CHILD PORNOGRAPHY The Beatles (Deathbombarc) cd 13.98

CHILD READERS Boy On A Cliff (Jewelled Antler) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
An increasingly prolific body of work is emerging from a loose collective of San Francisco artists and musicians, a group that has spawned such neo-psychedelic improvisers as Thuja, Mirza, The Knit Separates, The Blithe Sons, and now The Child Readers. Self-described by the ever talented Loren Chasse (who is half of The Child Readers and released this cd-r through his Jewelled Antler imprint) as "Jandek meets Francisco Lopez," The Child Readers is somewhat of a metaphysical extention of the campfire sing-a-long. Alongside the spontaneous songwriting ability of Jason Honea (who sounds as if having equal parts Nick Drake, Martyn Bates, and yes, Jandek), Chasse filters into the mix empathic field recordings of fire crackle, birds, wind, and snapping twigs, as well as his lonely harmonium. The production techniques of The Child Readers are quite unusual, as they'll record something (possibly an action of scraping rocks or a floating vocal harmony from Honea) and then play it back through a cheap boombox and / or car stereo which would in turn get further augmentations. The resulting abstractions add a gritty richness which nicely complements Honea's often baroque voice. A strangely evocative record.
RealAudio clip: "Darkness Beneath The Trees"
RealAudio clip: "Reading For Winter"

CHILD READERS Dark Laughter (Jewelled Antler) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
In the ongoing stream of releases, the Jewelled Antler collective continues to offer new facets to their signature of hazy, psychedelic improvisations; but of all of their productions, none are as risktaking as The Child Readers. The collaboration between Loren Chasse and Jason Honea, The Child Readers juxtaposes the detail oriented field recordings that Chasse brings to his numerous projects with Honea's idiosyncratic songs that center on Honea's fluttering falsetto. For those 'purists' in the field recording community, Honea's voice, uttering stream of consciousness lyrics of wide-eyed wonder and innocence, may be an irritation within the time-based narratives that Chasse builds though his seemless collages of crows, airplanes, and campfire cracklings. Yet, there is a strange logic that exists in The Child Readers, which seeks to reconcile Chasse's field recordings and Honea's voice by blurring everything into expressions of natural sound. The Child Readers cares little for semantic distinctions, preferring to concentrate on listening to each other and what they bring to the collaborative process and wandering wherever inspiration takes them. "Dark Laughter" is sloppy, obtuse, and occasionally stumbles; but even in those falterings, The Child Readers could be one of the more rewarding projects you will find.
MPEG Stream: "Perfect Rainbow"

CHILD READERS Memory and Fantasy (Mallard Lake) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
"It's not magic, it's music". The Child Readers are the duo of Jewelled Antler mainstay Loren Chasse and vocalist Jason Honea of The Knit Separates. This, their third album (the two earlier ones were cd-rs on JA, now out of print) is something like an audio postcard from their own far-off fantasyland... They give free reign to their creativity, with tracks here ranging from textural noise/drone of near Merzbowian dimensions to the folky acoustic song-fragments seemingly recorded on a picnic in the woods...We hear child and adult voices mingling, alongside tape spooling and twinkling tinkling toy piano or chiming music box sounds...Honea's sensitive, melodic vocals might be accompanied equally by sparsely strummed guitar and the burble of a brook. Lyrically, he could be taking inspiration from children's stories -- that is, stories BY children. Such as the weirdness of "The Shark Airplane". Other tracks, like "Sexual Anguish (including The Psychic Castle)" can only be the work of grown up children. Full of interesting textures and real emotion, this is yet another excellent Jewelled Antler-related release, something like Honea's inner child being babysat by the Blithe Sons. Euro import, limited.
MPEG Stream: "Voyaging (The Reds, Pinks And Purples)"
MPEG Stream: "The Shark Airplane"

CHILD READERS Music Heard Far Off (Soft Abuse) cd 14.98
Yay, 'tis time for another delightful dose of Jewelled Antler goodness... these dusty gems aren't strewn about the twiggy forest floor as much as they used to be (back in the day of Jewelled Antler's prolific cd-r production), so it's with even greater pleasure that we regard this latest from Jewelled Antler potentate Loren Chasse (Of, Ov, Thuja, Blithe Sons, Franciscan Hobbies, The Knit Separates, etc.) and his compatriot, and Berlin-based expatriate, Jason Honea (The Shitty Listener, Teenage Panzerkorps, Chord Fort, The Knit Separates, Franciscan Hobbies).
The usual hazy Jewelled Antler soundworld of abstruse natural field-recordings, fragmented folky melodies, and the textural droning of acoustic instruments (and non-instruments) is utterly entered into here, with the gentle, lullaby-like vocals of Mr. Honea softly taking you by the hand to wander in wonderment through it all. The music glistens and shimmers and sighs like the soughing sound of wind in the trees, and Honea's voice does too... it's some sort of lo-fi, fairytale indie-rock, though not very rock - the angular outset of the track "A Loved Thing/Gull's Blood" being the most raucous, rock-like thing here, almost Swell Maps-ish, reminding us, as much of this does, of likeminded New Zealanders Pumice... mostly though, while replete with much buzzing noise and sudden shiftings, this certainly on the dreamier and driftier side of things! Imagine Martyn Bates magically transported into the musical context of a Charles Burchfield landscape painting, perhaps... yet with this duo's "weird dude energy" keeping things interesting and unexpected (for instance, "A Poem In One Song" features indistinct background groanings that we recognize as Loren being silly).
Jason's intimate, close-miced vocals provide distorted textures of their own to go with the rather abstract music-making, always melodic and soothing even if you never bother to puzzle out the imagery of his improvised, stream-of-conciousness lyrics, some of which probably have to do with his new experience of fatherhood!
There's a sweet sixteen audio tracks here, plus four MPG4 video clips as a bonus! A few guests drop in to join Chasse and Honea on some of the songs, including Rob Reger (Thuja), former AQer Christine Boepple (Ov, Skygreen Leopards, Whysp), and Mark Williams (Mirza, Father Beard). Meanwhile, the videos take you out in the field with the Child Readers, each one a perfect visual analog to the accompanying music (four non-album tracks), full of natural scenery and more of that "weird dude energy", Jewelled Antler style. For these alone this is probably a must-buy for any Jewelled Antler fan or follower - if it wasn't already - since this fourth Child Readers disc (after 2 cd-rs on JA and a cd on Mallard Lake, all seemingly years and years ago) is perhaps our new favorite. Sometimes it's hard for us to express how much we like these records, 'cause we're friends with these guys and we feel weird gushing to much, but this IS fantastic. So glad the Child Readers are still up to their (un)usual hijinks. Recommended!!
MPEG Stream: "Young Worlds-Try To Hear!"
MPEG Stream: "Son Of Man"
MPEG Stream: "Starlight Veering"

