V/A Extreme Music From Russia (Susan Lawly) cd 25.00

V/A Extreme Music From Women (Susan Lawly) cd 17.98
Volume Three in Susan Lawly's (William Bennett of Whitehouse's label) extreme music series is sort of a surprise in a couple different ways. First, is the fact that it's all women, which is interesting because of the supposed misogyny of Whitehouse and William Bennett. Second, is that all the contributions are very political (unlike the other two volumes), and the artists are given space inside the cd to describe the inspiration for their music. Still doesn't explain having cherries on the cover, or photos of a bruised naked woman on the inside (although it appears that the whole thing was assembled and collected by women, with only a little help from Bennett). There are very few recognizable artists, one being Warp's Mira Calix, but that makes it a lot more interesting, less of 'just another compilation' and more of a discovery (a lot like the Extreme Music From Africa). The music here, for the most part, is very angry. Noisy and crunchy and chaotic, with yelped and howled, hyper distorted female vocals. A lot of it reminds us of DHR stuff like Cobra Killer and Lolita Storm. Definitely interesting and quite good at times, and totally worth checking out.
RealAudio clip: DOLORES DEWBERRY "Paragraph 64"
RealAudio clip: MIRA CALIX "Too Slim For Suicide"
RealAudio clip: FRL. TOST "I Hate You, Laura"

V/A Extreme Possibilities (Lo) cd 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Volume one of the amazing (read: no filler material) Lo recordings series, finally on cd. With Wagonchrist, Omni Trio, David Toop, MLO, Jonah Sharp, Scanner...

V/A Eyesore: A Stab at the Residents (Vaccination) cd 11.98
Tribute to the Residents featuring Thinking Fellers, Primus, Eskimo, Stan Ridgway, Shaking Ray Levis, UBZUB, Heavy Vegetable, Amy Denio, Fibulator, Snakefinger, etc.

V/A Fairytales Can Come True (Psychic Circle) cd 16.98
When the summer occasionally heats things up around here, it's sometimes hard to get into the really heavy music we get so much of. Andee's been rocking the early eighties power pop in the back and in that same vein we've been really getting into the early predecessor of eighties power-pop, mid-sixties British psych-pop or "psyke-pop" as Nick Saloman calls it on his latest Psychic Circle compilation. We haven't had a good soft-psych compilation in awhile so this sounds particularly good with a lot of uncommon picks from the likes of The San Francisco Earthquake, Barry Benson (formerly PJ. Proby's hairdresser), Iain Matthews (pre-Fairport Convention), and Gallagher & Lyle. Highly "Bird"-obsessive, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of female perspective in these songs as some of the lyrics, like "I've got to train her to want me" have left some of the female employees here amusingly bemused. Gender pitfalls aside, this is another satisfying comp from Psychic Circle, whom we hope will release something more femme-centric really soon.
MPEG Stream: BARRY BENSON "Cousin Jane"
MPEG Stream: SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE "Fairy Tales Can Come True"
MPEG Stream: THE SNAPPERS "Upside Down Inside Out"

V/A Fals.ch (Mego) 3"cd-rom 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Fals.ch is Viennese label Mego's MP3 only online sublabel run by Florian Hecker and Oswald Berthold. This cute little 3"cd-rom contains hours of abraisive noise, subtle drones and clinical cuts from the best of the first twentyfour releases thus far. As this is a cd-rom, it will not be compatible with most consumer electronics, and is best experienced through a personal computer with an MP3 player (software is not included here) so as to view the accompanying notes and art provided in each artists' folders. Featuring the usual Mego and OR Records suspects: Pita, Karkowski, Haswell (with Masami Akita as Satans Tornade), Shirt Trax, Voice Crack, Pimmon, Oval, CD Slopper, Kim Cascone, Massimo, Christoph De Babalon, et al.

V/A Fals.ch FB50 (Mego) 3"cd-rom 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The second compilation of the Mego affiliated online audio/visual community Fals.ch. Compiled by Fals.ch heads Florian Hecker and Oswald Berthold, FB50 collects audio works by artists featured in the last 24 online "releases": Koji Asano, COH, cd_slopper, poire_z, Atau Tanaka, Ulf Bilting & Zbigniew Karkowski, *0, Pain Jerk, Runzelstirn & Gurgelstock, Martin Ng & Jim Denley, Frank Metzger and more! Also exclusive tracks by Mego artists General Magic, gcttcatt, Evol, J.O.K.E. and i.d. There are also a few multimedia goodies included in addition to MP3s: a Merzbow A/V loop, an excerpt of a Francisco Lopez performance and a cryptic file courtesy those Gescom pranksters. In fact, the Gescom file is an incredibly hilarious standalone application that makes your computer seem like it's being hijacked by glitch terrorists! Trick your friends and coworkers into believing your hard disk is being trashed right before your eyes! Fun as shit!

V/A Fame Whore (Apathy Productions) cd 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Soundtrack to Jon Moritsugu film features 2 previously unreleased Barbara Manning pieces (she made me cry during "The Arsonist's Song" at Terrastock), 2 previously unreleased Emily's Sassy Lime songs, and others by No No Boy, Dub Narcotic Sound System, and Dixieland.

V/A Family Album (Language / Crammed Disc) cd 12.98
A nine song compilation featuring the varied musical stylings of Chrome, Endemic Void, Elixir, Buckfunk 3000, Nad, Tao, Circadian Rhythms, Phosphorus, and Bio Muse.

V/A Farewell Fondle 'Em (Fruitmeat/Def Jux) cd 15.98
NYC underground hip hop label Fondle 'Em says goodbye with this collection of singles, featuring Kool Keith, El-P of Company Flow, M.F. Doom, The Arsonists, and more...Great!

V/A Fascination: The Bowie Show book w/ cd 19.98
In 2002, Gallery 16 here in San Francisco exhibited The Bowie Show, which collected art, writing, and music that takes David Bowie as inspiration. This is an arty, spiral bound, full color, glossy-paged book with a cd and nicely embossed cover. Contributors include Rick Moody, Jason Mecier, Michelle Tea, Doug Coupland, Cliff Hengst, Scott Hewicker, Ann Magnuson, etc. And the (all exclusive!) tracks on the cd are each covers of a song off Bowie's Low album. The music runs the gamut from Matmos' slinky electronics on "A New Career in a New Town" to Troll's simmering Talk-Talk-meets-Nina-Simone take on "Warszawa". Other musical participants include Glenn Donaldson of local faves Thuja), Wayne Smith of Aero Mic'd, The Sadnesses, Tom Recchion and more.
RealAudio clip: FOIBLES "Sound and Vision"
RealAudio clip: TROLL "Warszawa"

V/A Faster, Pussy...Attack! Tora! Tora! Tora! (Howling Bull) cd 3.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Super low priced sampler of Howling Bull's wares, from grindcore, to speed metal, to funky silly pop. Yellow Machine Gun, United, Taiho, Hellchild, Space Combine, Garlic Boys, Force, and more.

