COURTIS, ALAN Antiguos Dolmenes Del Paleolitico (Sedimental) cd 14.98
Well then! After countless recordings as Anla Courtis, the former sonic technician of the Argentinean avant/savant-art ensemble Reynols has now returned to his birth name, as opposed to the malapropist spelling given to him by Reynols frontman Miguel Tomasin. Perhaps, Courtis is trying to move beyond the scope of Reynols' magical absurdity and develop something of a career as a 'serious' composer; if that is indeed the case, Antiguos Dolmenes Del Paleolitico doesn't help the cause as it's a metanymic exercise in giving a voice to dolmen -- megalithic stone structures thought to be the earliest tombs crafted by primitive man. Courtis constructed this homage to those weighty stones through the no-input mixing board tricks which had previously been employed by the likes of Arcane Device, Sachiko M, and Toshimaru Nakamura. The first of the four lengthy tracks tumbles into pure standing wave form low frequency feedback. Each of the following tracks gradually increases the frequencies of the feedback, moving through gossamer networks of intertwining sinewaves and glassine feedback tones into piercingly sharp tones that are almost too intense to listen to. Altogether, its easy to imagine that Courtis was attempting to commune with the dolmen by reducing music down to its more pure form: the harmonic ur-drone. If so, he's done a remarkable job.
MPEG Stream: "Part I"
MPEG Stream: "Part III"

COURTIS, ANLA Harmonica F'ever (Pink Skulls) 3" cd-r 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Ok, when you think of harmonica, maybe you think of someone like Bob Dylan wearing one of those orthadontic-like apparatus thingies that lets you play guitar and harmonica at the same time. It's bluesy, it's rootsy, it's kinda square. But Anla Courtis' Harmonica F'ever will make you forget that sort of harmonica. This lil' 3" cd-r solo disc released by Jewelled Antler off-shoot Pink Skulls features Courtis taking harmonica playing into a multi-tracked realm of insanity and abstraction. Courtis is of course 1/3 of the bizarro Argentine out-rock troupe Reynols, so its no surprise that his approach to harmonica playing is about as far from Big John Popper as you can get. The disc starts off with a track that crams what sounds like random blowing/breathing by maybe a dozen harmonica players into 6-7 minutes. But then, when you think you've got Courtis' concept figured out, track two comes along. It's much less readily identifiable as being sourced from harmonia (though of course it is), and it's a much sleepier, spookier affair than track one. Droney and abstract and really quite lovely. The third and final track on this lil' disc switches focus to the higher register harmonica sounds, sounding like the harmonica version of a happy flock of birds. Overall, probably the ONLY nothing-but-harmonica recording you need to own.
MPEG Stream: "track 1"
MPEG Stream: "track 2"

COURTIS, ANLA Tape Works (Pogus) cd 14.98
It's hard to imagine that Anla Courtis had any time to dedicate to his own work throughout the '90s when he was the technical wizard for Reynols, the now defunct Argentine avant-rock project whose primal rock thud and conceptual oddities confounded many a listener across the globe. We'll admit to being huge fans of Reynols' more tripped out works, such as the 10,000 Chicken Symphony, their collaboration with Pauline Oliveros, and their infamous / brilliant album Blank Tapes. When Courtis and Reynols were cranking out recordings, we could hardly keep up with the output. There were hundreds of recordings popping up on every label imaginable, and hundreds more that only materialized in Reynols' mythological parallel universe Minecxio, never making themselves known to those of us on this side of the astral divide. Yet despite all of this activity, Courtis had been composing a number of tape pieces independent of his work in Reynols, many of which have been collected on this rather self-evidently titled collection Tape Works.
Dating from 1991 - 1998, Courtis' experiments with the tape deck are an exaggerated distortion of cassette mechanics, with magnetic storms of hiss and drone bristling with mechanoid thunder, drowning microphones, volatile screeches, sicktone minimalism, and mutated electronic splutter. There's even a piece which sounds as if Courtis is reclaiming Pierre Henry's "Variations For a Door and a Sigh" through his own rickety recordings. While in Reynols, Courtis certainly played the part of the mischief-maker very well; Tape Works proves that Courtis has long been a mighty fine sound-sculptor.
MPEG Stream: "Asma De Tia De Alga"
MPEG Stream: "Reducido A Hemorragia De Merluzas"

COUSIN SILAS Lilliput (Fflint Central) cd-r 9.98
More electronic weirdness courtesy of our pals at the prolific and 'all hit and no miss' Fflint label. The mysterious Cousin Silas delivers some down tempo, almost dreamy electronica (especially considering the 'fucked-up-ness' of most of the stuff on Fflint). This is Boards Of Canada for the underground set, a chill out record for after that heavy bondage session, or that robot war, or that day spent taped naked to the side of a building. Not for the faint of heart, but pretty and tranquil enough that adventurous mainstreamers might try starting here if they have any fantasies of listening to 'underground electronica.' Gentle chimes and toy xylophones, modulated bird chirp-like warbles, humming buzz and whirring static are woven into a surreal sounscape dotted with weird downtuned melodies, chiming soaring synths, stabs of minor key piano, skipping and shufffling, clicking and hissing, and pastoral washes of cottony sound. Not a whole lot of rhythm, but when it comes in, it's perfect: heavily reverbed, stuttering understated loops that stretch out into late night excursions through dark and druggy landscapes. Can Fflint do no wrong? How can Warp and Matador and Lo claim to have their finger on the pulse of electronic music when all this crazy, amazing and creative shit is blowing up right under their noses? Too bad.
RealAudio clip: "Moorgate"
RealAudio clip: "View From a Room"