CHILD'S PLAY (JOE RENZETTI) OST (La-La Land Records) cd 8.98
Hearing this being played in the store, when they didn't know what it was, on several occasions aQ staffers have thought we were listening to some 20th century avant-classical piece, like by some obscure Eastern European atonal academic composer or something, what with its uber-spooky swells of ominous shimmering string drone and sudden attacks of clattering orchestral percussion. Even if you guess it's a soundtrack, it seems like it must be from some cult classic arty Italian suspense film from the '80s.
Well it is from the '80s, and it is from a cult classic, but it's not Italian. The dramatic crescendos and atmospheric interludes you'll hear on this are from tracks with titles like "Batteries Included" and "Chucky Kills The Doctor". Because of course this is the soundtrack to Child's Play (1988), the first film in the "Chucky" series of horror movies about a kid's toy, a doll that's been sorcerously possessed by the soul of a serial killer, turning it into an animated, not-that-cute-anymore, pint-sized knife wielding maniac. Whose subsequent reign of terror is accompanied by an appropriately sinister score - full of creepy rumbling, stabbing shards of sound, electronic-sounding treatments, and echoing rhythmic passages, and featuring a suitably eerie, melodic main theme. Who knew the Child's Play soundtrack was this good? And, even better, this limited edition & now discontinued La-La-Land release - which we have for a special sale price while they last - includes 3 bonus tracks, including one that wasn't used in the film itself but is practically worth the price of admission here, "The Chucky Song".
As with most horror flicks, there's an element of humor to Child's Play - how could there not be? But as we recall, this first Chucky film was actually pretty scary. And the soundtrack sure is. What humor you get on this disc comes at the very end, via the "The Chucky Song", featuring jaunty synths, drum machine beats, a children's chorus of playground Double Dutch style jump rope rhymes, and Chucky himself (voiced by '70s outlaw biker blues rock singer Simon Stokes!) singing and rapping about just how bad he is. The track is bizarre and silly and we can't help playing it over and over. Even though this novelty number is completely at odds with the stark, scary vibe of the actual soundtrack (which is why it probably was left out of the movie!) we love it. The rest of the disc, though, makes for good late night listening, but we'd recommend locking your doors... Any fan of John Carpenter, etc. style stuff ought to love this - in fact, we'd suggest that the Death Waltz label ought to look into getting their hands on this to do a deluxe vinyl version one of these days, it would be perfect for them!
MPEG Stream: "Maggie Gets It / Maggie Out The Window"
MPEG Stream: "El Ride"
MPEG Stream: "Good Night A.H. / Mamma Visits"
MPEG Stream: "The Chucky Song"

CHILD'S WIFE 1 (Bad Recording Company) cd-r 9.98
What do you get when you mix Bay Area grind sludge noise rock sonic deconstructionists Burmese with local howling heavies Kowloon Walled City? You might guess something heavy? Brutal? Punishing? Pummeling? You would think. But this strange hybrid does in fact exist, and is called Child's Wife, and probably better described as tripped out, psychedelic, druggy, electronic, and heck even poppy!
Even we were confounded, we were sort of expecting some downtuned crush, something harsh and hellish, but heck, these guys get enough of that in their day jobs. We always wonder why the hell folks feel compelled to start new bands that sound exactly like their old bands anyway. So in that sense, it should maybe come as no surprise that Child's Wife sound NOTHING like either Burmese OR Kowloon Walled City. Instead, it's a twisted drum machine driven, psych pop of sorts. Lysergic and druggy, looped and woozy, but definitely pop. Guitars crunch and buzz, even jangle here and there, but are not metallic, not in the least, the rhythms are electronic, and skitter and pulse, and the vocals, well, the vocals are the focal point, much of the time at least, a distorted, reverbed croon, surprisingly melodic, the songs in some ways reminiscent of the poppiest Butthole Surfers moments, with a little Residents mixed in, a little industrial crunch and clatter, plenty of new wave / cold wave vibes, all mixed with a little, wait for it... XTC, yep, you heard us, sounds fucked and bizarre and impossible, and maybe it is, but it's also pretty cool. Twisted and tweaked, but definitely cool.
Probably not what most Burmese / KWC fans are looking for, but any one in the market for some freaky, outsider, psychedelic, noise rock new wave weirdness, well, this is definitely FOR YOU.
MPEG Stream: "Cemetary Joke"
MPEG Stream: "Light"
MPEG Stream: "Kmria"

CHILD, ANTHONY The Space Between People And Things (NNA Tapes) lp 19.98
Certainly one of the best thing we've heard to date from the hip electronica label NNA Tapes, and it comes from Anthony Child, better known under his techno moniker Surgeon, as well as for his brutalist British Murder Boys collaboration with Karl O'Connor. Sadly, we've not carried much in the way of the Surgeon catalog, but his variation on techno structuralism is informed by an industrial tension that balances force, control, and rhythm without much melody to get in the way of his graceful yet claustrophobic trax, many of which are on par with the likes of Plastikman and Wolfgang Voigt's first album as Gas. On very rare occasions, Child records under his own name, under the auspices of eschewing the techno underpinnings in favor of tonal abstractions. That's what we've got here on The Space Between People And Things, which opens with a Spartan, if highly squelchy step sequence that rotates between white hot slabs of accelerated white noise. He follows this with an elegant oceanic piece that alternates between several shortwave radioteletype frequencies, which produce the skittering electronic patterns in the delivery of encoded data from radio-linked terminals. It's an outmoded means of communication for sure, but one that you still hear on shortwave today mostly from the US Coast Guard and some governmental organizations. It's still a very eerie sound, with plenty of paranoid X-files overtones, all of which Child happily mines on this album. The second side of the album could actually be something that he might have produced for Surgeon, but with the heavy beats entirely removed. Here's an arpeggiated ambient swath of analog electronics that have all of the deep-space cosmology you'd get from Tangerine Dream's Alpha Centauri or those Eno & Cluster records. There is a bit more of a cybernetic sheen to Child's production than the prog-synth smoothness of his predecessors; and he pushes this toward the end of side two with some sharply rendered swells of sinewave oscillations which follow a similar oceanic patterning from the shortwave work on side one. This would be one for fans of Daphne Oram, Nurse With Wound's Soliloquy For Lilith, and BJ Nilsen. Recommended for sure!
MPEG Stream: "Side A (extract)"
MPEG Stream: "Side B (extract)"

CHILDISH, BILLY 25 Years Of Being Childish (Damaged Goods) cd 21.00
Billy Childish has been playing garage, writing poetry and painting for going on 25 years now. This retrospective documents his prolific and ever awesome garage rocking career, featuring tracks by The Pop Rivits, The Milkshakes, Thee Mighty Caesars, Thee Headcoats and right up to now with the Buff Medways as well as solo tracks and a bit of poetry.
He is also the genius behind the all-girl bands the Delmonas and the Thee Headcoatees, who both make an appearance. The 2 discs are in chronological order, so the first disc is crazy lo-fi fucked up punk rock before it slowly progresses into a little cleaner, better recorded garage. One of my favorite things about Mr. Childish is his knack for picking great songs to cover., all those old mean rock 'n roll songs from the '50s that one may never have heard if it wasn't for Billy. I (Sadie) am a true fan. I love this guy in all his phases and this is a great retrospective.
RealAudio clip: DELMONAS "I Feel Like Giving In"
RealAudio clip: THE MILKSHAKES "Pretty Baby"
RealAudio clip: THEE HEADCOATS "All My Feelings Denied"

CHILDISH, BILLY Is Dead (Cherry Red) dvd 30.00
Everything you ever wanted to know about Billy Childish? Perhaps. With no filmmaking experience but a desire to document the life of the enigmatic, emphatically non-commercial artist, Graham Bendel was granted access to a few months of Childish's day to day life to gather footage for his film "Billy Childish Is Dead" subtitled "a fascinating insight into the world of Billy Childish -- painter, musician, poet and writer". And indeed, it is! Fans of Childish will surely find much that pushes their intrigue and interest buttons. He candidly chats about a plethora of topics including (but not at all limited to) his childhood and his artistic pursuits. On the music side of things, there's plenty of footage and discussion about all of his garage rock bands Thee Headcoats, Thee Mighty Caesars, Thee Milkshakes, and The Buff Medways as well as interviews with his musical chums Holly Golightly and Shane MacGowan. There's also a good deal presented on his incredible body of writings and paintings. Contrary to the title (which Childish came up with himself), this documentary reveals the gent to be very much alive and his work to be as vital as ever.