V/A Female of the Species (Law & Auder) cd 17.98
If the guitar has been overthrown as the dominant sound of youth culture in favor of vinyl and Cubase, it has simply created yet another territory where women artists are overlooked. This then leads to uncomfortable documents like this, which at once seek to balance the scales, but also feels like opportunistic tokenism. Buy it not for its politics but because this is a great collection of diverse experimental electronica. It certainly one-ups the Avantgardism compilations (also on Law & Auder) in terms of weirdness and sonic brutality. Particularly stand-out is the Kaffe Matthews track. Wow. Recommended.

V/A Fenriz Presents: The Best Of Old-School Black Metal (Peaceville) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Okay, if you could choose anyone to make you a classic black metal mix tape, who would it be? Andee? Allan? Well, yeah obviously, but we mean what if you could choose ANYONE? Yep, we'd probably pick Fenriz too. Leader of the mighty Darkthrone, Fenriz definitely knows his black metal first hand. And his selections certainly demonstrate that. And there's even some unlikely choices that perhaps indicate some friend rock influence. But even so, this is a seriously kick ass, introduction to TRUE, CULT old-school black metal. Tracks from Blasphemy, Sarcofago, Celtic Frost, Nattefrost, Mercyful Fate, Sodom, Tormentor, Aura Noir, Destruction, Samael, Bulldozer, Mayhem, Hellhammer, Burzum, Venom and Bathory. Plus cool, funny liner notes. Recommended schoolin'.
MPEG Stream: HELLHAMMER "The Third Of The Storms"
MPEG Stream: BURZUM "Ea, Lord Of The Deeps"

V/A Fever Pitch Music & Magazine Presents Just Drums II Project (Fever Pitch) 2cd 11.98
If you or someone you know has a penchant for percussion, holy smokes, have we got just the cd for you or him or her! Moe! Staiano (of Moe!kestra, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and formerly Idiot Flesh) brought these in for our drum delight. It's a double cd compilation containing 36 tracks by more dextrous drummers than you can shake a (drum)stick at! The second disc is particularly notable as it includes the stellar likes of William Winant (whose performed with John Zorn, Sonic Youth, Kronos String Quartet, Secret Chiefs 3, Mr. Bungle, Oingo Boingo to name just a few), Trey Spruance (of Asva, Secret Chiefs 3, Faxed Head, Mr. Bungle, etc), Ches Smith (Secret Chiefs 3, Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant, 7 Year Rabbit Cycle among others), Karen Stackpole and Mr. Staiano himself. Released by Fever Pitch Music (which is also the label of DJ Jester and which is also a magazine from Wisconsin).
MPEG Stream: DRURY, ANDREW "Rain, Followed By Shadows"
MPEG Stream: SPRUANCE, TREY "Feather Dance Of The Deathless Lord"

V/A Field Guide To Table Of The Elements (Table Of The Elements) 2cd 26.00
Most AQ regulars are well aware of the abundance of wonderful releases matched with thoughtful and pleasing packaging that have come out on Table Of The Elements over the last 13 years. This double cd compilation is not merely a label sampler, as many of the tracks included were previously unreleased. Not such a big deal for most comps but when you are talking about unreleased tracks by Rhys Chatham, Tony Conrad, Arnold Dreyblatt and Zeena Parkins, there is most definitely a reason to rejoice. You can always really judge how well a label understands the music it puts out when they release compilations. Because anyone can just throw a bunch of tracks together and say "hey look at all these cool people we've released record by" and pat themselves on the back. But when you listen to this comp the pacing and sequence on the first disc is perfectly thought out, while the second disc shows how the label has always given home to long adventurous pieces as it's dedicated to a disc long excerpt of Leif Inge's "9 Beet Stretch" Beethoven's 9th Symphony stretched to 24 hours with no pitch distortions. A field guide worth exploring for sure!
MPEG Stream: TONY CONRAD "Inducting Lilly"
MPEG Stream: RHYS CHASTHAM "100 Guitars"
MPEG Stream: LEIF INGE "9 Beet Stretch (excerpt)"

V/A Fields and Streams (Kill Rock Stars) 2cd 15.98
We haven't had a new Kill Rock Stars comp in a while (after a pretty steady schedule of almost yearly installments). It seems like maybe they've been saving them up! 2 cds of KRS stuff that is all over the place. But with so much varied stuff there's bound to be a lot of good and bad. My reactions varied from super stoked to "what the fuck is this shit?!". But as compilations go, this one is pretty good with a lot of not-so-well-known bands getting some good exposure like Beehive and the Barracudas or the Dishes. Plus unreleased tracks by by current hyped bands of the moment Erase Errata and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Other notable contributors include The Aislers Set, The Rock*A*Teens, The Bangs, Red Monkey, Neko Case, Quails, Deerhoof, Quasi, Stereo Total, Comet Gain, and loads more. Kill Rock Stars seem to be slowly but surely getting back on track releasing the kind of cool off kilter indie rock that made us dig them in the first place.
RealAudio clip: BEEHIVE AND THE BARRACUDAS "Blight Blues"
RealAudio clip: AISLERS SET "Through The Swells"
RealAudio clip: QUAILS "Memo From The Desk Of The Quails"
RealAudio clip: COMETGAIN "Look At You Now, You're Crying"

V/A Fight Club (Tigerbeat6) 12" 9.98
One on one showdown remixes from some of the top fighters in Tigerbeat6's roster. Kid 606 vs. Adrien75, Stars As Eyes vs. Lusine Icl, Cex vs. Com.a, Lesser vs. Kid606 (as heard on the Mensa Dance Squad disc), knifehandchop vs. Meccaknifehandchop (!) and Cex vs. gamers in exile. Dreamy mid-nineties Autechreish atmospherics on side A. In Your face raggadancehallmashup on the B side. Boys only? How about a girlfight!

