les Baxter records start making their way into your collection. And we are the first to admit that most of us fit in those categories, so yes, of course we love the king of exotica, Les Baxter. Most of you are familiar with Baxter but maybe you didn't know that he was the in house conductor and arranger for Captiol records in the 50's making hits for folks like Nat King Cole. Always searching for new instruments, bigger orchestras and sounds filled with exclamation points and a whole lot of flavor, Baxter became a perfect fit for motion pictures as he would go on to score over 120 films with his specialty being Roger Corman films and teenage exploitation flicks. The Fruit Of Dreams combines two of his late 50s and early 60's albums on which he travels to "exotic" places in the world and brings those sounds back to people's suburban living rooms. Something so totally charming about the naivety and dramatic flair of these recordings. With titles like "Hong Kong Cable Car" , "Harem Silks From Bombay", "The Feathered Serpent of the Aztecs" you know this is that great over the top exploitive stylistic travelogue that you can't help but get swept up by. Brilliant and twisted minds like George Kuchar, John Waters, Beck and Jello Biafra all count themselves as unabashed Les Baxter fans...and so do we.
MPEG Stream: "Hong Kong Cable Car"
MPEG Stream: "Harem Silks From Bombay"
MPEG Stream: "Pyramid Of The Sun"

BAXTER, LES The Lost Episode (Dionysus) cd 13.98
Previously unreleased. From an old tv show.

BAXTER, LES The Lost Episode (Dionysus) 10" 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Previously unreleased. From an old tv show.

BAYER, BLARKE The End Of You (Numerical Thief) 3" cd-r 11.98
If we didn't know better, we'd think that Australia and New Zealand were both made up of nothing but experimental musicians and dudes who run cd-r labels. How else to explain the seemingly endless supply of weird and wonderful music coming to us from those two places. Here's another new name to add to the rapidly expanding roster of enigmatic soundmakers from down under, Blarke Bayer. Sharing a label with US noisemakers Yellow Swans and Aussie powerviolence outfit Agents Of Abhorrence, Bayer aligns himself more with the processed guitar soundscape school of folks like Fennesz, Ambarchi, and the like. Gauzy strips of sound, layered into drifting waves of gentle feedback, warm fuzzy swells of muted guitar growl, distant keening melodic fragments, occasionally disrupted by cavernous resonant rumbles or tiny glitchy squalls, but for the most part, The End Of You is one long languorous sea of tranquility, a washed out dream world of layered guitar warmth and shimmery ambience. Quite beautiful.
LIMITED TO 200 COPIES! Packaged in a cool mini 3" printed gatefold sleeve.
MPEG Stream: "The End Of You"

BAYLE, F. L'Experience Acoustique, volumes 5-6 2cd 29.00

BAYLE, FRANCOIS Fabulae (FCM) cd 16.98

BAYLE, FRANCOIS Jeita (FCM) cd 16.98

BAYLE, FRANCOIS Vibrations Composees / Grande Ployphonie (MGC) cd 16.98

BBGUN MAGAZINE (BB Gun) magazine 6.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Bob Bert (ex-Sonic Youth, Pussy Galore, Chrome Cranks, and most recently the Knoxville Girls) and his partner in crime Linda Wolfe continue the transformation of their zine into a full on magazine - this issue features a full color section. Truly a labor of love, BB Gun has annually served as a historical rock document as well as a who's who of current NY hotpants. Within the pages of the mag, the content runs the gamut, but always with a balance of the old and the new. There are a few things you can always count on though: a dose of Rowland S. Howard, Jon Spencer, Lydia Lunch and Richard Kern, as well as some gems from Bob's seemingly bottomless treasure chest of stories from "back in the day". In this issue, we also get Vincent Gallo (the cover story), Yoko Ono, Michael Gira, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the White Stripes along for the ride. And why don't they throw in a few interviews / conversations between Christian Marclay and Lee Ranaldo, Lee Hazlewood and Dean Wareham, Jim O'Rourke and Thurston Moore? Heck, how 'bout some contributions from the likes of Marcellus Hall (Railroad Jerk), Mike Alway, Bleddyn Butcher, Ian Svenonius (The Make-Up), Byron Coley, Everett True, Clem Snide, Jack Sargeant, Ali Smith and Matt Verta-Ray too? And maybe some coverage of James Chance, Smokey & Miho, Mick Collins, Death By Chocolate, Mick Farren, Chris Buck, Peter Missing, Milo Jones? You betcha! Top it all off with a mountain of photos and reviews to serve as much more than the whipped cream and cherry. Always a fun read!