CHILDISH, BILLY My First Billy Childish Album (Damaged Goods) cd 14.98
Oh Billy, how your music bristles with wonderfully wry snarkiness in true blue vintage garage rock tradition! Not always pretty, not always kind, but always a down'n'dirty kick in the pants for those who're feeling a bit sluggish both mentally and physically. With raw, screamin' yowl vocals and guitars to match, this unholy terror is as punk as hell. He darn near breathes fire. If your ears have somehow missed being touched by Childish's torrent of garage rawk over the last quarter century, by all means, make this YOUR first Billy Childish album. This cd compiles songs from a whole bunch of his musical projects... and there have been many! The Buff Medways, The Pop Rivets, The Chatham Singers, The Buffets, The Delmonas, Thee Mighty Caesars, Thee Headcoats and their female counterpart Thee Headcoatees are all included here (hey, why no Milkshakes?!). Whew. Be sure to keep a cold flannel nearby to cool your fevered brow and feet.
MPEG Stream: "Fun In The U.K."
MPEG Stream: "Loathsome 'N' Wild"

CHILDISH, BILLY & HOLLY GOLIGHTLY In Blood (Wabana) cd 15.98
While we've always loved us some Billy Childish, there's something about when he and Holy Golightly collaborate that just takes it to the next level for us! And maybe it's because as much as we love Billy we love love love Holly Golightly! She's without a doubt one of the strongest, sexiest, and most confident singers of her generation. She possesses a timeless poignancy that we think will make her even more revered and appreciated as time goes on. Luckily her inclusion on The Broken Flowers soundtrack helped her reach a well deserved wider audience. When she joined The Headcoatees in 1991 she became a part of one of the best garage bands of that decade. She and Childish side by side are like a grittier version of Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra. This is a reissue of the pair's 1999 album and it still packs a serious punch. Primal blues soaked rockabilly with a garage pop sensibility. It don't get a whole lot better than this!
MPEG Stream: "You Got That Thing"
MPEG Stream: "Demolition Girl"

CHILDISH, WILD BILLY AND THE BLACK HANDS Play Capt. Calypso's Hoodoo Party (EM Records) cd 21.00
Billy Childish is a man of many hats -- writer, painter, rocker -- and his three decade spanning body of work while wearing each of those chapeaux has proven to be remarkably varied. Nothing would really surprise us, but Childish and EM Records have thrown us for a loop with this reissue of a rare album from 1988. Calico Jack alias Wild Billy hooked up with his backing band The Blackhands (aka Bill, Ludella, Kyra, Richard, Dave, and Seamus) to slip into, of all things, a calypso kind of mood! Fear not diehard fans, he's still got his trademark reckless snarl though as he rambles through loose and light hearted renditions of "Rum And Coca Cola", "I Love Paris" and "Anarchy In The U.K." Raw and gritty, and recorded with one microphone. Rad! EM does it again!
Oh, and EM fans, look out for this summer's "EM Under Water Series" of five surfing-related reissues from '60s/'70s Australia, all really cool stuff.
MPEG Stream: "I Love Paris"
MPEG Stream: "Anarchy In The U.K."

CHILDREN Death Tribe (Kemado) 12" 5.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**
Our review of their 12" prior to their full length Hard Times Hangin' At The End Of The World said: Children are a pretty cool new thrashy metal three piece from NYC, ex-members of Early Man we think, who just have this 12" out on Kemado. We saw 'em play when they opened for The Sword and Slough Feg a few months back. Good stuff, some crazy twin guitar action and raw energy. Note we said twin guitar, and they're a trio... which means, a la The Champs, no bassist! But they're pretty heavy nonetheless, and the shred never stops. Does that (and their long-haired but hipster/skaterish appearance, and label affiliation, membership pedigree, etc.) make 'em not "true" metal? Maybe, but they put on a damn good show and this 12" is worth a spin, headbangers!! Includes download card for free mp3s of these songs, too...

CHILDREN Hard Times Hangin' At The End Of The World (Kemado) cd 13.98
First encountered this NYC trio opening for The Sword and Slough Feg on tour out here last year. And it was an excellent match, if you like either of those bands, there's a good chance you'll dig Children too. Featuring ex-members of Early Man and S.T.R.E.E.T.S., these hipster longhairs have got some of that currently cool psychedelic indie ironic image stuff happening (they claim they play "peace metal" ferinstance, and probably wear more American Apparel than black leather)... but then when you press play, blam, the headbanging is ON. With abundant energy, galloping beats, raging riffs, rapidfire thrash technology, and a weensy bit of left field (for metal) artsiness! Plus, most crucially, plenty of Champsy guitar harmonies - and like the Fucking Champs, there's no bass, just two guitars and drums. Though, the band these kids remind us the most of is their labelmates SF's Saviours, with similarly badass blazing leads and gruff, not-so-melodic singing/screaming.
Yeah, there's some SWEET guitar action here, from the one mellow quasi-classical instrumental "H.T.H.A.T.E.O.T.W." to the extended dual guitar widdly-ness that makes the epic (nearly 10 minute) album-ender "Time Is The Living" so magnificent. Actually, these guys love to stretch out jamming on their axes all over this disc, with the likes of "Nuclear Bummer" over 7 minutes long, and opener "Advanced Mind Control" clocking in at 9:41. Inveterate air guitarists will wish they were even longer. Heck we'll take our ripping, indulgent metal where we can get it. If it's a so-called "hipster" metal band on Kemado, that's just fine if they shred like these guys do! We like their style.
MPEG Stream: "Subterranean Cities"
MPEG Stream: "Advanced Mind Control"
MPEG Stream: "Power Spirit"

CHILDREN Hard Times Hangin' At The End Of The World (Kemado) lp 14.98
NOW ON VINYL, all the better to appreciate the colorful cover art!
First encountered this NYC trio opening for The Sword and Slough Feg on tour out here last year. And it was an excellent match, if you like either of those bands, there's a good chance you'll dig Children too. Featuring ex-members of Early Man and S.T.R.E.E.T.S., these hipster longhairs have got some of that currently cool psychedelic indie ironic image stuff happening (they claim they play "peace metal" ferinstance, and probably wear more American Apparel than black leather)... but then when you press play, blam, the headbanging is ON. With abundant energy, galloping beats, raging riffs, rapidfire thrash technology, and a weensy bit of left field (for metal) artsiness! Plus, most crucially, plenty of Champsy guitar harmonies - and like the Fucking Champs, there's no bass, just two guitars and drums. Though, the band these kids remind us the most of is their labelmates SF's Saviours, with similarly badass blazing leads and gruff, not-so-melodic singing/screaming.
Yeah, there's some SWEET guitar action here, from the one mellow quasi-classical instrumental "H.T.H.A.T.E.O.T.W." to the extended dual guitar widdly-ness that makes the epic (nearly 10 minute) album-ender "Time Is The Living" so magnificent. Actually, these guys love to stretch out jamming on their axes all over this disc, with the likes of "Nuclear Bummer" over 7 minutes long, and opener "Advanced Mind Control" clocking in at 9:41. Inveterate air guitarists will wish they were even longer. Heck we'll take our ripping, indulgent metal where we can get it. If it's a so-called "hipster" metal band on Kemado, that's just fine if they shred like these guys do! We like their style.
MPEG Stream: "Subterranean Cities"
MPEG Stream: "Advanced Mind Control"
MPEG Stream: "Power Spirit"

CHILDREN OF BODOM Are You Dead Yet? (Spinefarm) cd 14.98

CHILDREN OF BODOM Are You Dead Yet? (Spinefarm ) cd 14.98

CHILDREN OF BODOM Bloodrunk (Spinefarm Records) cd 14.98
Children of Bodom are back yet again with more melodic thrash metal. For a second time, the band is joined by former Stone member and legendary Finnish guitarist Roope Latvala. The kids are continuing their move even further away from extreme metal, with an ever increasing keyboard presence, more prog, and catchy, straight-forward riffs. Still, there is that little bit of Death gleaming through. So, yeah, melodic-prog-thrash that remains heavily indebted to Chuck Schuldiner. Basically, if you're into exclusively kult black metal bands, or something else equally insular, then this isn't going to do it for you. But, you probably already know that. What we're saying is that this will fit nicely next to your copy of In Flames' Clayman or something of that nature, but probably not so well with your dubbed, internationally traded cassette of Von rehearsals - but if that exists and you have it, please let us know. However, if you, like many of us here at the store, grew up on metal and you can get into metal for the sake of metal, then turn it up.
MPEG Stream: "One Day You Will Cry"
MPEG Stream: "Done With Everything, Die for Nothing"