COUSIN SILAS Necropolis Line (Earthrid) cd-r 11.98
It's been almost 3 years since we last heard from Cousin Silas and back then he was slouching around dark electronic graveyards and dodgy ambient parts of town with the rest of the Fflint Records stable. For this most recent release, Silas may have relocated to Earthrid records, another upstart electronic cd-r label, but his Fflinty roots still show, and that Silas sound we love so much is still in full effect. That sound is a delicate shimmer, a blissed out ambience, chillout music for folks who hate chillout music. A warm, languid and luxurious pop ambience, like a Boards Of Canada record stripped of any trace of rhythm, all the beats removed leaving just a soft billowy cloud of sound. Thick washes of slow shifting swirl, beneath all sorts of subtle swoonsome melodies float and hover, spin and shift, like watching oil and water mix, dreamy and drone-y and rife with all manner of muted color. When rhythms do surface, they are mumbled and subtle, more like a soft pulse or a minimal murky throb. But always way down in the mix, beneath an expansive sparkling and twinkling ocean of sound. The record's title Necropolis Line sounds ominous, and the skull locomotive and train wreck imagery on the cd seem to reinforce that vibe, however, this disc really isn't as dark or dreary or ominous or evil as you might expect, instead it's way at the other end of the spectrum, slightly out of focus, fuzzy and rich with subtle melody, sun dappled, lazy and hazy and oh so dreamlike. In the past we've described Cousin Silas as Boards Of Canada or The Orb for the underground set. But this new record is so soft and shimmery and accessible, it might be more accurate to classify this as Fflint for the mainstream set. Either way, one of the dreamiest slabs of latenight / early morning ambience we've heard in ages. So lovely!
MPEG Stream: "Black Wurm"
MPEG Stream: "Entropy"
MPEG Stream: "Cluster 784"

COUSIN SILAS Portraits & Peelings (Fflint Central) cd-r 9.98
It's been a while, way too long actually. And we were starting to get the shakes, jonesing for some new noise from our pals at Fflint Central. And as if they heard our poor neglected ear drums calling out to them from across the sea, what should show up on our doorstep but a box of the new Fflint release by Cousin Silas! Where as Silas' last release was a demented downtempo masterpiece, a sort of more damaged Boards Of Canada, things on this new one get way more abstract and spaced out, maybe like The Orb for the fucked up, noise rock set. Burbling, acid tinged spacescapes, with sinister gurgles and swooping blooping Hawkwindiness, Goblin-esque doomscapes and chopped up, rhythmic throbs, searing sci-fi synth splatter, and alien, almost house-like four on the floor pulses, creepy Whitehouse-ish free noise and delicate spider webbed melodies all coalesce into a nightmarishly soothing, gorgeously creepy late night chill-out record. All hail Fflint!
MPEG Stream: "Bug Lady"
MPEG Stream: "Olympus Mons"
MPEG Stream: "Rossini Pump Device"

COUSINS OF REGGAE / MOUTHUS Split (Olde English Spelling Bee) lp 16.98
When Allan and Andee were in New York for CMJ they managed to catch Mouthus live (playing with Circle, Khanate and Coptic Light!!) and while the band were loud and the sound was thick and dense, it was hard really to get a feel for what they actually sounded like. Live, in a big room, it could have been ANY band making a huge grating noise. But on vinyl it's a whole different story. This Brooklyn Duo offer up two sidelong tracks of churning, thick and viscous freenoise, that is simultaneously corrosive and strangely soothing, long druggy dreamscapes of guitar grind and rumbling rooooaaaaar. A pretty killer chunk of cosmic free psych sludge for sure.
We had never heard Cousins Of Reggae before and figured with a name like that we were either gonna love them or loathe them. And we were pretty much figuring on loath. But surprise surprise, these Canadian noiseniks just might be our new favorite amongst the noisy elite. A huge swirling stew of abstract guitar noise, pounding percussive stomp, shrieking clouds of feedback, dirgey gut churning basslines, squiggly synths and garbled vocals buried way down in the mix. Hard to believe two guys can whip up such a glorious din. A stumbling and lurching freepsych freakout equal parts the Dead C, Harry Pussy and old Skullflower. Awesome!
Hand painted covers, each one different, LIMITED TO 500 COPIES, includes a full color insert.

COVAY, DON & JEFFERSON LEMON BLUES BAND House Of Blue Lights (Sepia Tone) cd 13.98
From this legend who's had songs recorded by everyone from Aretha Franklin to the Rolling Stones, comes this soulful southern blues, both in the form of haunting dirges and plenty of rollickin' uptempo numbers. Originally issued in 1969.
RealAudio clip: "Mad Dog Blues"
RealAudio clip: "the Blues Dont Knock"

COVEN Witchcraft Destroys Minds (Akarma) cd 15.98
Another '60s occult rock act for fans of Black Widow.