BE GOOD TANYAS Blue Horse (Nettwerk) cd 16.98
On the last list we raved about Jolie Holland's debut album Catalpa, but well before she recorded Catalpa, she did time as a sidekick/auxilliary member of Canadian bluegrass folk outfit the Be Good Tanyas, providing fiddle, guitar, vocals, arranging and songwriting (her song "The Littlest Birds" appeared on Blue Horse before it showed up on Catalpa!) Folks who dug Holland's solo record will find so much to love here. A lush blend of guitar, mandolin, banjo, electric violin and double bass. Traditional bluegrass infused with modern songsmithery and utterly enchanting vocals weaving strange harmonies, at once classic and traditional but at the same time ghostly and otherworldly, making these songs sound like they were pulled from the ether, from some abstract time in the past. Lilting and forlorn, melancholy and dreamily perfect.
MPEG Stream: "Rain And Snow"
MPEG Stream: "The Littlest Birds"
MPEG Stream: "Broken Telephone"

BE GOOD TANYAS Chinatown (Nettwerk) cd 16.98
Following their fine Blue Horse debut album, the Be Good Tanyas' second full length offers a well selected mix of traditional numbers, originals and covers. On Chinatown the group, perhaps most notable for the very early membership of Ms Jolie Holland (whose since pursued a solo path), prove they've got nothing to prove. While many folks seem hell-bent on comparing the two, each glows warmly luminous in its own right (or shall we say light?). That's not to say that fans of one won't find much to love in the other, but this ain't no competition, is it? Embrace 'em all as their music embraces you! Effortlessly conjures visions of old tyme potbelly stoves, porchswings, corncob pipes and pitchers of lemonade.
MPEG Stream: "Waiting Around To Die"
MPEG Stream: "It's Not Happening"

BE GOOD TANYAS Hello Love (Nettwerk) cd 15.98
Oh how we adore those Be Good Tanyas! Their first two albums Chinatown and Blue Horse hold solid places in our hearts. Both albums came out ages ago, leaving us craving more for years! Primarily known stateside for far too long as Jolie Holland's former band, with the aptly titled Hello Love the Canadian country folk trio gracefully glide out of Holland's shadow and into their own rustic autumnal spotlight. That said, Holland does make a brief vocal appearance on the eighth track, their cover of Mississippi John Hurt's "Nobody Cares For Me". They also do wonderful versions of "A Thousand Tiny Pieces", a song by SF's dear Sean Hayes and "For The Turnstiles" by Neil Young. They're definite album highlights. Not so sure about their cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry" tho' which you'll find hidden at the end of the album. Oops, sorry to blow the surprise, but maybe they should've kept it hidden?!
An aside: Kinda burns our biscuits that an artist signed to Nettwerk Records (i.e, an international and pretty much 'major' label who could buy them the moon tenfold) is getting Canadian government funding grants while unsigned, empty pocketed independent candidates go empty handed. Geez, that just doesn't sit right.
But regardless, a super pretty twangy delight.
MPEG Stream: "Human Thing"
MPEG Stream: "For The Turnstiles"
MPEG Stream: "A Thousand Tiny Pieces"