CHILDREN OF BODOM Follow The Reaper (Nuclear Blast) cd 13.98
The third brilliant album from Finland's finest purveyors of keyboard-intensive, fist-in-the-air METAL. Mixing melodic death metal (in the vein of Gothenburg greats like In Flames and At The Gates) with light-speed neo-classical keyboard runs and accompanying Yngwie-style guitar heroics, Children of Bodom (rhymes with "modem", apparently -- don't say "bottom") have crafted a sound all their own. Raspy black-metal style vox, rock n roll attitude, brutal riffing and -- most importantly -- fleet-fingered instrumental interplay are the hallmarks of this band. Imagine a cross between Destruction and Return To Forever... This is a band those who find most of the current wave of European power metal too "lite" (with the usual wimpy vocals and choruses) but kinda like it for that genre's usual head-spinning virtuosity, speed, and headbanging metal purity. Conversely, Children of Bodom is also a band for those who find Norwegian black metal too dark and monotonous and want something with a bit more melodic "sparkle", where the keyboardist is utilized for more than just "atmosphere" (Children of Bodom's keyboardist even released his own mostly-instrumental solo album last year). In other words, they are the current metal masters at splitting the difference between "brutal" and "noodle". Their short career now already spans three albums, and, as this disc and those of us who saw 'em at this years' Milwaukee Metalfest (that'd be Allan and Andee) will attest, they're still kicking ass. Bonus track: an nonessential-but-fun WASP cover.
RealAudio clip: "Bodom After Midnight"
RealAudio clip: "Hate Me!"

CHILDREN OF BODOM Hate Crew Deathroll ( Spinefarm) cd 15.98
Fast and furious as always, these Finnish metallers are the kings of over-the-top guitar and keyboards duels. They'd almost be "power metal" if it wasn't for the extreme black and death elements (the vocals, the attitude). This new record looks to be their biggest yet, with a commercial edge but not nu-metal. Think Judas Priest's "Painkiller" meets Pantera, but with a Swedish melodic death metal component (In Flames, Soilwork...), hopped up on Red Bull and Rock Star energy drink cocktails. Yep, "Hate Crew Deathroll" is a massive, heavy attack, crammed full of melodic leads, snarling vox, catchy choruses, unexpectedly doomy parts, Zakk Wylde style pick squeals, pop synth bits, brutal drumming, electronic frills, and Rammstein stomp. Shred guitar shrapnel explodes in all directions, in much the same way that these songs are all over the place, and in your face. Absurd, undeniable metal madness! It's all a bit relentless, but if you're metal enough you'll take it.
NB. bears a copy protection notice.
MPEG Stream: "Sixpounder"
MPEG Stream: "Chokehold (Cocked'n'Loaded)"

CHILDREN OF BODOM Hatebreeder (Nuclear Blast) cd 15.98

CHILDREN OF BODOM Something Wild (Nuclear Blast) cd 14.98

CHILDREN OF DOOM Doom, Be Doomed, Or Fuck Off (Emanes Metal Records) cd 14.98
These filthy French freaks are back!! A while ago we listed their self-released 4 song demo cdep, and it kinda became a minor sensation among AQ customers into, well, doom, but doom of the most psychedelically fucked, primitive rock 'n' roll variety. In that review, we mentioned "magical dirtbag psychedelic metal anarchy... wasted heaviness, psychomaniacal alcoholic sludge". And yeah, that, um, description would apply to this their debut full-length as well!! So queue up and get ready to guzzle CoD's high octane, wah wah crazed, Vitus-worshipping, greasy hippie biker brew.
Doom, Be Doomed, Or Fuck Off consists of six new songs, filling 42 minutes with this trio's unique, over the top onslaught of hypnotically crude riffage, distortion, widdly guitar, and wailing vox (not quite so strange as on the demo, but still...not normal). And these songs are fairly hooky, too. Drugged out and doomy, but rockin'. Also, they show some signs of musical progress since the demo (not that we were hoping for any!!), getting just a bit more sophisticated sounding in their playing and compositions. Maybe. One sign of this: according to the credits, somewhere, supposedly, there's even some saxophone on this disc!! Ah, must be in the final track, the album's longest, a 12 minute excursion into tripsville, called "...Mia's Desert...", Children Of Doom sounding more like Children Of Krautrock here, all cosmically synthed and sinister, though there is guitar fury unleashed around the halfway point... oh, and then, there it is, some melancholy saxophone over krauty drum beats, how 'bout that? An interesting and unexpected ending to this eccentric album, nice.
Also nice is the cover and other artwork here. We said before that CoD reminded us a bit of Julian Cope's Brain Donor band, and definitely JC would approve of the artwork on the lyric sheet/poster in the cd, a drawing with all sorts of psychedelic biker shit growing up out of an upsidedown helmet, one of those German WWII bucket style ones that outlaw bikers like to wear (if they're gonna wear helmets at all). And you'll be happy there's a lyric sheet, they're quite amusing, once again, a lot of talk about who they are ("we are evil, old school, and brutal") and plenty of swearing in the process. You gotta suspect it's all a bit tongue in cheek, but we're not gonna say that to their faces, you never know...
Oh, and the one song here sung in French, "1916", is not in fact a Motorhead cover, despite the title - though these guys are in their own way, a Motorhead for psychedelic doom lovers. And like Motorhead, they love their umlauts too (our website, having apparently been programmed by posers, won't support umlauts easily, so we left 'em off, but there's supposed to be one over the "o" in "or", of all words, in the album's title...).
MPEG Stream: "Mr. Nasty"
MPEG Stream: "Technophobia"
MPEG Stream: "Bottle Ben In The Streets"

CHILDREN OF DOOM Ride Over The Green Valley (self-released) cd 11.98
FINALLY back in stock!
As soon as we spied the cover art of this self-released cd from this obscure French doom (natch) trio, we knew it was gonna either be really awesome... or really terrible. We were hoping for awesome, though, some kind of magical dirtbag psychedelic metal anarchy that could live up the crude cartoonish line drawing of a skeleton biker riding through an apocalyptic landscape, with the band's tattooed skull logo floating in the air above him... As you can guess 'cause we then ordered a bunch and are highlighting it on our list, we think it was pretty rad indeed! Though, surely not for everyone. You gotta appreciate wasted heaviness, psychomaniacal alcoholic sludge... Named after Saint Vitus' most obscure, underrated release, it should be no surprise that C.O.D. sound a heck of a lot like Saint Vitus. But even more primitive and unpolished! They're a band that's being damn redundant when they title one of the four tracks here, "We Are Bestial And Raw". Other titles indicative of their mindset: "Hell's On Wheels", "Hangover" (a track which starts with a cheap clock radio alarm going off, a clever contrast to the tolling church bells most doom bands would use), and "Rusty World" (when he sings it, it sounds like "Fucking World", though - in fact every other word sung on this disc sounds like fuck or fucking, even when it's not). Speaking of the singing, the vocals are definitely strange, like there's something wrong with the guy (nothing to do with being French). But we like 'em. Everything here goes towards creating a messed up but hypnotic effect, the psychedelic distortion, the crude riffs, the crashing cymbals, the weird vocals, the demo production quality, the extended song lengths (it's 4 songs, as we said, but 32 minutes). In addition to those into Saint Vitus style doom (like Blood Farmers too) this might well appeal to fans of such acts as Brainbombs, The Heads, and Julian Cope's Brain Donor...
The only thing cooler than this, would be to have it on cassette... which it once was, but they only made 250 of those, and probably not many more of these!
MPEG Stream: "Rusty World"
MPEG Stream: "We Are Bestial And Raw"