V/A Fight on, Your Time Ain't Long (Mississippi) lp 14.98
The folks at Mississippi Records most definitely have good taste in reissues, picking lost, rare, and just plain cool stuff to get reissued on vinyl, but as good as they are at simply picking stuff to be reissued, they're even better at creating compilations, mix tape masters, whose skill at curating collections is way beyond reproach. Just have a look at some past Mississippi comps: I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore, Life Is A Problem, Last Kind Words, Love Is Love, Lipa Kodi Ya City Council. Everyone darn near perfect, packaging, song selection, sound, feel, vibe, pretty much everything, every aspect. Some major label with tons of money should swoop in and hire all these folks and get them to do what they're already doing, just with way more resources.
For now though, we're perfectly happy to dig into a new Mississippi comp every few months, and thus, we're super excited about the latest release, another collection of old time gospel and blues called Fight On, Your Time Ain't Long. And it's of course fantastic, an amazing compilation of artists, some well know, others not so, but it's the song selection, the sequence, it's like a mix tape, and as we said above, Mississippi are the masters.
The opener is amazing, and already has us looking for more from Bukka White, his voice rough raw and ragged, but still rich and soulful, backed by some amazing female vocalists, the sound lush and rich, wreathed in old record crackle. Then there's the amazing Bessie Johnson, who has a truly unique voice, a distinctive croon, haunting and throaty, draped over a minimal background, but it hardly matters, her voice is powerful enough to carry any song. Blind Mamie Forehand offers up a gospely number, simple steel string guitar and her deep soulful voice. The Edward Clayborn track sounds super old, the static and hiss almost as loud as the music, but it only makes it sound that much warmer and gorgeously timeworn and weary. Folks heavily into the blues, probably know all of these artists, maybe the songs too, but for some of us, who only have a cursory knowledge, these comps, this comp, offer up an amazing glimpse into another time, a world of sound and songs both personal and passionate, powerful and mesmerizing.
And as we all know, there's nothing quite like getting an amazing mixtape, crammed with songs and sounds that not only mesmerize, but often have you desperately searching for more from the various artists. Mission accomplished. Another winner from Mississippi.

V/A Find More Hits (Lucky Kitchen) cd 15.98
We know Lucky Kitchen as a kind of home-brew electronica label that's fascinated with things like childhood recordings, videogames, and other everyday sounds. This compilation is a sort of remix of their first ever release, featuring as participants the likes of Lucky Kitchen masterminds Alejandra and Underwood ("known for dynamic electronics and humorous anthropological explorations"), Pimmon, Sachiko M, To Rococo Rot, Jansky Noise, Matmos, and Hrvatski, among others. The idea? For these electronic artists to essentially do "cover versions" of field recordings! Interesting...

V/A Fire This Time, The (Hidden Art) 2cd 17.98
"The Fire This Time" is an unnervingly prescient release with the current US foreign policies that find the US attempting to bully the United Nations into accepting the US draft of a Security Council resolution, which would inevitably lead to another war with Iraq. Compiled by maverick British journalist Grant Wakefield, "The Fire This Time" is a detailed audio collage, deconstructing media events of the Gulf War within a political context that is encapsulated in the following statement: "it is morally necessary to be opposed to Saddam Hussein, but simultaneously to be equally, perhaps even more, opposed to the continued imposition of sanctions on Iraq. The two positions are not mutually exclusive. You can be anti-sanctions and anti-Saddam." While the recontextualization of media samples is far from novel (see Negativland, Illusion Of Safety, Tape Beatles, and even Steinski & Mass Media for the pinnacle of post-Burroughs' cut-ups in the late '80s and early '90s), Grant Wakefield's presentation is in a far more spectacular form, as a detailed argument that spans a full 72 minutes with a running soundtrack that Wakefield mixed together from Orbital, Pan Sonic, Aphex Twin, Bola, the Higher Intelligence Agency, and other electronica darlings. Even if you don't care for the politics found within, Wakeford had enough sense to produce "The Fire This Time" with an 'instrumental' disc featuring just the electronica soundtrack.
RealAudio clip: "From The Cradle (with Michael Stearns)"
RealAudio clip: "The Whore Of Babylon (with Pan Sonic)"

V/A Fit For Kings (Crawlspace/Drunken Fish) cd 12.98
Crawlspace has been releasing very limited lathe cuts (from Peter King's famous press on the South Island) of "peripheral New Zealand music" for some time now. Collaborating with Drunken Fish, Crawlspace has collected the best tracks of sloppy free noise (Crude, Witcyst), atonal free jazz (Children's Television Workshop, Casagrante Apparatus), and droning din-scapes (Parmentier, Aesthetics).

V/A Fit For Kings II (Crawlspace) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Volume two in Crawlspace's compilation of New Zealand noisemakers. Just like volume one, the tracks here are culled from Crawlspace's Artist Series, which are all unique eight inch polycarbonate (as opposed to conventional vinyl) records individually handpressed at King Records in New Zealand. All original editions are long gone, but selections from series two are available here! Twelve tracks featuring: RST, Pahjib, Crude, Empirical, Pit Viper, Wayne Gordon, Duncan Bruce, Lapdog, Sandoz Lab Technicians, James Kirk, Tim Cornelius, and Nathan Thompson.

V/A Flag Flown High (Digital B) cd 14.98
Not to be confused with the RZA's recent nom de guerre, Bobby 'Digital' Dixon is one of Jamaica's hot producers in the modern dancehall era, having cut his teeth as one of King Jammy's top engineers during the eighties. While this album's release is highly anticipated -- there being many rare cuts here -- the pall that hangs over this collection resides in the second half of dear Bobby's moniker: "digital". The press for the album seems to put it immediately on the defensive, with doubts expressed as to whether the cold and sterile world of the digital studio-- synth bass lines, drum machines and sequencers -- can express the humanity necessary for roots music. Proponents of the genre's developments can point out to nostalgic naysayers that Jamaica's music has always been in flux and that innovations in technology have gone side by side with those of rhythm and melody. Besides, given the economic restraints coupled with the fierce competitive nature of the island, it was only a matter of time before undemanding rack mountable gear began replacing session musicians. As far as being an appropriate spokesperson for this new recording M.O. in Jamaica Bobby Digital is certainly placed in a direct lineage from the days of old: having succeeded King Jammy who had, years before, brought reggae into the digital age after having worked for King Tubby. In his time Bobby Digital has worked with Jamaica's top vocalists, many of them highlighted here: Sizzla, Capleton, Shabba Ranks, Cocoa Tea, Yami Bolo and more. His innovative style is highlighted by his recycling of classic rhythms such as Bob Marley's 'Natural Mystic' and bringing them into the modern age. The failures that beset this collection lie not so much in the limitations of digital production, but in singers who sound like they're just going through the motions with cheesy modern soul style vocalisings. So where a rhythm of Bobby Digital's used by Morgan Heritage produces an almost unlistenable "Protect Us Jah", in the capable hands of Shabba Ranks' booming voice it's something grand. A majority of the cuts on this disc seem to suffer from this malady, alas. I'd almost be willing to write this whole collection off if it were not for the very first track by Garnett Silk, "Mystic Chant" (which uses the above mentioned Marley derived rhythm) which keeps nagging me to play this disc over and over. Over a stripped down and unchanging rhythm -- no bridges, no chorus -- Garnett Silk chants out scriptures from the bible. The tension of this track just builds and builds. It's friggin' heavy. Having gone through the album several times now, some other tracks begin to stand out as well so if the sample of "Mystic Chant" strikes your fancy you might consider droppping the dime for this one. Don't bother trying to track down a 12" of this one either, as it (and many others collected here) is an exclusive sound system cut that has only existed as a rare dub plate.
RealAudio clip: SILK, GARNETT "Mystic Chant"
RealAudio clip: HERITAGE, MORGAN "Protect Us Jah"
RealAudio clip: RANKS, SHABBA "Heart of A Lion"