BE PERSECUTED I.I. (No Colours) cd 16.98
According to No Colours, the strangely named Be Persecuted are in fact the first Chinese black metal band. Not sure how one determines if a band is in fact the first from a country, especially one as big as China, but Be Persecuted are certainly the first Chinese black metal band -we've- ever heard, and I.I. is really pretty fantastic.
Strange song titles like "Painful Assemble" and "Be Resented For Livelihood" barely hint at the strange mournful melancholia inside. Beginning with a very Eastern style synth intro, the band launch into some blasting buzzing super grim classic sounding black metal. But then the keyboards surface, and for the rest of the record seem to always be lurking in the background giving the sound a very creepy sorrowful vibe. And the distortion. Not sure what these guys use for distortion pedals, but holy shit, it's some of the harshest and thickest fuzzy hiss we've heard in ages. Like Darkthrone and Burzum if they ran their guitars through a thousand hair dryers set on high.
The best tracks are the more midtempo numbers, where the band totally excel in finding their own Burzumic path, like on the 13 minute "Wilderness", a slow loping buzz drenched midtempo plod, as depressive and doomy as any BM we've heard. But the track that seals the deal is "Some How", which is the only song here actually sung in Chinese, and that begins with a lovely lilting acoustic guitar, gently fingerpicking a melancholy melody, before the distortion and drums kick in, but the song doesn't really change, it's the same lilting lope, just wreathed in a dense field of crackling buzzing distortion. It's almost like some slow core rock ballad but dipped in a boiling cauldron of Burzum! Pretty weird for sure, but so fucking cool. The record winds down with a reprise of the intro, only this time the notes are dirty and distorted, grinding and buzzing through the same melody but with a completely different result...
Awesome!
MPEG Stream: "Suicide Forest"
MPEG Stream: "Painful Assemble"
MPEG Stream: "Be Resented For Livelihood"

BE YOUR OWN PET s/t (Ecstatic Peace / Universal) cd 11.98
Are you sad that the Yeah Yeah Yeah's seem to have gone all '80s pop? Still looking for that blistering loud, fast and fun rock sound with some strong commanding female vocals at its helm? Then Be Your Own Pet have got your fix for sure. Creating quite a buzz in the last couple years with their full throttle rock sound planted firmly in punk rock as well as in the garage. This definitely had us thinking a bit of the glory of The Gits, a young PJ Harvey doing Stooges covers, and yeah, the urgency of the YYY's on their first ep and full length. They've won the heart of Thurston Moore whose Ecstatic Peace has been putting out their records and this is one of those rare instances where the hype seems to make sense as this is some great rockin' fun.
MPEG Stream: "Bunk Trunk Skunk"
MPEG Stream: "Fill My Pill"

BEACH BOYS Friends / 20/20 (Capitol) cd 14.98
We've been enjoying quite a nice run of summer fever here in SF. Lots of outdoor adventures, picnics in the park, trips to the beach, fresh fruit to eat, naps with the windows open. So we thought while we've been indulging in all of summer's glory we would take the time to actually list one of our all time favorite Beach Boys records, even though its not a new reissue or anything. In fact it's two albums on one cd. While of course Pet Sounds always gets lauded as the Beach Boys' masterpiece, we think that Friends might be a contender for one of their greatest records as well. Every single track on Friends is pure pop perfection! You can hear the next several decades of smart pop music foreshadowed in the songs on Friends. "Busy Doin' Nothin" is like the sweet and quirky song Beck is still trying to make, "Little Bird" sounds like one of Yo La Tengo's most bittersweet numbers and the amazing instrumental "Diamond Head" with its reverb and ocean wave sounds provides the sonic blueprint for one of our favorite records of the last year, Panda Bear's Person Pitch. Not one clunker in the batch, Friends is truly one of the greatest pop records of all time!
While it would be worth it just for Friends, this two-for-one cd also contains 20/20, the Beach Boys' last album of the '60s. It's got a couple misses but wow are there some amazing musical moments to be found. You can definitely hear some bits and pieces that would end up as part of the soon-to-come masterpiece Smile, as well as some of the best songs Dennis Wilson wrote and sang for the band. It's also the album that features an uncredited (for obvious reasons) contribution from Charles Manson. He and Dennis Wilson had become friends before the Tate / LaBianca killings and as a gift he gave Dennis a song "Never Learn Not To Love" which was simply credited to Dennis after the Mason murders went down. The collection also includes 5 bonus tracks and really nice track by track commentaries in the liner notes.
The perfect music to make this an endless summer (as is, umm, well, probably the BB's Endless Summer too). If you don't have these Beach Boys albums we can't recommend these enough. Pop perfection!
MPEG Stream: "Friends"
MPEG Stream: "Diamond Head"
MPEG Stream: "I Went To Sleep"
MPEG Stream: "Never Learn Not To Love"