CHILDREN OF THE SIXTH ROOT Songs From The Source (Drag City) cd 14.98
We were pretty excited when we heard that Drag City was releasing a recently unearthed, 35 year old recording by members of Father Yod's Source Family commune, who are experiencing a revival of sorts nowadays what with the publication of Isis Aquarian's the book The Source and the reunion of their communal band Ya Ho Wha 13 for live performances (we also have an LP that just came out, The Feather Of Wisdom, which documents the show they played at Cafe Du Nord here in San Francisco after they, Isis, and a bunch of other Source Family members did a book signing here at Aquarius the afternoon of 11/18/07). Having heard the Children Of The Sixth Root Race now, though, we're not -quite- so excited, as we'll explain...
The songs on this disc were recorded by The Source's musical unit Spirit of '76 (who later would morph into the Ya Ho Wha 13) during rehearsals for a 1973 gig at LA's Whisky A Go Go. The sound is excellent, with a few minor distortions, it sounds like a "real" studio album not merely practice tapes.
Those familiar with the contents of the 13-cd God And Hair box set know that records by Father Yod's flock could vary from the utterly cosmic to the unintentionally comic. That the music of a New Agey commune from LA in the '70s would be sometimes sorta cheesy is perhaps no surprise, but at their higher key best, the Ya Ho Wha 13's throbbing, out-there psychedelic garage improvs on albums like Penetration: An Aquarian Symphony and I'm Gonna Take You Home made 'em the closest American equivalent to the krautrock likes of Amon Duul and German Oak. So that's what we were hoping for on this record, of course... but instead, these are mostly zippy, uplifting psych-pop-prog productions with choruses of female vocals and funky guitar licks, that sound like they could be showtunes intended for a churchy, hippie musical theatre production along the lines of Hair or Godspell. The mellower numbers are also dated-sounding preachy pop ballads. It's all quite catchy, but also kinda corny. There IS entertainment value to be had, if you're into hippy kitsch. And Ya Ho Wha obsessives will want to check it out for sure. But the bottom line is, it's on the amusing, rather than amazing, side of Ya Ho Wha audio documentation. It surely ain't no Penetration. The closest they come to that sort of thing is on the apocalyptic track "Catastrophy" which makes predictions of nuclear war - to occur in "1975, maybe 1976" - and other disasters based on information from an ancient Egyptian pyramid. This prophecy is discussed over a bed of "Ya Ho Wha, Ya Ho Wha" chanting (prevalent all across this album) and chaotic sound FX. Oddly enough, this dire news segues directly into an energetically positive track called "Go With The Flow", laced with flute and acid rock guitar, that promises salvation from the Earth's upcoming catastrophies via the blessings of Yahowa. Actually, we do find ourselves getting into the groove of these somewhat more freaked out tracks towards the end of the disc...
In the liner notes, Djin Aquarian (who wrote most of this music, and still lives a very spiritual, Source Family/Rainbow Gathering lifestyle up by Mt. Shasta) mentions that after the Whisky gig, Father Yod disbanded the Spirit of '76 in favor of the "totally spontaneous, unrehearsed, channelling band" Ya Ho Wha 13, featuring Yod himself on vocals, gong, and kettle drum... a wise move by the wise man, we think. Djin also says that the same tape that was found with this material on it also, on the other side, featured "a great recording of a spontaneous jam with the Spirit of '76 backing up Father Yod"... c'mon Djin and Drag City, we want to hear that!
MPEG Stream: "Godmen"
MPEG Stream: "A Lady"
MPEG Stream: "Catastrophy"

CHILDREN OF THE SIXTH ROOT Songs From The Source (Drag City) lp 15.98
We were pretty excited when we heard that Drag City was releasing a recently unearthed, 35 year old recording by members of Father Yod's Source Family commune, who are experiencing a revival of sorts nowadays what with the publication of Isis Aquarian's the book The Source and the reunion of their communal band Ya Ho Wha 13 for live performances (we also have an LP that just came out, The Feather Of Wisdom, which documents the show they played at Cafe Du Nord here in San Francisco after they, Isis, and a bunch of other Source Family members did a book signing here at Aquarius the afternoon of 11/18/07). Having heard the Children Of The Sixth Root Race now, though, we're not -quite- so excited, as we'll explain...
The songs on this disc were recorded by The Source's musical unit Spirit of '76 (who later would morph into the Ya Ho Wha 13) during rehearsals for a 1973 gig at LA's Whisky A Go Go. The sound is excellent, with a few minor distortions, it sounds like a "real" studio album not merely practice tapes.
Those familiar with the contents of the 13-cd God And Hair box set know that records by Father Yod's flock could vary from the utterly cosmic to the unintentionally comic. That the music of a New Agey commune from LA in the '70s would be sometimes sorta cheesy is perhaps no surprise, but at their higher key best, the Ya Ho Wha 13's throbbing, out-there psychedelic garage improvs on albums like Penetration: An Aquarian Symphony and I'm Gonna Take You Home made 'em the closest American equivalent to the krautrock likes of Amon Duul and German Oak. So that's what we were hoping for on this record, of course... but instead, these are mostly zippy, uplifting psych-pop-prog productions with choruses of female vocals and funky guitar licks, that sound like they could be showtunes intended for a churchy, hippie musical theatre production along the lines of Hair or Godspell. The mellower numbers are also dated-sounding preachy pop ballads. It's all quite catchy, but also kinda corny. There IS entertainment value to be had, if you're into hippy kitsch. And Ya Ho Wha obsessives will want to check it out for sure. But the bottom line is, it's on the amusing, rather than amazing, side of Ya Ho Wha audio documentation. It surely ain't no Penetration. The closest they come to that sort of thing is on the apocalyptic track "Catastrophy" which makes predictions of nuclear war - to occur in "1975, maybe 1976" - and other disasters based on information from an ancient Egyptian pyramid. This prophecy is discussed over a bed of "Ya Ho Wha, Ya Ho Wha" chanting (prevalent all across this album) and chaotic sound FX. Oddly enough, this dire news segues directly into an energetically positive track called "Go With The Flow", laced with flute and acid rock guitar, that promises salvation from the Earth's upcoming catastrophies via the blessings of Yahowa. Actually, we do find ourselves getting into the groove of these somewhat more freaked out tracks towards the end of the disc...
In the liner notes, Djin Aquarian (who wrote most of this music, and still lives a very spiritual, Source Family/Rainbow Gathering lifestyle up by Mt. Shasta) mentions that after the Whisky gig, Father Yod disbanded the Spirit of '76 in favor of the "totally spontaneous, unrehearsed, channelling band" Ya Ho Wha 13, featuring Yod himself on vocals, gong, and kettle drum... a wise move by the wise man, we think. Djin also says that the same tape that was found with this material on it also, on the other side, featured "a great recording of a spontaneous jam with the Spirit of '76 backing up Father Yod"... c'mon Djin and Drag City, we want to hear that!
MPEG Stream: "Godmen"
MPEG Stream: "A Lady"
MPEG Stream: "Catastrophy"

CHILLED BY NATURE Musical Box (Big Chill) cd single 10.98

CHILTON, ALEX 1970 (Ardent) cd 15.98
Post-BoxTops, pre-Big Star finally on disc.

CHIN CHIN Sound Of The Westway (Mississippi / Slumberland) lp 14.98
MISSISSIPPI ALERT! MISSISSIPPI ALERT! MISSISSIPPI ALERT!
After the awesome Chin Chin 7" we reviewed a while back, we were psyched to discover that Mississippi was teaming up with Slumberland to bring us this, Swiss all girl post punk outfit Chin Chin's 1985 full length, Sound Of The Westway.
When we reviewed the single, we mentioned that this Swiss combo would appeal to folks into recent girl groups like The Girls At Dawn, Black Tambourines, Vivian Girls, Dum Dum Girls or their early eighties predecessors, Girls At Our Best, Shop Assistants, Bow Wow Wow or Lilliput (who came from the same Swiss scene as Chin Chin). And that definitely still holds true, even more so in fact, the full length finds the band way more polished and poppy, reminding us more of groups like Fuzzbox and the Belle Stars, not as urgently punk, more sort of pogo-y and poppy, the guitars thick and fuzzy, and of course jangly, lots of sweet harmonies, if one didn't know better, one might be forgiven for assuming this was in fact a new Slumberland signing, who like many of today's bands, are simply channeling the spirits of girl groups past. And listening to this now, boy would this sound pretty perfect right next to that Pains Of Being Pure At Heart record... which of course means RECOMMENDED!
Nice full color sleeve, with a 12" x 12" insert, and lengthy liner notes on the history of the band. And as with all Mississippi stuff, probably pretty limited...