COVER STORY (Wax Poetics) book 19.95
OK, album cover aficionados, record jacket freeks, and all lovers of the esoteric and rapidly dying artform known as the lp sleeve. This is the book for you.
A massively thick, 7" by 7", 288 page tome, jam packed with some of the most far out, the most beautiful, the most striking, the sexiest, the most baffling and the most what-the-fuck record covers of the last however many years. Brought to us by the fine folks at Wax Poetics, whose magazines are always packed with some of the best photos around, this is book number two (after the recent Wax Poetics compendium) and it's a doozy.
You don't even have to like records, hell you don't even have to like music to freak out over some of these amazing images. Lots of mustaches, T+A, cartoons, kung fu, awesome clothing, wild live shots, plenty of bare bottoms, some amazing old school collages, some super tripped out druggy doodlings, a bunch of all time classic covers, plenty of embarrassing photos, a handful of lps that have been reissued on cd and become big time AQ faves, it's endless. Lots of the covers are all worn too, the visual version of record crackle that we all love so much.
Such an amazing book, and sadly, the more we move into the digital age, the more this stuff feels like a glimpse into some fantastic lost world. Includes an introduction and an essay by Dave Tompkins, the covers separated into sections, organized by the collectors who supplied the lps.

COWBOY JUNKIES One Soul Now (Latent) cd 16.98
Oh, will this band ever be able shake the formidable ghost of their glorious Trinity Sessions album? Each subsequent album has inevitably been held up to and just fallen short. That album has proven to be something of a treasure and a curse. And let's not be mistaken, a straight-up duplication of that album is not what's yearned for. No, what's sought is the luminous magic that the Junkies conjured in those sessions. Closing in on two decades of music-making, Cowboy Junkies have made seven fine studio albums plus two live ones, but quite simply none can hold a candle to 1988's Trinity Sessions. Perhaps trying to redefine and breathe some fresh energy into their langourous sound, their 2001 album Open featured a few songs that were more spacey, psych-tinged and rockier, however these changes seemed startlingly out of character and overwhelmed the band's trademark, Margot Timmins' haunting voice. On One Soul Now, they get it a bit more 'right', integrating the more kinetic elements of Open into their overall sleepy-eyed persona and sounding more refreshed in the process.
MPEG Stream: "One Soul Now"
MPEG Stream: "The Stars Of Our Stars"

COWBOY JUNKIES Open (Latent / Zoe) cd 16.98
Alt-country long before the term ever existed, these kings and queen of dreamy slower than slow, more bitter than sweet music have rarely strayed from the mellow path they've tread for over fifteen years. However, on 'Open' they venture into brief moments of almost psych/space-y territory and more upbeat tempos. Not sure if this is a good thing 'cause the Cowboy Junkies are at their best when main songwriter Michael Timmins keeps the pace slow ---weaving, drifting and richly enveloping with his sister Margot's voice, so languid and velvety it rivals that of Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval.

COWS Old Gold 1989-1991 (Amphetamine Reptile) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
What was once vinyl is now aluminum, but sounds no less than like it did before.

COWS Whorn (Amphetamine Reptile) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

COWS Whorn (Amphetamine Reptile) lp 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

COXON, GRAHAM The Golden D (Transcopic) cd 15.98

COYLE & SHARPE Audio Visionaries (Thirsty Ear) cd 15.98
Wandering the streets of San Francisco in 1963, radio "comedians" Mal Sharpe & Jim Coyle presented themselves with an aura of research based authority as they carried out their ludicrous pranks on the unsuspecting public. Dressed rather conservatively in double breasted suits and armed with a tape recorder, they confronted people on the street with such proposals as "For the sake of scientific investigation, can we drill a hole in your head to document the sound of your unconscious thoughts?" or "Please join our cult of three-ism, in which you will join us in a collective agreement and disavow any personal individuality." Coyle & Sharpe's charisma and genuine interest to engage their audience has resulted in a confrontational humor that has rarely been matched. If you have the Coyle and Sharpe cd that was released a few years back on Henry Rollins' label ("On The Loose") you know how funny this disc will be, and don't worry, this one features entirely different but equally insane material. Brilliant, hilarious genius! They far pre-dated the now-commonplace man-on-the-street / guerrilla interviewers. Today's reality TV can't hold a candle to these guys. Just think, this was long long long before passers-by were prepared for what was in store for them! They're the O.G.!

COYLE & SHARPE These 2 Men Are Imposters (Sharpeworld) 3cd + dvd 32.00
Hallelujah!!! All of you folks already well-versed in the much-more-than-comedy duo of Jim Coyle and Mal Sharpe, you know this is the one you've been waiting for! If you've not yet gotten your introductory dose of their genius antics, this is a perfect place to commence your schooling. For a brief spell in the early '60s -- waaay back before everyone and his mother became acclimatized to guerrilla 'man on the street' style pranks -- these two sharp dressed gents were wreaking havoc in and around SF, blindsiding pedestrians along Market Street. Their unflinchingly methodical mischief was an effortless razor sharp blend of social criticism, surrealism and utter hilarity. Often their verbal interrogation would take on somewhat sinister and/or downright subversive undertones. Indeed, theirs was a much more refined and thought provoking mind-boggle than the recent parade of heavy on the obnoxious, gross out factor peeps such as the Jerky Boys or Jackass crew. Sure much of Coyle and Sharpe's antics may seem tame by today's standards, but simply put, their perfect balance of lightning quick wit and stoic straight-facedness has seldom been matched, let alone bested.
Released on the Sharpeworld label run by Mal Sharpe's daughter Jennifer, this fantastic four disc set comes pretty much straight from the horse's mouth... well, at least one of the two horses' mouths. Sadly Jim Coyle passed away in 1993, but in the years since his passing his cohort Mal Sharpe and their legions of diehard fans (including one Henry Rollins) have kept the Coyle & Sharpe magic alive. Sharpe compiled the proceedings here which include a Best of '63 collection recorded off the radio on New Year's Eve '63, a reissue of Coyle & Sharpe On The Loose (originally released in 1995 on Rollins' 213 label), a third cd of recently unearthed raw recording odds'n'ends with their earliest known recording from '61 plus 'Coyle & Sharpe Get Arrested' (yes, really!), and finally a dvd of the pair's 1965 pilot TV show The Imposters (the socialite dinner party and employee evaluation segments are particular viewing treats). This is truly a case of that old truism "they don't make 'em like they used to"! These 2 Men Are Imposters is a genuine treasure trove. Highly recommended!!
MPEG Stream: "Record Your Stomach"
MPEG Stream: "Daring But Dead"
MPEG Stream: "114 Noises"