BEACH BOYS Pet Sounds (Capitol) cd 14.98

BEACH BOYS Smiley Smile / Wild Honey cd 16.98
Yes, the elusive (but not as elusive as Smile, the legendary unreleased/unfinished Brian Wilson masterpiece that this was released in the stead of) Smiley Smile album most notably contains the summertime anthem "Good Vibrations", but it's actually the second song entitled "Vegetables" that's worth the price of admission alone. An absurd ode to their absolute veggie love featuring some sonic embellishment -- read: chewing -- from none other than Paul McCartney. Add "She's Goin' Bald" to the equation and is there any question what mad pop scientists the Beach Boys were? I've never understood the fuss over "Smile" Now, throw in another whole album, namely "Wild Honey", plus six bonus tracks and woo-hooo... you need this!

BEACH BOYS The Pet Sounds Sessions (Capitol) 4cd box 57.00
The best record ever? The Beach Boys' best record? Can't stand "The Sloop John B."? This is the way to make up your mind. Any more versions of "Pet Sounds" and you'd die.

BEACH HOUSE Devotion (Carpark) cd 14.98
Beach House's debut from a couple years ago won a special place in our hearts, so ever since we've been very anxious for this follow-up. We can't think of anyone these days who is doing warm and fuzzy melancholic pop better than Beach House.
Devotion flows perfectly from start to finish. It's the kind of record you want to play on repeat all day as you lay in bed with the one you love or lament the one you lost. These songs capture that gray soft line between longing and remembrance with a somber elegance that recalls Francoise Hardy's La Question and taps into the more subdued moments of Quixotic and White Magic. While many folks have taken a stab at Daniel Johnston songs in recent years, Beach House's version of "Some Things Last (A Long Time)" captures its devastating yet bittersweet heart. With hints of reverb, intoxicating vocal melodies and astute subtlety, Beach House has made an album that wraps you in a warm soft glow, as you bask in a golden breeze, totally hitting the spot and making every day feels like Sunday. So nice!
MPEG Stream: "Turtle Island"
MPEG Stream: "Home Again"

BEACH HOUSE Devotion (Carpark) lp 16.98
Finally! This sonic beauty is available on vinyl!
Beach House's debut from a couple years ago won a special place in our hearts, so ever since we've been very anxious for this follow-up. We can't think of anyone these days who is doing warm and fuzzy melancholic pop better than Beach House.
Devotion flows perfectly from start to finish. It's the kind of record you want to play on repeat all day as you lay in bed with the one you love or lament the one you lost. These songs capture that gray soft line between longing and remembrance with a somber elegance that recalls Francoise Hardy's La Question and taps into the more subdued moments of Quixotic and White Magic. While many folks have taken a stab at Daniel Johnston songs in recent years, Beach House's version of "Some Things Last (A Long Time)" captures its devastating yet bittersweet heart. With hints of reverb, intoxicating vocal melodies and astute subtlety, Beach House has made an album that wraps you in a warm soft glow, as you bask in a golden breeze, totally hitting the spot and making every day feels like Sunday. So nice!
MPEG Stream: "Turtle Island"
MPEG Stream: "Home Again"