CHIN CHIN We Don't Wanna Be Prisoners (Mississippi) 7" 6.50
MISSISSIPPI ALERT!
Another post-punk gem has been unearthed thanks to the dedicated heads of Mississippi Records. This all-girl punk-pop trio from the early eighties Swiss Punk scene has been timely rediscovered as we're in the midst of a current girl-group revival. Fans of recent groups like The Girls At Dawn, Black Tambourines, Vivian Girls, Dum-Dum Girls or their early eighties predecessors, Girls At Our Best, Shop Assistants, Bow Wow Wow or Lilliput (who came from the same Swiss scene as Chin Chin) will definitely want to check this out. Three self-penned songs from 1984 released on the band's own Farmer Records label, "We Don't Wanna Be Prisoners", "Desires Only", and "World's Burning".
Urgent punk lyrics with catchy pop hooks and harmonies, look out for their upcoming full length release to be reissued in a label collaboration between Mississippi and Slumberland records!!!!
So good!!!!!!! As always with Mississippi's 7"s, this will be gone before you know it, so you know the drill!!!

CHIN UP CHIN UP This Harness Can't Ride Anything (Suicide Squeeze) cd 14.98
The immediately likeable Chin Up Chin Up follow the tried and true indie rock template set by bands like Pinback, Modest Mouse, Built To Spill with the punchy upstart attitude of bands like Hot Hot Heat and Maximo Park. Extra boyish and extra catchy on this their third full length, these Chicago based fellas have got it down! And wouldn't you know it, this was recorded by Brian Deck who's also worked his studio magic on Modest Mouse and Iron & Wine so you know he's well-versed in traversing this terrain.
MPEG Stream: "Islands Sink"
MPEG Stream: "Blankets Like Beavers"

CHINATOWN BAKERIES Rise Wide Open (self-released) cd-r 4.98
There are no chashu bao nor any egg tarts coming from these Chinatown Bakeries (at leats not that we know of!). Instead, it's the non-edible, gentle sounds of this new SF neo-folk band -- two brothers Jon and James Sterling Pitt along with Keryn Sovella and Ryan Stively. They follow the enchanted forest path frequented by the likes of Devendra Banhart, Vetiver and Iron And The Albatross. This quartet's lo-fi homespun music nestles itself in comfortably among those artists -- a bit less high-strung than the former and a bit more barebones than the latter. Earnest, unrestrained male vocals atop banjo and guitar plickety-pluck, some flute, keyboards and harmonica too. A very promising debut. (Note: if you dig this, we also have Stively's fine solo cd-r here too).
MPEG Stream: "Hawks Overlook"
MPEG Stream: "Some Women Sometimes"

CHINATOWN BAKERIES Sleeps (self-released) 3" cd-r 3.98
The Bay Area's Brothers Pitt and company quickly follow-up their Chinatown Bakeries debut cd-r Rise Wide Open with this lil' guy. This disc might only be 3" in size, but it's filled to the gills with twenty one minutes of music. Simply put, Sleeps is more homespun, folksy goodness. Perhaps a bit more trippy -- in a Jandek or Wooden Wand And The Vanishing Voice sort of way -- than their last offering. Nonetheless, fine stuff once again!

CHINE NUAL Tomorrows Leaders Are Busy Tonight (Plate Lunch) cd 12.98
While this is technically not new, we still figured we ought to list it since it somehow managed to fall through the cracks when it initially came out. Released in 2000 on Germany's Plate Lunch label, Chine Nual is beloved AQ customer Rick Kitch, composing, manipulating and recontextualising source material (courtesy of Randy Grief, Jeph Jerman and Steve Brand) into hypnotic, lazy-hazy drones, quietly propulsive krautrockish electronica, and burbly atmospherics. Gorgeous and dreamy soundscapes occasionally dotted with minute clicking rhythms, rumbling, serene drones with washes of gentle hum. Really excellent. My new favorite late night record. Fans of Gas, good Eno and the like will love this.
RealAudio clip: "Machine Manual"
RealAudio clip: "Charityware"
RealAudio clip: "More Free Than Welcome"

CHINESE RESTAURANTS, THE River Of Shit (S.S.) 7" 6.98
Another band of NY lo-fi new wave noiseniks, the Chinese Restaurants dip one toe into gothy, gloomy, retro wave, and another into something distinctly more angular and punk rock, with muted muddied riffing, pounding minimal drums, and whiney, dramatic vocals, reminding us of groups like the Electric Eels, until all of a sudden, out of nowhere, Barack Obama begins to speak, a sample of a speech maybe, but it's SO random, the band keep chugging along, it almost sounds like you're listening to two different radio stations at once, the best part is the fact that as he speaks, his remarks are peppered with strange moans and groans from the singer, which makes the whole thing seem weirdly warped and whatthefuck.
The flipside is sample-free, and is gorgeously gothic and dirgey, the guitars syrupy and swaddled in crumbling distortion, the main melody, warped and minor key, the whole thing laced with strange swooshes and unexpected bursts of noise and static and glitchy effects, the vocals still frantic and dramatic, the second track ups the energy, pounding a bit harder, getting more punk rock, but still staying plenty snotty and new wave and lo-fi. These guys definitely dwell on the fringe of the current retro cold / new wave resurgence, but fans of releases on Sacred Bones and Captured tracks will probably dig these guys as well...

CHINESE STARS, THE A Rare Sensation (Three One G) cd 14.98
Following the pretty cool star-shaped cdep these guys released last year on Skin Graft, here's the debut full-length (for them, clocking in at a hectic half hour) from this Providence, RI outfit featuring ex-members of Arab On Radar and Six Finger Satellite. Spastic dance punk skronk stuff that ought to appeal to fans of Erase Errata.
MPEG Stream: "Cheap City Halo"
MPEG Stream: "Electrodes In Captivity"

CHINESE STARS, THE Listen To Your Left Brain (Three One G) cd 14.98
2nd full-length from this Providence outfit, featuring ex-Arabs on Radar and Six Finger Satellites, kickin' out the slightly spazzed dancerock. Cool kids layin' down the synth-laced late night beat, singing about "Drugs And Sunshine" (an anthemic lead-off track, that one), getting high and being in love/lust. If we squint while listening, the vocals somehow remind us of the Afghan Whigs' Greg Dulli, fronting Erase Errata, but not quite.
MPEG Stream: "Drugs And Sunshine"
MPEG Stream: "Cold Cold Cold"

CHINESE STARS, THE Listen To Your Left Brain (Skin Graft) lp 14.98
2nd full-length from this Providence outfit, featuring ex-Arabs on Radar and Six Finger Satellites, kickin' out the slightly spazzed dancerock. Cool kids layin' down the synth-laced late night beat, singing about "Drugs And Sunshine" (an anthemic lead-off track, that one), getting high and being in love/lust. If we squint while listening, the vocals somehow remind us of the Afghan Whigs' Greg Dulli, fronting Erase Errata, but not quite.
MPEG Stream: "Drugs And Sunshine"
MPEG Stream: "Cold Cold Cold"

CHINESE STARS, THE Turbo Mattress (Skin Graft) cd ep 14.98
#1 cool thing about this band: This debut cd ep of theirs is shaped kinda like a Chinese throwing star! The music is equally jagged and dangerous, totally angular and (intentionally) aggravating, art punk spazz in that currently happenin' Erase Errata neo-retro '80s new wave/no wave 'danceable' punk style. Whiny vocals, nervous energy, fucked up groove. More cool things: they have cowbell. They're made up of ex-members of Arab On Radar and Six Finger Satellite. And Load Records deemed them too annoying to sign, so they went with Skin Graft where they definitely belong. Seriously, this IS pretty cool. 5 songs, 14 minutes, great packaging.
MPEG Stream: "Arson Hotline"