CQ (ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK) (Emperor Norton) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Here it is, the soundtrack to Roman Coppola's much-hyped, hip-stylin' retro-future movie about the making of a retro-future movie that heartily scoops elements from hip-stylin' flicks of the '60s - most notably AQ fave Mario Bava's sublime Danger Diabolik (which has also been borrowed from by the likes of Fantomas and the Beastie Boys). French group Mellow provide the score resplendent with swoonsome soft numbers and frantic car chase tracks. As well, we're treated to a handful of '60s French pop shimmy-shakers by the likes of Claude Francois and Jacques Dutronc which round out the pleasing variety of sounds on this album. Mellow have drawn plenty of comparisons to fellow French suave duo Air, and yes, they do quite often (but not always) bear a striking resemblance. Not surprisingly sister Sofia Coppola enlisted the sonic assistance of Air for her film The Virgin Suicides, and both soundtracks are on the more-than-appropriate cosmopolitan pop label Emperor Norton. So if you like what you hear, you know where to go to find more.
RealAudio clip: "Codename Dragonfly"
RealAudio clip: "Ce Soir Je Vais Boire"
RealAudio clip: "Multithing"
RealAudio clip: "CQ Car Chase"

CRABS Brainwashed (K) cd 13.98
On their second album on K Records, Jonn and Lisa polish up their patty-cake pop tunes just a bit. Still very gentle and sweet. Not always in tune or in time, but that's not the ultimate point of lo-fi pop now, is it?

CRABS Jackpot (K) cd 13.98
Debut cd from the rough-around-the-edges, super-earnest pop pair Crabs. Very lo-fi, but the crushworthy sweet/tart sentiments manage to peek through the often less than proficient playing.

CRABS Sand And Sea (K) cd 13.98
In which the sweet lo-fi pop duo of Jonn and Lisa welcome Sarah Dougher into the Crabs fold. The addition of keyboards makes this all the more lovely. This is their fourth full length.

CRABS What Were Flames Now Smoulder (K) cd 13.98
The third album of lo-fi pop confection treats from the Oregon two-piece known as Crabs. Jonn Lunsford (brother of Bret of Beat Happening) and Lisa Jackson play well off each other with a warm familiarity like two close school pals.

CRACK WE ARE ROCK Live In Africa (Kimosciotic) 7" 3.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SF's Crack:WAR strike back with two new tracks of electro street hustle with slovenly vocalisations. No, they didn't tour Africa, but their fans sure act like animals at their live shows. Wild.

CRACK WE ARE ROCK Silent Fantasy (Kimosciotic) lp 13.98
Now on vinyl! Remixed and remastered!
Here's what we said about the cd version:
"Silent Fantasy" is the dementedly catchy full length debut from SF's Crack:WAR. Like the baddest girls in the schoolyard, frontwomen Le Kim & L'Erin accost listeners with spoken-sung lyrics that often go off the rails from sassy into the realm of the surreal and sordidly bizarre. Meanwhile, King Riff and Obscuratron put together distorted disco deconstructions that the right combination of substances would probably render wildly danceable. The sounds may not be too vastly removed from the legions of electro clones, but those looking for a soundtrack to lolling about trendy clubs and shopping for designer handbags will definitely be disappointed. This is San Francisco, not New York, and noise reigns supreme. You want cutting edge fashion? Crack:WAR give you over the top renditions of clowns, sailors, and bloody, masked anti-heroes. You asked for benignly "shocking," "sexy" lyrics and dirty-girl posing? Crack:WAR will give you illicit sex in caves with mutilated body parts, but you're gonna have to pay. Unlikely to be a hit at electro clubs in Williamsburg, and I mean that in purely complimentary terms.

CRACK WE ARE ROCK Strawberries / Mount Shine (333 Recordings) 7" 5.98
Cool cool. A super-limited 7" release from San Francisco's psychedelelectro dirge party band, Crack: We Are Rock. Three hundred and thirty three of these were put out, as part of a 7" series from 333 Recordings.