V/A Flag Flown High (Digital B) 2lp 17.98
Not to be confused with the RZA's recent nom de guerre, Bobby 'Digital' Dixon is one of Jamaica's hot producers in the modern dancehall era, having cut his teeth as one of King Jammy's top engineers during the eighties. While this album's release is highly anticipated -- there being many rare cuts here -- the pall that hangs over this collection resides in the second half of dear Bobby's moniker: "digital". The press for the album seems to put it immediately on the defensive, with doubts expressed as to whether the cold and sterile world of the digital studio-- synth bass lines, drum machines and sequencers -- can express the humanity necessary for roots music. Proponents of the genre's developments can point out to nostalgic naysayers that Jamaica's music has always been in flux and that innovations in technology have gone side by side with those of rhythm and melody. Besides, given the economic restraints coupled with the fierce competitive nature of the island, it was only a matter of time before undemanding rack mountable gear began replacing session musicians. As far as being an appropriate spokesperson for this new recording M.O. in Jamaica Bobby Digital is certainly placed in a direct lineage from the days of old: having succeeded King Jammy who had, years before, brought reggae into the digital age after having worked for King Tubby. In his time Bobby Digital has worked with Jamaica's top vocalists, many of them highlighted here: Sizzla, Capleton, Shabba Ranks, Cocoa Tea, Yami Bolo and more. His innovative style is highlighted by his recycling of classic rhythms such as Bob Marley's 'Natural Mystic' and bringing them into the modern age. The failures that beset this collection lie not so much in the limitations of digital production, but in singers who sound like they're just going through the motions with cheesy modern soul style vocalisings. So where a rhythm of Bobby Digital's used by Morgan Heritage produces an almost unlistenable "Protect Us Jah", in the capable hands of Shabba Ranks' booming voice it's something grand. A majority of the cuts on this disc seem to suffer from this malady, alas. I'd almost be willing to write this whole collection off if it were not for the very first track by Garnett Silk, "Mystic Chant" (which uses the above mentioned Marley derived rhythm) which keeps nagging me to play this disc over and over. Over a stripped down and unchanging rhythm -- no bridges, no chorus -- Garnett Silk chants out scriptures from the bible. The tension of this track just builds and builds. It's friggin' heavy. Having gone through the album several times now, some other tracks begin to stand out as well so if the sample of "Mystic Chant" strikes your fancy you might consider droppping the dime for this one. Don't bother trying to track down a 12" of this one either, as it (and many others collected here) is an exclusive sound system cut that has only existed as a rare dub plate.

V/A Flashbacks #1: Drug Songs 1917-1944 High & Low (Trikont) cd 16.98
Yet more interesting compilations from the equally interesting German label Trikont. From the label that brought us collections of La Paloma covers, songs with yodelling and songs of death, all drawing from every genre imaginable, plus Roady music from Vietnam, and other remarkable concept mixes, comes the Flashbacks series. Six disks of music from as early as 1914, spanning to 1947 and each organized by a particular theme.
Volume one, Drug Songs: High & Low, is a collection of songs celebrating the use of drugs: from coffee to cocaine, moonshine to marijuana, hash to heroin and with such colorful titles as "Who Put the Benzedrine in Mrs. Murphy's Ovaltine" & "The Candy Man". Blues, Big Band, and Jazz tracks here from the Ink Spots, Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, Big Bill Broonzy, The Memphis Jug Band, Gene Krupa, Bukka White and much more.
RealAudio clip: HARRY 'THE HIPSTER' GIBSON "Who Put the Benzedrine in Mrs. Murphys Ovaltine"
RealAudio clip: DICK JUSTICE "Cocaine"

V/A Flashbacks #2: Novelty Songs 1914-1946 Crazy & Obscure (Trikont) cd 16.98
Yet more interesting compilations from the equally interesting German label Trikont. From the label that brought us collections of La Paloma covers, songs with yodelling and songs of death, all drawing from every genre imaginable, plus Roady music from Vietnam, and other remarkable concept mixes, comes the Flashbacks series. Six disks of music from as early as 1914, spanning to 1947 and each organized by a particular theme.
Volume two, Novelty Songs: Crazy & Obscure, is an interesting collection of off kilter numbers and arrangements. Some of the tracks are from those you'd expect: Hoosier Hot Shots, Groucho Marx, Spike Jones and Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy. But there's a lot of other tracks from maybe less likely sources as Cab Calloway, The Andrews Sisters and the Memphis Jug band.
RealAudio clip: SPIKE JONES "Hawaiian War Chant"
RealAudio clip: THE 5 JONES BOYS "Mr. Ghost Goes to Town"
RealAudio clip: KARL VALENTIN & LIESL KARLSTADT "The Okey Laughing Record"

V/A Flashbacks #3: Copulation Blues 1926-1940 Hot & Sexy (Trikont) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Yet more interesting compilations from the equally interesting German label Trikont. From the label that brought us collections of La Paloma covers, songs with yodelling and songs of death, all drawing from every genre imaginable, plus Roady music from Vietnam, and other remarkable concept mixes, comes the Flashbacks series. Six disks of music from as early as 1914, spanning to 1947 and each organized by a particular theme.
Volume three, Copulation Blues: Hot & Sexy, is a collection of Hokum blues. Those who aren't satified with one hour sessions of dirty music and have worn out the springs on their copies of Please Warm My Weiner (Yazoo) should pay heed to this. Lots of randy big band, blues, and texas swing numbers dedicated to everyone's favorite past-time. Tracks here from Alberta Hunter, Cab Calloway, The Light Crust Doughboys, Mae West and much more. The only odd ommission is that there's not one single Memphis Minnie number to be found on this disk. Oh well.
RealAudio clip: CLARENCE WILLIAMS "Organ Grinder Blues"
RealAudio clip: LIGHT CRUST DOUGHBOYS "Pussy Pussy Pussy"
RealAudio clip: LUCILLE BOGAN "Shave 'Em Dry"