CHIODOS Bone Palace Ballet (Equal Vision) cd 14.98

CHIODOS All's Well That Ends Well (Equal Vision) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Every time I sit down to review this record, I just can't seem to put into words what makes it so great. But as this is the last list of 2005, and this record is absolutely my favorite record of 2005, it seems like it can't be put off any longer. But it's true, I listen to this record every day, all the time. And even after months of non-stop listening I still can't get enough of it.
I'm a bit embarassed to say I first heard about Chiodos in some magazine touting them as a 'band to watch' or 'next big thing' or something. And rarely do I pay much attention to those sorts of things, but a few things definitely caught my eye. They were described as being really heavy, really ridiculously prog, a little emo, and with a vocalist who sounded quite a bit like a woman. And you know what, that's not really that far off the mark. Imagine the over the top prog of Coheed And Cambria and the proggy bombast of the Mars Volta, the angular art rock of a band like the Blood Brothers, some super intense Slayer style metal guitar, lots of piano and keyboards, ranging from delicate ballady bits to full on Cradle Of Filth style bombast, extremely emo lyrics, and a completely amazing vocalist who can go from a throat shredding howl to an impossibly high wail. Wrap all that stuff around super complex multi part epics chock full of killer riffs and unbelievable hooks, amazing drumming bizarre arrangements, and vocals that are just so completely are gloriously over the top. Some parts of this record are just SO massively punishingly crushing. Full on headbanging brutality. The opening riff to "The Words 'Best Friend' Become Redefined" would make any thrash metal band proud. Just check the sound sample.
This is also one of those records that has lots of THOSE parts, you know the kind, the parts that give you chills EVERY time you hear them, or make you use every ounce of self control to not wildly air guitar or drum madly on the steering wheel while you're driving. One of which just might be THE part, maybe the ULTIMATE part. Freaks me out every time I hear it. Makes me want to hear it over and over and over. Makes me wish I had written it, makes me wish I was in a band just so I could play it. Check out the sound sample for "Baby, You Wouldn't Last A Minute On The Creek" and see if you can tell which part I mean. Shouldn't be too difficult. The fact is, this whole record kicks my ass that hard. Rare that a record can pull off being this heavy, this complex, this emo, this over the top all at the same time. Without devolving into something impossible and confusing. And it is wildy all over the map, sonically schizophrenic, but somehow every part just sounds completely perfect. The more I listen to it the more perfect it sounds. Anyway, not sure what else to say. It all comes down to the music, so a quick listen to the sound samples should tell you all you need to know, is this indeed the best record of the year, or is Andee full of shit? Well, just so you know, this IS the record of the year, and if for some crazy reason you don't agree, you're probably just mistaken. Or wrong.
MPEG Stream: "All Nereids Beware"
MPEG Stream: "Baby, You Wouldn't Last A Minute On The Creek"
MPEG Stream: "The Words 'Best Friends' Become Redefined"
MPEG Stream: "Expired in Goreville"

CHIODOS All's Well That Ends Well (Equal Vision) cd + dvd 14.98
We'll take any excuse we can get to relist this, Andee's FAVORITE record of 2005. Some might shout "guilty pleasure" but there is no guilt involved. Not one single bit. Heavy and catchy and weird and so gloriously chaotic and freaked out. This reissue features three bonus tracks, two acoustic and one demo as well as a bonus disc with 5 live performances, some home movies and a music video. Even more reason to buy this if you didn't before:
Every time I sit down to review this record, I just can't seem to put into words what makes it so great. But as this is the last list of 2005, and this record is absolutely my favorite record of 2005, it seems like it can't be put off any longer. But it's true, I listen to this record every day, all the time. And even after months of non-stop listening I still can't get enough of it.
I'm a bit embarrassed to say I first heard about Chiodos in some magazine touting them as a 'band to watch' or 'next big thing' or something. And rarely do I pay much attention to those sorts of things, but a few things definitely caught my eye. They were described as being really heavy, really ridiculously prog, a little emo, and with a vocalist who sounded quite a bit like a woman. And you know what, that's not really that far off the mark. Imagine the over the top prog of Coheed And Cambria and the proggy bombast of the Mars Volta, the angular art rock of a band like the Blood Brothers, some super intense Slayer style metal guitar, lots of piano and keyboards, ranging from delicate ballady bits to full on Cradle Of Filth style bombast, extremely emo lyrics, and a completely amazing vocalist who can go from a throat shredding howl to an impossibly high wail. Wrap all that stuff around super complex multi part epics chock full of killer riffs and unbelievable hooks, amazing drumming bizarre arrangements, and vocals that are just so completely are gloriously over the top. Some parts of this record are just SO massively punishingly crushing. Full on headbanging brutality. The opening riff to "The Words 'Best Friend' Become Redefined" would make any thrash metal band proud. Just check the sound sample.
This is also one of those records that has lots of THOSE parts, you know the kind, the parts that give you chills EVERY time you hear them, or make you use every ounce of self control to not wildly air guitar or drum madly on the steering wheel while you're driving. One of which just might be THE part, maybe the ULTIMATE part. Freaks me out every time I hear it. Makes me want to hear it over and over and over. Makes me wish I had written it, makes me wish I was in a band just so I could play it. Check out the sound sample for "Baby, You Wouldn't Last A Minute On The Creek" and see if you can tell which part I mean. Shouldn't be too difficult. The fact is, this whole record kicks my ass that hard. Rare that a record can pull off being this heavy, this complex, this emo, this over the top all at the same time. Without devolving into something impossible and confusing. And it is wildly all over the map, sonically schizophrenic, but somehow every part just sounds completely perfect. The more I listen to it the more perfect it sounds. Anyway, not sure what else to say. It all comes down to the music, so a quick listen to the sound samples should tell you all you need to know, is this indeed the best record of the year, or is Andee full of shit? Well, just so you know, this IS the record of the year, and if for some crazy reason you don't agree, you're probably just mistaken. Or wrong.
MPEG Stream: "All Nereids Beware"
MPEG Stream: "Baby, You Wouldn't Last A Minute On The Creek"
MPEG Stream: "The Words 'Best Friends' Become Redefined"
MPEG Stream: "Expired in Goreville"

CHION, MICHEL Requiem (Sub Rosa) lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

CHIPFARM s/t (God Mountain) cd 19.98
Back in stock, another God Mountain release that many feared was out of print. Chipfarm was a weird East-West collaboration that combined the talents of downtown NYC musicians Zeena Parkins (electric harp) and Elliot Sharp (electric guitar) with Japanese avant-rock acts Optical*8 and Melt-Banana! They appear in various combinations throughout the disc, never all at once though. We know there's got to be a few Melt-Banana fans out there still looking for this, for the tracks in which M-B participate.

CHIPS & BEER Issue #1 magazine 5.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
While we're still wringing a lot of reading enjoyment out of the 120 pages of the most recent issue of this cult metal 'zine, #3, reviewed here last list, we also have been excitedly perusing the two back issues we got in as well, #1 and #2, collect 'em all! As we said in our review of the latest, this is a great 'zine - the kind of 'zine that makes us wanna do 'zines again, actually. Edited by the inimitable Stewart Voegtlin, whose drunken hesher gone grad school writing style is the standard for all the magazine's enthusiastic & clever contributors, Chips & Beer's non-ironic love of underground metal past and present, the real good stuff, is abundantly evident throughout these first two issues.
#1, at 96 pages, features the likes of Manilla Road (an interview AND primer), Pentagram, Christian Mistress, Negative Plane, Cauchemar (with cocktail recipes), Vanhelgd, gore artist Matt "Putrid" Carr, and more! Buy this to read about the time Bobby Liebling met Iggy Stooge...
Issue #2, is up to 120 pages, crammed with stuff on Twisted Tower Dire, Thrones, The Mentors, Deceased, Midnight, Obsequiae, and much more, including a chat with our pal Ian Christie, of Bazillion Points Books. Plus, the primer this time is on King Diamond/Mercyful Fate.
And both issues of course feature editorial rants, peurile cartoons, clever comix, and plenty of opinionated, if sometimes cryptic reviews. We don't always agree with 'em (when we can even figure out if they like something or not) but find their viewpoints worth considering, and certainly amusing to read.
Blogs are great and all, but, well, screw 'em. Nothin' like a real 'zine! And especially nothin' like Chips & Beer.