CRACK WE ARE ROCK / WOLF EYES My Dad's Boyfriend / Day of Hell (Fcute) 12" 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Electronic art-noise soundclash representing SF and Ann Arbor. San Francisco's Crack:WAR, fresh off their tour of Japan, pump out three dark electro tracks -- Liquid Sky meets Throbbing Gristle. Ann Arbor rock deconstrucivists Wolf Eyes churn out a sidelong piece, pummeling like their previous full length effort "Dread". Limited press with generic found 12" sleeves.

CRACK, CARL (Digital Hardcore) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Limited edition in one of DHR's generic slimline cases. A full length that's real pretty and not nearly as violent as other DHR records. At one point during the record we're sure he is messing with Two Lone Swordsmen...

CRACK, CARL (Digital Hardcore) lp 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Limited edition in one of DHR's generic slimline cases. A full length that's real pretty and not nearly as violent as other DHR records. At one point during the record we're sure he is messing with Two Lone Swordsmen...

CRACK: WE ARE ROCK Cosmic Mind Flight (Tigerbeat6) cd 13.98
On album #2, Crack W.A.R. have tempered their bad girl electro-sass wild side in favor of a more brooding, dankly industrial sound. Still very energetic tempo-wise, but somewhat less in-your-face in the vocal department. The haphazard cut'n'paste fashion of their Silent Fantasy album and rambunctious live shows were what stirred a fun, messy, funky ruckus in the local hipster scene last year. On Cosmic Mind Flight, they seem to have opted for less noise and spectacle and shifted their priorities to honing their songs and sound. As a result, it does sound 'better' but you might find it a bit lacking in the C:W.A.R. bizarro personality that drenched their debut.
MPEG Stream: "Wedlock"
MPEG Stream: "Baby Devil"

CRACK:WE ARE ROCK Silent Fantasy (Tigerbeat6) cd 10.98
"Silent Fantasy" is the dementedly catchy full length debut from Crack:WAR. Like the baddest girls in the schoolyard, frontwomen Le Kim & L'Erin accost listeners with spoken-sung lyrics that often go off the rails from sassy into the realm of the surreal and sordidly bizarre. Meanwhile, King Riff and Obscuratron put together distorted disco deconstructions that the right combination of substances would probably render wildly danceable. The sounds may not be too vastly removed from the legions of electro clones, but those looking for a soundtrack to lolling about trendy clubs and shopping for designer handbags will definitely be disappointed. This is San Francisco, not New York, and noise reigns supreme. You want cutting edge fashion? Crack:WAR give you over the top renditions of clowns, sailors, and bloody, masked anti-heroes. You asked for benignly "shocking," "sexy" lyrics and dirty-girl posing? Crack:WAR will give you illicit sex in caves with mutilated body parts, but you're gonna have to pay. Unlikely to be a hit at electro clubs in Williamsburg, and I mean that in purely complimentary terms. Added bonus: seizure-inducing live videos to play on your computer!
RealAudio clip: "Animal Trap"
RealAudio clip: "Hooker Leg"

CRACOW KLEZMER BAND The Warriors (Tzadik) cd 15.98
Newest entry in the Radical Jewish Culture series released on John Zorn's imprint Tzadik. Based in Poland, this band is supposedly quite avant garde... but I'm not sure what's so "radical" about them. This is somber, melodic, minor-key instrumental Jewish traditional music played out on accordion, violin, clarinet, and double bass; and will most likely appeal to fans of Masada (Zorn's own klezmer improv group) and that Evan Lurie disc from many years ago, that had the gorgeous wistful accordion, remember (Selling Water By the Side of the River)? The music is certainly very pleasant, and it has a grown-up, smoky, sophisticated tone to it, but let's face it: this is kinda predictable, not "radical". (Sometimes Tzadik's self-aggrandizing obis are really over the top.) That doesn't mean it ain't nice, though!
RealAudio clip: "Klezmer Rhapsody"

CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE (OST) (Def Jam) cd 17.98
This movie's theme song by DMX is so catchy and tough and mean. I (Sadie) would buy this cd for that song alone, that is if you haven't seen the commercial so many times you're sick to death of it. The second song on the cd is by Eminem, who I swear I try to give the benefit of the doubt more than anyone else, In fact, I'm even kinda obsessed with him, but Christ. This song sounds like a parody of himself: totally flat, monotonous and still women hating (issues much, Em?). So booooring. "Go to sleep bitch die mother fucker die why are you still alive, die you nameless bitch". Ha ha, so funny...I guess. And sadly the rest goes kinda goes down hill from there. Relitively dull and nondescript hip hop. But maybe worth it for that DMX track!
RealAudio clip: DMX "Gon' Give It To Ya"
RealAudio clip: EMINEM "Go To Sleep"

CRADLE OF FILTH Bitter Suites To Succubi (AbraCadaver) cd 16.98
The UK's notorious black metal superstars take their Gothic metal fantasies to the major label level with this new release, a quickie album preceding their debut disc for new label Sony! While not as fully-realized as their last full-length (the underrated, Maidenesque "Midian"), this stopgap album won't disappoint fans. There's a few new songs (up to their usual standards of pomp and perversion), three re-recordings of old Filthy classics (including "The Principle of Evil Made Flesh"), and a cover of "No Time To Cry" by the Sisters of Mercy!
RealAudio clip: "Suicide and Other Comforts"

CRADLE OF FILTH Cruelty And The Beast (Music For Nations / Koch) 2cd 18.98
Dani & Co.'s Countess Bathory concept album! Again, amazing theatrical black metal from the UK's kings of the genre. Not as good as "Dusk And Her Embrace" production-wise, but bloody good otherwise. Includes (while supplies last) a limited edition bonus disc of remixes and covers, including Venom's "Black Metal" (which sounds kinda stupid with keyboards!) and a great version of the classic Maiden tune "Hallowed Be Thy Name".