V/A Flashbacks #4: Heartbreakers 1927-1946 Blue & Lonely (Trikont) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Yet more interesting compilations from the equally interesting German label Trikont. From the label that brought us collections of La Paloma covers, songs with yodelling and songs of death, all drawing from every genre imaginable, plus Roady music from Vietnam, and other remarkable concept mixes, comes the Flashbacks series. Six disks of music from as early as 1914, spanning to 1947 and each organized by a particular theme.
Volume four, Hearbreakers: Blue & Lonely, is a disk dedicated to broken hearts. Probably the largest selection of wider known tracks and artist on this disk, starting with Am I Blue? sung by Libby Holman. Also included are tracks by The Ink Spots, Dinah Shore, The Boswell Sisters, Bessie Smith, Blind Willie Johnson, Duke Ellington, Ma Rainey, Benny Goodman, Memphis Jug Band and much more.
RealAudio clip: BESSIE SMITH "Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out"
RealAudio clip: BLIND WILLLIE JOHNSON "If I Had My Way"

V/A Flashbacks #5: Halleluja 1926-1946 Gospel & Prayers (Trikont) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Yet more interesting compilations from the equally interesting German label Trikont. From the label that brought us collections of La Paloma covers, songs with yodelling and songs of death, all drawing from every genre imaginable, plus Roady music from Vietnam, and other remarkable concept mixes, comes the Flashbacks series. Six disks of music from as early as 1914, spanning to 1947 and each organized by a particular theme.
Volume five, Halleluja: Gospel & Prayers, is a collection of gospel recordings, both a capella quartet, accompanied soloist, and even some recordings made at church services, all from 1926 to 1946. An amazing variety of gospel recordings, Featuring tracks from Bessie Smith, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Blind Willie Johnson and much more.
RealAudio clip: GOLDEN GATE JUBILEE QUARTET "Golden Gate Gospel Train"
RealAudio clip: GUITAR EVANGELIST EDWARD W. CLAYBORN "Then We'll Need That True Religion"
RealAudio clip: UTAH SMITH "I Want Two Wings"

V/A Flashbacks #6: American War Songs 1933-1947 Hitler & Hell (Trikont) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Yet more interesting compilations from the equally interesting German label Trikont. From the label that brought us collections of La Paloma covers, songs with yodelling and songs of death, all drawing from every genre imaginable, plus Roady music from Vietnam, and other remarkable concept mixes, comes the Flashbacks series. Six disks of music from as early as 1914, spanning to 1947 and each organized by a particular theme.
Volume six, American War Songs: Hitler & Hell, is an interesting collection of inspirational fighting anthems from before and through World War II. Because nazi propaganda that was spreading throughout Europe and the United States unfettered people, such as film mogel Harry Warner, inspired others to lash back with anti-Nazi propaganda. Harry is quoted in the liner notes addressing the American Legion in a speech that was broadcast on news reel in 1939: "...Drive them out. Make America unsafe for those who seek to tear down what others have built through the generations since 1776. Drive them from their secret meeting places. Destroy their insidious propaganda machines. Drive out their bunds and their leagues, their klans and black legions. The silver shirts, the black shirts and the dirty shirts. Help keep America for those who believe in America..." More is included in both German and English in these very thorough liner notes. The disk itself features tracks by Leadbelly, Eddie Cantor, The Hoosier Hot Shots, Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters, Nat King Cole, Marlene Dietrich and much more.
RealAudio clip: LEADBELLY "Mr. Hitler"
RealAudio clip: TEXAS JIM ROBERTSON "The Last Page of Mein Kampf"
RealAudio clip: ROSALIE ALLEN "Hitler Lives"

V/A Flexi-Sex (Trunk) cd 16.98
Someome at Trunk records has a very dirty mind. And apparently a very dirty collection of recordings. But lucky for us, they're happy to share their dirty little treasures with the rest of the world. Flexi-sex compiles actual recordings originally issued as flexi discs that came free with certain British porn mags in the late seventies/early eighties (Whitehouse and Rustler if you must know) and contain some of the most hilarious and patently un-sexy sexy recordings we have ever heard. Over cheesy, bawdy seventies porno-jazz-schmaltz, older sounding British women, recite their sexy scripts, some more convincingly than others. Lots of talk of pricks and shafts and tits and hairy balls (Kathy Mcginty anyone?) and stems and bottoms and fannies (and fanny means something much different in the UK, needless to say there are no fannypacks over there...) and lots of heavy breathing and sighing and moaning, but all delivered in super prim sounding British accents. Which maybe could make it more sexy, that whole Educating Rita thing, but actually seems to have the opposite affect. Several of the women also make sure to let you know that while they may not be the sexiest women around, they are most definitely the horniest. Good to know. Be warned before you listen to the sound samples that this is definitely X-rated (well, at least R rated) so prudes steer clear.
MPEG Stream: "Folky Fenella From Dorset"
MPEG Stream: "I'm Juicy Lucy"
MPEG Stream: "Babs"

V/A Flexi-Sex (Trunk) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Someome at Trunk records has a very dirty mind. And apparently a very dirty collection of recordings. But lucky for us, they're happy to share their dirty little treasures with the rest of the world. Flexi-sex compiles actual recordings originally issued as flexi discs that came free with certain British porn mags in the late seventies/early eighties (Whitehouse and Rustler if you must know) and contain some of the most hilarious and patently un-sexy sexy recordings we have ever heard. Over cheesy, bawdy seventies porno-jazz-schmaltz, older sounding British women, recite their sexy scripts, some more convincingly than others. Lots of talk of pricks and shafts and tits and hairy balls (Kathy Mcginty anyone?) and stems and bottoms and fannies (and fanny means something much different in the UK, needless to say there are no fannypacks over there...) and lots of heavy breathing and sighing and moaning, but all delivered in super prim sounding British accents. Which maybe could make it more sexy, that whole Educating Rita thing, but actually seems to have the opposite affect. Several of the women also make sure to let you know that while they may not be the sexiest women around, they are most definitely the horniest. Good to know. Be warned before you listen to the sound samples that this is definitely X-rated (well, at least R rated) so prudes steer clear.
MPEG Stream: "Folky Fenella From Dorset"
MPEG Stream: "I'm Juicy Lucy"
MPEG Stream: "Babs"

V/A Florialia Vol. 3 (WoT 4 Records) cd 14.98
Third volume of this truly international space-psych rock compilation series, for all you cosmopolitan (and cosmic) Terrastockers out there. You've got a few relatively well-known names like Acid Mothers Temple (Japan), Amp (England), Magic Carpathians (Poland), Smoking the Century Away (Mexico), alongside others less well known from Germany, Sweden, Texas, Italy, Greece, Hungary... Ranging from the poppy to the proggy, with synths and exotic instrumentation in equal doses. There's nothing too heavy to behold on here, with some bands more genuinely psychedelic than others, but it's at least a pleasant ride nonetheless.