BEACH HOUSE s/t (Carpark) cd 14.98
Wow! We haven't been this smitten with a debut release in quite a while. Didn't know much about this Baltimore duo but we do know, the second this record we laid ears on this the first time, we were immediately seduced by the glorious sounds within. Hazy, daydreaming pop with equal parts magic, mystery and dreamy darkness, all drenched in beautiful melodies and sincere sensuality. Kind of made us think of Broadcast taking a warm bubble bath with Coco Rosie. Lights out, candles burning, bubbles floating, reverb dripping. There is a timelessness in these songs that is so evocative, Warhol's factory, a summer twilight in Southern California in the '70s, an abandoned art studio in the UK. You can never quite put your finger on exactly where these songs are drawn from but in the end it's music truly unique and wonderful. A mysterious voice, a haunting presence and songs carry you off, eyes closed, to somewhere much more enchanting then wherever you really are. So nice!
MPEG Stream: "Tokyo Witch"
MPEG Stream: "Childhood"

BEACH HOUSE s/t (HeartBreakBeat) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
NOW BACK IN PRINT ON VINYL! This blew out of here back in March when it first came out on wax, going out of print right away. Now, at last, they've done a second pressing. Here's what we said before:
Now available on vinyl for a limited time!
Wow! We haven't been this smitten with a debut release in quite a while. Didn't know much about this Baltimore duo but we do know, the second this record we laid ears on this the first time, we were immediately seduced by the glorious sounds within. Hazy, daydreaming pop with equal parts magic, mystery and dreamy darkness, all drenched in beautiful melodies and sincere sensuality. Kind of made us think of Broadcast taking a warm bubble bath with Coco Rosie. Lights out, candles burning, bubbles floating, reverb dripping. There is a timelessness in these songs that is so evocative, Warhol's factory, a summer twilight in Southern California in the '70s, an abandoned art studio in the UK. You can never quite put your finger on exactly where these songs are drawn from but in the end it's music truly unique and wonderful. A mysterious voice, a haunting presence and songs carry you off, eyes closed, to somewhere much more enchanting then wherever you really are. So nice!
MPEG Stream: "Tokyo Witch"
MPEG Stream: "Childhood"

BEACHWOOD SPARKS Make The Cowboy Robots Cry (Sub Pop) cd ep 8.98
Lovely! Beachwood Sparks' third release, a half hour, six song EP, is pretty damn good. The band's sound is maturing and becoming so much more their own, whereas their first album's twang reminded me of the '60s country rock scene a la Byrds / Gram Parsons... Now Beachwood Sparks are sounding more like themselves than anyone else. The sweet pop tone is tinged with a glimmer of psychedelia. The vocals are just as plaintive as ever. Vocalist Mia Doi Tod guests on one track. If buzzwords like Court & Spark, Radar Brothers, Olivia Tremor Control mean anything to you, you need to check this ep out. Very nice.
Beautiful cover art by Jim Woodring!
RealAudio clip: "Drinkswater"
RealAudio clip: "Ghost Dance 1492"

BEACHWOOD SPARKS Once We Were Trees (Sup Pop) cd 14.98
Boy do Beachwood Sparks want to be the Byrds. From the psychedelic cover art to the super acid-drenched photo collage foldout poster, they're wearing their peace pendants and worn-in denim like they're conjuring the ghost of Gram Parsons. And hey, they do it really well. Recorded by Thom Monahan (Scud Mountain Boys), the music is syrupy sweet in a good way, without being fake or too pretentious -- it's genuine and rings true. There're chiming guitars that sound remarkably like Roger McGuinn's Rickenbacher 12-string, banjo workouts, male harmonies and a cheerful twang throughout. In a weird twist, Dinosaur Jr's J Mascis guests on two tracks, lending a subtly modern twist to the retro sound. Very Nice.
RealAudio clip: "Confusion is Nothing New"
RealAudio clip: "By Your Side"
RealAudio clip: "The Sun Surrounds Me"

BEACHWOOD SPARKS Once We Were Trees (Sup Pop) 2lp 11.98
Boy do Beachwood Sparks want to be the Byrds. From the psychedelic cover art to the super acid-drenched photo collage foldout poster, they're wearing their peace pendants and worn-in denim like they're conjuring the ghost of Gram Parsons. And hey, they do it really well. Recorded by Thom Monahan (Scud Mountain Boys), the music is syrupy sweet in a good way, without being fake or too pretentious -- it's genuine and rings true. There're chiming guitars that sound remarkably like Roger McGuinn's Rickenbacher 12-string, banjo workouts, male harmonies and a cheerful twang throughout. In a weird twist, Dinosaur Jr's J Mascis guests on two tracks, lending a subtly modern twist to the retro sound. Very Nice.