CRADLE OF FILTH Damnation And A Day (Sony) cd 15.98
It's hard to know what to say about a band whose sound stays pretty consistent throughout its relatively lengthy career. On the one hand, it's sad when a band makes the same record over and over again. But one could argue that if one was great then 5 or 6 would be even greater! I think most of us fall somewhere in between. We want bands to explore and expand, but we don't want their sound to change so dramatically that all the stuff we loved about them in the first place is changed or gone. With Cradle Of Filth, and maybe black metal in general, there's only so far you can go and so many ways you can experiment. This may just be the best Cradle Of Filth record since their career defining Dusk And Her Embrace album. Not because this record is a whole new sound, and not because it's that familiar sound we already love. but because CoF have mastered two elements that in the past have wholly determined the hit/miss ratio of their albums. The first is the production. CoF have been cursed with a thin, and thus entirely unheavy production in the past. And while it is maybe understandable, trying to fit all those guitars, drums, keyboards, double kicks, female background vocals, dreamy atmospheres, and of course vocalist/black metal pinup Danni Filth's dog whistle shrieks and guttural growls, that still didn't keep some old records from sounding like they were recorded on an 8-track and mastered with tin cans and twine. This is definitely the heaviest CoF record in a long time; the guitars are thick and brutal, the drums are pummelling and the vocals are settled just right in the mix. Things are still marred by that wimpy keyboard sound, but I think that's more an aesthetic issue than one of recording/production. The other element that makes Damnation one of Cradle Of Filth's best is the SONGS. THE GODDAMNED RIFFS! In the past, CoF have occasionally lapsed into sound over song, sonics over substance. Where it all sounded great, but...were there any actual songs?! This time around the riffs are wickedly catchy and the songs follow suit. Complicated enough to withstand repeated listens, but hooky enough to leave you humming the riffs days later. Cradle Of Filth are still silly and over the top and dramatic and goofy, that's their schtick. But the fact that the songs are so weird and convoluted and actually pretty fucking heavy, makes the goofy vampire/creatures of the night/goth nightmare side of their band a welcome relief from the glut of TRUE blazing fast, monochromatic, grim, primitive and humorless black metal. Think of it as some sort of black metal opera, Immortal meets Devil Doll, and it all makes some sick sort of sense.
MPEG Stream: "Hurt And Virtue"
MPEG Stream: "An Enemy Led The Tempest"

CRADLE OF FILTH Dusk And Her Embrace (Music For Nations) cd 16.98
"Litanies of damnation, death, and the darkly erotic" from Britain's biggest (and best?) black metal act, the notorious Cradle of Filth. Andee was already a fan of their previous discs, but this is the one that convinced Allan that CoF were pretty darn great. Totally over the top, storming black metal mixed with Hammer Horror theatrics. It's fast, complex, and brutal. Definitely extreme despite their "sell-out" reputation. The CoF disc to get, to start with, we all agree.

CRADLE OF FILTH From the Cradle to Enslave (Metal Blade) cd 13.98
We've had this for a while but neglected to list it, a fate that this ferocious little ep does not deserve. Previously available as an import digipak, now in a domestic jewel case version with one track different from the original (swapping the import's techno-remix for a brand new, non-techno song, a good deal really). Featuring possibly CoF's best song title ever ("Of Dark Blood And Fucking"), a ditty that happens to also be their best song since the days of "Dusk & Her Embrace". Despite all the hype and the lineup changes, this ep is proof that Dani Filth and his corpsepainted crew are still quite capable of drawing blood.

CRADLE OF FILTH Live Bait For The Dead (Abracadaver) 2cd 24.00
Everyone's favorite (or most hated) over-the-top British black metal act stalls for time before their upcoming major label studio album debut with this double disc import containing (disc 1) a live performance from April 2001, and (disc 2) a bunch of remixes, souncheck recordings, and demo tracks. Cd-rom video is also included (the "director's cut" promo vid for their Sisters of Mercy cover "No Time To Cry"). The material in their live set ranges from early classics like "The Forest Whispers My Name" to the more melodic, Maidenesqe stuff from their last proper studio full-length, "Midian". Definitely one for fans only -- who else is gonna want the CoF screensaver included? But now, after an ep, a best-of, and this live/odds n' ends release, Dani & co. ought to bring forth their actual new album!
RealAudio clip: "Dusk And Her Embrace - Live"

CRADLE OF FILTH Lovecraft and Witch Hearts (Music for Nations) cd 19.98
We all love Cradle Of Filth, even if they're the band to hate. As black metal posers, sellouts, whatever. Bottom line is, their records are amazing, totally complex, epic concept records, with ultra fucked song structures, amazing playing and maybe the sickest vocals ever. It doesn't hurt that they have the whole evil goth/bondage vampire look going on as well as their line of pornographic merchandise, videos and super sci-fi metal album covers. Unclear why they aren't as big as Marilyn Manson or Slipknot. I'm sure they will be eventually. But for now, there's this double cd collection of album and compilation tracks. For the CoF virgin, this would be a great place to start. You get tracks from all the records as well as an Iron Maiden cover, a Sodom cover, a Slayer cover and lots more. Definitely a great introduction to the band. If you are already a convert, odds are you have most of this stuff already. But for you completists, there are 3 unreleased tracks (but be warned, it's one Sabbat cover, one orchestral track, and one techno track, check em out below!).
RealAudio clip: "Dusk And Her Embrace"
RealAudio clip: "For Those Who Died (Return To The Sabbat Mix)"
RealAudio clip: "Carmilla's Masque"
RealAudio clip: "Dance Macabre"