V/A Florida Funk: Funk 45's from the Alligator State 1968-1975 (Jazzman) cd 15.98
There has not been a shortage of amazing soul reissues recently and we sure as heck aren't complaining. But we gotta say that the two new comps of golden era soul and funk we're listing this time out are two absolute must haves for vintage soul and funk lovers! You'll hear about the great "Super Cool California Soul 2" comp elsewhere on this list but right now let's focus on this hot collection of deep hitting, soul wrenching, body moving, Florida fried funk! An amazing collection of songs pulled from rare and mostly impossible to find 45's from funk artists all across Florida during the prime-time funk years of 1968-1975. While lots of soul comps throw around the word Funk with careless abandon we find many of them to be way more old school soul and even doo-wop sounding where this is for sure some 100 percent fortified FUNK! Fuzzy guitars, breakbeats that would make any hip-hop producer drool and all sorts of in your face attitude! Everytime we play this (which has pretty much been daily since we've gotten it in) someone in the store comes to check out what we're playing and says something along the lines of "Damn, this is good!" and we couldn't agree more!
MPEG Stream: THE UNIVERSALS "New Generation"
MPEG Stream: LUIS SANTI Y SU CONJUNTO "Los Feligreses"
MPEG Stream: BLOWFLY "Butterfly Theme"

V/A Fluorescent Tunnelvision (Submergence) 2cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
What first caught our attention about this international compilation of "space rock" bands was the presence of both utter AQ-faves Circle and equally fantastic (and Finnish) Circle-variant Ektroverde! Those band's tracks (both over nine minutes each, bookending disc one with heavy psych overload) are worth the price of admission alone, at least in the view of the Circle-obsessives here at AQ. And fortunately, the rest of this double cd comp is pretty great too. Unreleased material from the likes of Faust, Volcano the Bear, Subarachnoid Space (who win the award for worst song title with the punny "So Near And Yeti So Far"), F/i, Pseudo Buddha (who get the worst *band name* award), Djam Karet, Zelany Rahoho, Escapade, Tombstone Valentine, Oranj Climax, Quarkspace, Melodic Energy Commission, Tree Sign, 2012, and Mushroom. Yeah, you're thinking the same thing we were, "well some of those sound a bit dodgy, don't they?" However, we ended up being well pleased with most of the collection, which flows together in a very cosmic, krautrocky fashion. Spacey synths abound, of course, and the spirit of Hawkwind lives in the hearts of many of these bands, but variety there is too, from the weird sound collage provided by Faust, to the pseudo-Miles spacefunk of Mushroom, to the the dark string-drone of Volcano the Bear... Cool comp!

V/A Fluxus Anthology (Anthology) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We've stocked this item before, aeons ago, but it seems to have had a difficult time staying in print. Technically it's still not in print, but Forced Exposure was swinging pickaxes around and unearthed a few more. They've dusted them off and we've taken a few off their hands. The disk itself is a document of the music (and "sound events") of a more recent art movement. Contributors include: Nam June Paik, Yoko Ono, Joseph Beuys, John Cage, La Monte Young, Philip Corner, and many others. Edited by Maurizio Nannucci. Be forwarned that the vein that was struck was by no means a motherload, so if'n you missed this gem the first, second, or third times around and have a hankerin' for a hunk a fluxus, you best be pickin' one up asap.

V/A Fluxus Anthology (Zona) lp 25.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We've had this compilation on cd a few different times before but never on lp. As you may recall it went out of print, but then a few more were discovered a while back. Now it's available once again, only now on the long playing phonograph record format (we're still hoping that they'll work their way back to a 78 box set on this one.) The collection itself is a document of the music (and "sound events") of the Fluxus art movement. Contributors include: Nam June Paik, Yoko Ono, Joseph Beuys, John Cage, La Monte Young, Philip Corner, and many others. Edited by Maurizio Nannucci. We're not sure what the continued availablity of this collection is in this format or any other, so unless you're hoping they'll get to wax cylinders you should pick this up sooner rather than later.

V/A Fly Girls! B-Boys Beware - Revenge Of The Super Female Rappers (Soul Jazz) 2cd 25.00
Holy shit, this is what we've been waiting for! Soul Jazz comes correct with an essential collection of the fierce and fired up sounds of the early queens of hip-hop. This is basically everything we love about hip-hop, captured in one monstrous collection, perfectly reflecting out love of both old school hip hop and more specifically female MC's, proving one again that the ladies knew how to do it best!
Filled with sass, strength, humor and charged sexuality, these ladies weren't just trailblazers, they made songs that still sound so damn catchy and irresistible all these years later.
While a big shift happened for sure it's important to remember that hip-hop's origins were strongly connected to strong females and even queer spirit. Coming out of the disco and funk scenes of late '70s New York there was a whole generation of girls who grew up empowered to take the mic and take no prisoners as they did so. So many of those amazing women are on this collection. Roxanne Shante, Sweet Tee, Sequence, Cookie Crew, JJ Fad, Queen Latifah (yes, she once was way fierce!), MC Lyte, Dimples D, Missy Elliott, and way more. There are those of us who remember these tracks from back in the day and we're equally excited for a whole new generation to get blown away by the colorful energy in these sounds, kids who have grown up on MIA, Lil' Kim, Fannypack, and Yo Majesty will get to hear just where those sounds came from! While the early '80s was the heyday for these sounds, what makes Fly Girls such a cool collection is that it's a three decade retrospective which brings the best of the female MCs from the late '70s all the way to the early '90s. These tracks make us wanna dust off our old sneakers and head to the playground with nothing but a boombox, a piece of cardboard and some friends 'cause with these songs blasting that's all you need for an instant party!
MPEG Stream: THE SEQUENCE "Simon Says"
MPEG Stream: TWO SISTERS "B-Boys Beware"
MPEG Stream: JJ FAD "You're Goin Down"
MPEG Stream: DIMPLES D. "Sucker DJs"
MPEG Stream: ROXANNE SHANTE "Bite This"
MPEG Stream: LADY D. "To The Beat"