CHIPS & BEER Issue #2 magazine 7.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
While we're still wringing a lot of reading enjoyment out of the 120 pages of the most recent issue of this cult metal 'zine, #3, reviewed here last list, we also have been excitedly perusing the two back issues we got in as well, #1 and #2, collect 'em all! As we said in our review of the latest, this is a great 'zine - the kind of 'zine that makes us wanna do 'zines again, actually. Edited by the inimitable Stewart Voegtlin, whose drunken hesher gone grad school writing style is the standard for all the magazine's enthusiastic & clever contributors, Chips & Beer's non-ironic love of underground metal past and present, the real good stuff, is abundantly evident throughout these first two issues.
#1, at 96 pages, features the likes of Manilla Road (an interview AND primer), Pentagram, Christian Mistress, Negative Plane, Cauchemar (with cocktail recipes), Vanhelgd, gore artist Matt "Putrid" Carr, and more! Buy this to read about the time Bobby Liebling met Iggy Stooge...
Issue #2, is up to 120 pages, crammed with stuff on Twisted Tower Dire, Thrones, The Mentors, Deceased, Midnight, Obsequiae, and much more, including a chat with our pal Ian Christie, of Bazillion Points Books. Plus, the primer this time is on King Diamond/Mercyful Fate.
And both issues of course feature editorial rants, peurile cartoons, clever comix, and plenty of opinionated, if sometimes cryptic reviews. We don't always agree with 'em (when we can even figure out if they like something or not) but find their viewpoints worth considering, and certainly amusing to read.
Blogs are great and all, but, well, screw 'em. Nothin' like a real 'zine! And especially nothin' like Chips & Beer.

CHIPS & BEER Issue #3 magazine 7.00
This is super cool. Chips & Beer is a real 'zine, on newsprint for goodness sakes, 120 pages, chock full of more metal than thou madness, deeply nerdy, enthused about an aesthetic that most ordinary metal fans let alone regular folks don't 'get', but if you do, this is for you!!! Not sure how this rag got all the way to issue #3 without us knowing about it, it's totally up our alley, being all about the type of truely cult, truly METAL stuff we dig. Fortunately we got a clue and got it in, with this brand new ish hot off the presses. It's just the thing to be reading when cranking the great new Dawnbringer album (which we just got in, to be reviewed next list) loud, 'cause there's a big interview with 'Professor' Black in here. It's also good readin' to go with crankin' just about ANY old school (or new wave of old school) metal: thrash, death, doom, true, etc.
Along with the interview with Dawnbringer/High Spirits mastermind Chris Black, in this issue Chips & Beer also kicks back with Finland's Krypts and Swallowed, Australia's Cauldron Black Ram, and others... The historical side of things is also well-represented, one of the features being a lengthy piece on the epic '80s metal legends known as Cirith Ungol. And the issue's centerpiece is a massive "New Yawk Street Metal Special", a lovingly in depth look at NYC's (and Long Island's) contributions to the majesty of metal, including interviews with Twisted Sister's Jay Jay French, Manowar's Ross The Boss, the band Frigid Bitch, Dan Lilker of Anthrax/SOD/Nuclear Assault/etc.; also there's a run-down on all the KISS albums up through Music From The Elder (just like we did!), a piece about the movie Maniac, and more.
Plus, Chips & Beer's got all the other usual stuff you'd expect in any self-respecting 'zine: tons of uber opinionated album reviews (we don't always agree with 'em, but they're fun to read), a letters page, ads from underground labels, and even some comix! And C&B boasts an excellent stable of headbanging writers, including noted scribe Stewart Voegtlin, the editor in fact, whose fevered writing is always abstruse but amusing, a hesher beatnik academic hybrid. Recommended!
So, not only are we looking forward to issue #4, we've also gotta hunt down the back issues...

CHIPS & BEER Issue #4 magazine 7.00
Man, there's lots of good reading material on this week's list. But this 'zine is, for underground metal fans, one of the best. Embarrassingly, we came late to the Chips & Beer party, catching on circa issue #3 and then catching up with #1 and #2 (both now out of print). We've been waiting eagerly for #4, and now it's here. Even better, it's the "Satanic Panic Special"! Which encompasses everything from a comic (there's always a lot of comix and art in C&B) about the supposed Satanic cult freakout of the '80s, to features on such Satanic bands as Teitanblood (yeah!) and a HUGE section all about "Sinister Cinema" (cult, occult horror flicks of '70s mainly) accompanied by an equally HUGE section wherein such left hand path luminaries as Dennis Dread, King Fowley, Justin Bartlett, and members of Moss, Hooded Menace, Impetigo, etc. discuss in depth their favorite horror film soundtrack music. Rad.
There's also a lot of interviews this ish, including chats with betrayed Blizzard Of Ozz bassist Bob Daisley, a band we gotta hear just 'cause they're called Skullshitter, and the (kinda weird old) guy who painted the cover to Slayer's debut album Show No Mercy. Also, a piece on Possessed's seminal Seven Churches lp, and one about Roky Erickson's Satanic side. And a hell of a lot more, including of course C&B's trademark cryptic & confusing record reviews. 128 newsprint pages, everything written (and drawn) with anti-trend attitude and true underground enthusiasm, a crazy combo of elite intellectual interest and dumb headbanger humor, both. Highly recommended, for Satan's sake!

CHIPS & BEER Issue #5 magazine 7.00
Hell yeah! Break out the chips and the beer - and crank the metal music LOUD - 'cause it's already time for the fifth installment of Chips & Beer, our favorite idiosyncratic underground cult metal (and more) 'zine. If you've got the earlier issues you know what to expect, if not, how do we explain the charm of Chips & Beer? Well, imagine a metalhead version of the old Bananafish 'zine - cryptic, creative, obviously intelligent, often absurd, and sometimes (especially when it comes to the comix) quite crude. Chips & Beer's writers, whether being straightforward or pseudo-intellectual or just plain weird, always manage to amuse, confuse, and (sometimes) enlighten, and definitely fulfill the FANzine's chief imperative of being enthusiastic admirers of whatever subject they chose to celebrate - in this issue, ferinstance, you get a piece on original Saint Vitus singer Scott Reagers ("Reagerding Reagers") that's practically a prose-poem in its effusive praise of that neglected vocalist's one of a kind talents (sentiments with which this writer can only agree).
This issue is the "Italian Metal Special", and as you may already know, the Chips & Beer crew don't half-ass these "specials", nope, you'll find stuff here about every damn crazy Italian metal band you've ever heard of and many more you hadn't, the big features being on Death SS, Bulldozer, Dark Quarterer, and Mortuary Drape, but lots of obscurer Italo HM obscurities get covered too, from Adramelch to Zess - plus there's even an interview with truly obscure AQ fave and former Record Of The Weeker, Tony Tears! The Italian theme continues into in-depth coverage of Italian '80s Z-grade swords & sorcery cinema, and the works of erotic auteur Tinto Brass.
But that's not all - also this ish: Betsy Bitch, Morbus Chron, Borrowed Time, Bone Sickness, Moss, Blue Oyster Cult (sort of), Lester Maddox, Longmont Potion Castle (yeah!!) and plenty more, including lots of hard-to-grok music reviews, and also reviews of modern straight to video (well, dvd) horror films, that part including a sidebar interview with director Ti West whose films Triggerman and The Roost we just listed the soundtrack to. 136 action-packed newsprint pages all in all, and recommended - nay, required - for anyone into this shit.