CRADLE OF FILTH Midian (Koch) cd 16.98
The UK's most popular black metal export strikes again. Such songs as "Cthulhu Dawn", "Lord Abortion", and "Creatures That Kissed In Cold Mirrors" maintain CoF's sexy Hammer Horror vibe, and although "Midian" has much better production than their last album "Cruelty & The Beast" (thankfully!), Dani Filth and the lads still haven't sold out for the Marilyn Manson big bucks that they must be tempted by... I mean, "true black metallers" will claim that CoF were sell outs from the beginning, but at least they haven't changed. This record, along with the improved production, only differs from past efforts by the inclusion of even more melodic, Iron Maiden style guitar parts, not a bad thing at all. Otherwise, the Gothic keyboards, female backing vox, Dani's unholy repertoire of low and high screams, and the blasting drums are intact and 100 percent Filthy (i.e. completely over the top).
RealAudio clip: "Cthulhu Dawn"

CRADLE OF FILTH Nymphetamine (Roadrunner) cd 17.98
Here's one of our all-time favorite black metal bands, and even we are guilty of ignoring them a bit now that they're HUGE rather than being a raw, cult, underground one-man-band operation like a lot of the stuff we've been trumpeting lately. But that's not fair. Cradle of Filth, though some purer-than-thou types see 'em as sell-outs, are pretty much just as 'extreme' as they ever were, and in terms of songwriting have really only gotten better. And they're one of the reasons that we're even black metal fans in the first place -- CoF were the first 'modern' black metal band that Andee, for one, ever heard and got into (along with Satyricon)...and then one thing lead to another. Not everyone's cup of absinthe, but you can't deny their brew's potency.
So, we really should have reviewed this new album the week it came out, but better late than never. Of course, we also know that if you're already into CoF, all you need to know is that this latest album is simply another great CoF opus -- gothically bent, vicious and heavy. Its perfumed and perverse atmosphere of baroque excess lacks not for Dani Filth's trademark screech and snarl (more snarl than screech this time), and some sweet female vox too (a Nymphette, of course, and doubtless corseted), ornate Hammer horror keyboards, blasting drums, and a good deal of very 'heavy metal' guitar riffage. More and more the Filthies have been taking after classic metal mentors like Iron Maiden and Metallica, with some very trad sounding melodies and harmonies cropping up amidst their occult-sexual black metal blasphemizing. Fans needn't know much more, you ought to be happy with this. On the other hand, if you haven't yet been, um, rocked by this Cradle, well, this would be a very accessible starting point (although we certainly must also recommend our absolute fave, Dusk And Her Embrace). And for those of you who once were CoF fans but turned your backs on 'em as they got more popular and more tuneful and better produced...well never mind about Nymphetamine then, I guess. But you're missing out on some damn good metal music!
MPEG Stream: "Nemesis"
MPEG Stream: "Medusa And Hemlock"

CRADLE OF FILTH The Principle of Evil Made Flesh (Cacophonous) cd 16.98
This is the cd you must buy if you are at all interested in Norwegian dark metal (even though they're not Norwegian). Melodic. Heavy. Fast. Beautiful. The current kings of black metal, just amazing.

CRAFT Fuck The Universe (Southern Lord) cd 14.98
Writing a guest review here two years ago, Wrest of Leviathan called Craft's previous album Terror Propaganda a "lesson in the grimmest of expession". We just got this new, third (and final? maybe not) Craft disc in stock so we haven't checked with Wrest yet to see what he thinks of it, but subjecting it to our own finely black metal attuned ears, we say, YEAH!
Fuck The Universe is another bog-blast of genius from one of the best bands in the Swedish black metal underground. For the black at heart, grim pleasures abound in Craft's negative metal mixture of misanthropic spittle, dismal drone and headbanging hooks, the band bulldozering through the uncaring cosmos with the feeling being mutual. Or worse. There's something very rock and roll gone wrong about this, slowed down thrash executed with a sneer of competence, nodding to the gods Darkthrone and Mayhem with a "don't worry, we've got it covered" sort of look (and sound). Recommended. Plus, this domestic version is released on the undeniably hip label Southern Lord, whose doom roots have of late seemingly been overtaken by the love of black metal, and they love the good stuff, we're on the same page there!
MPEG Stream: "Earth A Raging Blaze"
MPEG Stream: "Demonspeed"