V/A Fly Girls! B-Boys Beware - Revenge Of The Super Female Rappers - Volume 1 (Soul Jazz) 2lp 27.00
Holy shit, this is what we've been waiting for! Soul Jazz comes correct with an essential collection of the fierce and fired up sounds of the early queens of hip-hop. This is basically everything we love about hip-hop, captured in one monstrous collection, perfectly reflecting out love of both old school hip hop and more specifically female MC's, proving one again that the ladies knew how to do it best!
Filled with sass, strength, humor and charged sexuality, these ladies weren't just trailblazers, they made songs that still sound so damn catchy and irresistible all these years later.
While a big shift happened for sure it's important to remember that hip-hop's origins were strongly connected to strong females and even queer spirit. Coming out of the disco and funk scenes of late '70s New York there was a whole generation of girls who grew up empowered to take the mic and take no prisoners as they did so. So many of those amazing women are on this collection. Roxanne Shante, Sweet Tee, Sequence, Cookie Crew, JJ Fad, Queen Latifah (yes, she once was way fierce!), MC Lyte, Dimples D, Missy Elliott, and way more. There are those of us who remember these tracks from back in the day and we're equally excited for a whole new generation to get blown away by the colorful energy in these sounds, kids who have grown up on MIA, Lil' Kim, Fannypack, and Yo Majesty will get to hear just where those sounds came from! While the early '80s was the heyday for these sounds, what makes Fly Girls such a cool collection is that it's a three decade retrospective which brings the best of the female MCs from the late '70s all the way to the early '90s. These tracks make us wanna dust off our old sneakers and head to the playground with nothing but a boombox, a piece of cardboard and some friends 'cause with these songs blasting that's all you need for an instant party!
MPEG Stream: THE SEQUENCE "Simon Says"
MPEG Stream: TWO SISTERS "B-Boy's Beware"
MPEG Stream: JJ FAD "You're Going Down"

V/A Fly Girls! B-Boys Beware - Revenge Of The Super Female Rappers - Volume 2 (Soul Jazz) 2lp 27.00
Holy shit, this is what we've been waiting for! Soul Jazz comes correct with an essential collection of the fierce and fired up sounds of the early queens of hip-hop. This is basically everything we love about hip-hop, captured in one monstrous collection, perfectly reflecting out love of both old school hip hop and more specifically female MC's, proving one again that the ladies knew how to do it best!
Filled with sass, strength, humor and charged sexuality, these ladies weren't just trailblazers, they made songs that still sound so damn catchy and irresistible all these years later.
While a big shift happened for sure it's important to remember that hip-hop's origins were strongly connected to strong females and even queer spirit. Coming out of the disco and funk scenes of late '70s New York there was a whole generation of girls who grew up empowered to take the mic and take no prisoners as they did so. So many of those amazing women are on this collection. Roxanne Shante, Sweet Tee, Sequence, Cookie Crew, JJ Fad, Queen Latifah (yes, she once was way fierce!), MC Lyte, Dimples D, Missy Elliott, and way more. There are those of us who remember these tracks from back in the day and we're equally excited for a whole new generation to get blown away by the colorful energy in these sounds, kids who have grown up on MIA, Lil' Kim, Fannypack, and Yo Majesty will get to hear just where those sounds came from! While the early '80s was the heyday for these sounds, what makes Fly Girls such a cool collection is that it's a three decade retrospective which brings the best of the female MCs from the late '70s all the way to the early '90s. These tracks make us wanna dust off our old sneakers and head to the playground with nothing but a boombox, a piece of cardboard and some friends 'cause with these songs blasting that's all you need for an instant party!
MPEG Stream: DIMPLES D. "Sucker DJs"
MPEG Stream: ROXANNE SHANTE "Bite This"
MPEG Stream: LADY D. "To The Beat"

V/A Foglands (Deep Listenings) cd-r 12.98
Foglands is the follow up to the gorgeous and very well received compilation The Threshold Of Silence reviewed a while back, which featured a bunch of AQ faves: Aidan Baker, Troum, Paul Bradley and a bunch of others. A gorgeous collection of minimal dronemusick running the gamut from ominous Lustmordian darkness to glistening dreamlike ambience. Foglands is sonically similar, but features a lineup of groups for the most part unknown to us. Thankfully, all the bands involved are mining the same mysterious sonic soundworlds as our favorite soundmakers and dronelords.
There's the slightly ominous, almost new wave blisss out of Seren Ffordd's "Haze", the rich lustrous whir and cavernous shimmer of Darkened Soul's "Visu", Mathias Grassow offers up a sprawling expanse of hazy glimmering soft focus hum in the form of "Deeper Purity", Netherworld's "Frostnetter" is an reverb drenched percussive soundscape, Eastern tinged and rife with bits of feedback, and strange clanks and clangs, dreamSTATE deliver "Fogbound", a lengthy dreamy drift of soaring cinematic strings and soft swirling swells, Oophoi's "Outremer" is a super abstract, stark soundscape of whirring winds and almost static stretches of slow shifting hushed blur, and finally Thomas Weiss closes the proceedings with "Isolation", an appropriately isolationist sprawl of whispered melodies, deep throbbing low end, and gently swaying bits of chordal glimmer.
Fans of all things drone and ambient and dark ambient and black ambient and drifting and dreamlike, will definitely fall under the soporific spell of Foglands.
Packaged in an oversized full plastic sleeve, with an oversized card, full color image on one side and liner notes on the other.
LIMITED TO 300 COPIES, each disc hand numbered.
MPEG Stream: DARKENED SOUL "Visu"
MPEG Stream: OOPHOI "Outremer"

V/A Folk and Pop Sounds of Sumatra Vol. 1 (Sublime Frequencies) cd 14.98
We're pretty damn excited by Sun City Girls 33.3 percenter Alan Bishop's new Sublime Frequencies label. "Dedicated to acquiring and exposing obscure sights and sounds from modern and traditional urban and rural frontiers" Sublime Frequencies is slipping on the shoes apparently discarded by such pioneering labels as Smithsonian Folkways, Nonesuch Explorer, et al. Unlike previous explorers in such unheard music, Sublime Frequencies is not restricted by academic or commercial purposes. The latter probably deserves a bit more explanation; for where much of the post-Explorer purveyors of "world music" shamelessly produce an endless slough of slick garbage that sounds like the crap you can hear on any U.S. top 40 radio station merely sung in another language (Christ, if I had a wooden nickel for every fuckin' starry eyed NPR music review extoling the uniqueness of some generic world music outfit that combines electronic music with traditional folk, yadda, yadda, yadda the world's forests would be clear cut by now) the recordings you'll hear presented by Sublime Frequencies come from the cracks in the pavement of the culture makers. Through field recordings (many made by Bishop himself in his travels), radio and shortwave broadcasts some of the most fucking great music and audio you've never heard has been culled together. Balls to fidelity, none of the artists here would be allowed within 10 miles of a Putamayo AR executive, this is the punk rock of field recordings!