BEACHWOOD SPARKS s/t (Sub Pop) cd 13.98
Beautiful! Two members of the lost great LA band Further here team up with a former Lilys guy to form Beachwood Sparks, the freshest breath of country/rock twang to reach these ears in many months. Supplementing the normal rock lineup with harmonica, organ, piano, and plenty ooh-sha-la-la backup croonings, the music combines the best of Gram Parsons, early Byrds, and the Elephant 6 bands such as the Olivia Temor Control and Apples in Stereo. Boy-girl harmonies, real honest to god songwriting chops, and excellent crystal clear production. Highly recommended!

BEAK Autoselfreplicationalism (Insignificant) cd 10.98
San Francisco band maybe comparable to Jesus Lizard -with saxophones- i.e. twisted rock in free jazz mode. Pretty good.

BEAKS PLINTH Kai Kohola Leo (Gigante Sound) cd-r 6.98
Jared Blum is back with a new alter ego - Beaks Plinth! In case you didn't guess from the title, it is a Hawaiian themed project. That said, don't be expecting warm sandy beaches, luscious fruity concoctions and gently swaying palm trees. Nope, instead imagine yourself in the depths of a not-so-dormant island volcano, molten lava creeping forth and sizzling in the heady ocean mist!
It's like a tropical fever dream in which the shadows of giant tiki figures loom and ominous giant birds of prey menace and peck at you from above. It's a bit murky and mysterious with sounds smeared into dank cavernous echoes. In fact, we might suggest that the dozen foreboding soundscapes on Kai Kohola Leo meld quite nicely in between aQ faves Nurse With Wound's Salt Marie Celeste and Coelacanth's Glass Sponge. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Voices Of The Lagoon"
MPEG Stream: "The Stringer Bells"
MPEG Stream: "Wind Speak "

BEAN, JANET AND THE CONCERTINA WIRE Dragging Wonder Lake (Thrill Jockey) cd 14.98
Janet Bean formed the indie rock Eleventh Dream Day in Chicago oh so many years ago, then followed that great band with Freakwater, her country duo with Catherine Irwin -- their harmonies converted legions of fans to alternative country. Now, Bean has released an album under her own name, and it's really good. Barely any twang remains, which worried me at first, but instead she's presented us with a sort of singer-songwriter rock record, middle of the road but in the best way, as if she was inspired by Carole King, Bread, Nanci Griffith, etc. With backup singers crooning all gospel-like in the background, her voice's natural vibrato really shines. There's sweet lap steel, warm strummed guitar, and some awesome, smart piano playing sort of oblique notes that contrast with the sweetness instead of backing it up -- a nice touch. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "The Purple Heart"
MPEG Stream: "My Little Brigadoon"

BEANFIELD Human Patterns (Compost) cd 17.98
The "next big thing?" Well, to us, this seems to be somewhat banal post-rock / electronica jazz fusion. Still, fans of recent discs by Kruder & Dorfmeister, Squarepusher and Tortoise may well enjoy "Human Patterns".

BEANIE SIGEL The B. Coming (Roc-A-Fella) cd 14.98

BEANS Crane Wars (Zum) cd 13.98
This is the third release from Vancouver, BC post rockers Beans (yeah, we still wish they had a different name, but what can you do?). The moody melodicism of "Crane Wars" continues the path set by last year's wonderful "Tired Snow" EP: melancholy and brittle, with so much to say, yet demonstrating so much restraint and hesitation rather than just blurting it all out. Obvious comparisons to the cinematic soundscapes of Godspeed You Black Emperor, Mogwai or Tarentel abound, and Beans also carry a post-rocky sound somewhat reminiscent of mid-period Gastr del Sol or A Minor Forest.
RealAudio clip: "Window Y Tower"
RealAudio clip: "Slow Recovery"