CRAFT Fuck The Universe (Southern Lord) 2lp 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now available on super limited double vinyl. One disc is clear red vinyl, the other a kick ass picture disc! We only got a handful of these as they are super limited so if you want one you gotta be quick.
Writing a guest review here two years ago, Wrest of Leviathan called Craft's previous album Terror Propaganda a "lesson in the grimmest of expession". We just got this new, third (and final? maybe not) Craft disc in stock so we haven't checked with Wrest yet to see what he thinks of it, but subjecting it to our own finely black metal attuned ears, we say, YEAH!
Fuck The Universe is another bog-blast of genius from one of the best bands in the Swedish black metal underground. For the black at heart, grim pleasures abound in Craft's negative metal mixture of misanthropic spittle, dismal drone and headbanging hooks, the band bulldozering through the uncaring cosmos with the feeling being mutual. Or worse. There's something very rock and roll gone wrong about this, slowed down thrash executed with a sneer of competence, nodding to the gods Darkthrone and Mayhem with a "don't worry, we've got it covered" sort of look (and sound). Recommended. Plus, this domestic version is released on the undeniably hip label Southern Lord, whose doom roots have of late seemingly been overtaken by the love of black metal, and they love the good stuff, we're on the same page there!
MPEG Stream: "Earth A Raging Blaze"
MPEG Stream: "Demonspeed"

CRAFT Terror Propaganda (Selbstmord) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This bit of black metal wisdom comes courtesy of AQ pal Wrest from the mighty Leviathan:
As things change and weaken in the ranks of older "black metal" bands, a hellish shriek sounds from the Swedish underground. Unlike their fellow countrymen, Mardukee and Dork Fun-eral, Craft have developed a formula for taking the sound of '90s era B.M. and breathing new life into its whithered black lungs. Terror Propaganda, Craft's second effort, is a lesson in the grimmest of expession. "False Orders Begone" rides a riff that matchs the genius of old Celtic Frost while "616" is a thrashy, dark intrumental voyage. These 8 hymns may seem to some like mere Darkthrone worship, but upon closer listening, this hard to find gem shines far brighter than most new Scandanavian B.M. coming out these days. May Craft rot in glory.
MPEG Stream: "Ablaze"
MPEG Stream: "The Silence Thereafter"

CRAFT Total Soul Rape (Moribund Cult) cd 14.98
Blazing fast primitve Swedish black metal in the style of Darkthrone, old Ulver, or Immortal. Blurry buzzsaw guitars, pounding blasting drums and raspy growling screams. Pure and evil and totally cult.

CRAMPS Live At Napa State Mental Hospital (MVD) dvd 19.98
Hot damn! Finally more readily available and on dvd no less, this video documenting one of the most unhinged rock spectacles ever -- the legendary free Cramps concert for the patients at the State Mental Hospital back in 1978 -- has been circulating in increasingly poor quality vhs copies for ages! If you've seen it, you'll know what a cause for 'celebration' this is. If you've yet to see it, Cramps fan or not, you're in for a helluva blisterin', jaw-droppin' time in front of your television. No, the quality's still not all that great, but that only adds to the wild grittiness of the viewing experience. Lux Interior and Poison Ivy are in top down'n'dirty form. During the course of the performance, the lines between patient and band are swiftly blurred and eventually obliterated. This is as punk as it gets!

CRAMPS, THE How To Make A Monster (Vengeance) 2cd 19.98
This double cd archival Cramps collection says right on it: for Cramps Fiends Only, and that's dang right. For one thing, in terms of recording quality, a lot of this sounds like ass. But hey, how good does your band's rehearsal tapes from 1976, or 1977 CBGB live tapes sound? That's what I thought. So if you're a fiend for the Cramps' brand of twisted punk rockabilly, you'll surely dig the contents of this crypt...the grimier and ghastlier the better, eh? 45 live/demo/practice cuts in all, spanning the years 1976-1988 but delving mainly into the band's early years. Disc two features two complete live sets, at Max's Kansas City '77 and CBGB '78. The cd booklet is a treat too, 28 pages cramm(p)ed with enlightening and exhaustive liner notes penned by Lux Interior and Poison Ivy, colorfully illustrated with tons of photos (ooh, Ivy), fliers, and other graphics -- including a picture of the Cramps in a newspaper ad for a NYC Channel 2 TV news Special Report on the "far-out, black leather world of the Punk Movement" being presented by a youthful John Tesh. Really well done. Fiends, get on it.
MPEG Stream: "I Was A Teenage Werewolf (rehearsal Oct. '76)"
MPEG Stream: "Human Fly (live at CBGB '78)"

CRANDELL, RICHARD Mbira Magic (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Our experience with the mbira (the thumb piano) is pretty limited. As much as I'd like to go on and on about the history of the instrument and other essential mbira recordings, I just can't. But what I can tell you, is that this is one of the dreamiest, floatiest, head in the clouds records ever, and has been our main going to sleep record these last few weeks. And 'going to sleep music' is in no way a criticism. In fact, if anything, it's the opposite. I don't care what anyone tells you, few times in one's music listening day are as important or as sacred as the time before you fall asleep, when whatever music you put on soothes you and lulls you to sleep, and obviously some of those sounds you take with you into your dreams. Crandell's mbira is the perfect soundtrack to your dreams, as long as you dream of lush green glades, huge pools of crystal clear water, blue skies and slowly drifting clouds. Mbira Magic, while light and airy and very very dreamy and mellow, remains just on the right side of new age, with sweetly lyrical muted melodies that drift lazily into subtly complex patterns and drift apart into abstract soundscapes of soft plink plonk, rich with reverb and all warm and langorous. So so nice.
MPEG Stream: "Double Dose"
MPEG Stream: "The Island"