Assembled from cassettes acquired by Alan Bishop through trade or purchase in 1989 while traveling through Sumatra, "Folk And Pop Sounds" contains some of the most obscure recordings of the three initial CD releases from Subliminal Frequencies. Located on the furthest Western edge of the Indonesian archipelago, Sumatra is big (as big as California) and widely unexplored in the audio realm in comparison with its neighboring islands to the East, Java and Bali. The disc begins with the Haba Haba Group in which a male singer is accompanied by flute, two alternating gongs and percussion and secondly by an unknown Sumatran Dangdut (crazy overdriven pop with a heavy Indian film music influence). The most immediately noticeable difference in these recordings from Sumatra to Bali & Java is the overt Arabic influence on the music. The Dangdut track even sounds similar to the music on a Somalian CD, "Jamiila" which we used to sell here years ago before it went out of print. As if to admonish us against generalizations, another later Dangdut track, with runaway farfisa organ, pleasant arppegiating electric guitar and female vocals sounds not dis-similar to the "keroncong" music of The Steps CD from Java released on Warn Defever's Time Stereo label. While the disc may begin innocently enough, the sequencing of the tracks seduces the listener into the strange world of Sumatran music. The very Arabic sounding Indang Pariaman which features a female singer who's melody line interweaves beautifully with end blown wooden flute and some more incredibly nutty buzzing electric keyboard (one can only imagine that the sound is intended to imitate a double reed instrument of old) is moved along by jovial electric bass and casio-rhythm. The combination of acoustic and archaic electric instruments is shamelessly wonderful. Later an orchestra of sorts, complete with violin, electric organ, bass, drums, female voice leads us down a fragrant path that's oddly reminiscent of a Sun City Girls track. Speaking of which, though this one technically isn't, there are a couple of tracks on here which indeed are songs covered by the Girls, can you figure out which ones? Along with the songs proper included here, there are some great excerpts from dramas. The first instance begins with sweet flute and what's supposed to be a rooster crowing, but emulated by what sounds like an old air raid siren played through a broken megaphone. A melodramatic dialogue ensues between a terribly afflicted female and a stoic male voice. needless to say, this one comes highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: HABA HABA GROUP "Sitogol #1"
MPEG Stream: UNKNOWN "Piso Somalim #1"
MPEG Stream: PIMP RUBIAH "Sri Mersing"

V/A Folk and Pop Sounds of Sumatra Vol. 2 (Sublime Frequencies) cd 14.98
This second volume of Sumatran music does not disapoint. Not at all. Different than the music of Java and Bali, the Arabic influence on Sumatran music is unmistakable. More than that though, Sumatran music seems to not only include a wide variety of influences from near and far, but seems to wear it on its sleeve. And yet, despite the insane amount of musical diversity, the Arabic thread runs strongly through every single track here. The 17 tracks on this disc feature some eight different genres of music from Sumatra. The Rabab Dangdut cuts tend to be like the country music of Sumatra. At least that's what the scratchy fiddle parts immediately sound like to a western ear. But melodies and the interaction between the vocals and fiddle are slightly reminiscent of Thai Mo Lam. Add on top of this some ska rhythm guitar, electric bass and drums and things start to get a little thick. The other styles are no less odd. The Orkes Gambus are all orchestral numbers with oud, huge sounding violin sections, electric organs and female vocals. In a blind listening test one might guess the origins as Syria or Egypt. The Tari Minang tracks are about as close to Java as you'll get here. Along with a small gamelan ensemble are Arabic double reeds, flutes and female vocals. Like the first volume, there's nary a dud on this one. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: SYAMSUDIN "Sigumendar"
MPEG Stream: UNKNOWN "Unknown"
MPEG Stream: MUCHLIS/BERSAMA "Salam Pembukaan"

V/A Folk Is Not A Four Letter Word (Delay 68) cd 17.98
British DJ Andy Votel (also responsible for the mindblowing Vertigo Mixed set that we'll be reviewing as soon as we have enough!) has compiled this fantastic disc devoted to, as you might expect, some way cool "folk" music sounds from approx. three decades ago... he's selected tracks from acts that range from pagan UK acid folk to SoCal styled sunshine popsyke to would-be Joni Mitchell songstress stuff to far-out hippy jams. Even a Polish blues band. Some of this had unrealized commercial potential, other stuff was willfully experimental...all of it is mellow and pretty, sometimes melancholic, sometimes sunny and buoyant. The folksters found here are mostly pretty obscure and uncelebrated, though AQ customers are likely to be already familiar with, say, Brigitte Fontaine and Linda Perhacs. And there's a track from Spain's wonderfully stoned Musica Dispersa, whose reissued album we so recently reviewed.
Here's all the artists: Carol Batton, Kathy Smith, Sarofeen & Smoke, Brigitte Fontaine, Linda Perhacs, Breakout, Musica Dispersa, The Poppy Family, Wendy & Bonnie, Bonnie Koloc, Heaven & Earth, Erica Pomerace, Audience, The Roundtable, Sidan. Lots of lovely female voices, some menfolk too. As you'd expect, a lot of this is a wee bit twee -- some cuts are more our thing than others -- but it's a fine comp with no duds and lots of gentle gems. Votel provides enthusiastic and well-researched liner notes with info on each artist featured. Nicely done!
MPEG Stream: BREAKOUT "Warm Up My Lips"
MPEG Stream: SAROFEEN & SMOKE "It's Love"
MPEG Stream: THE POPPY FAMILY "Shadows On My Wall"

V/A Folk Is Not A Four Letter Word Vol. 2 (Delay 68) cd 17.98
It seems like we've been waiting forever for this, and finally it's here!! As you know we're big fans of Andy Votel's folk and prog comps as well as the Finders Keepers reissue series, and this collection does not disappoint. The first volume had all sorts of amazing songs from mostly bands we had never heard of, save for two or three exceptions. But with that and the help of Bob Stanley's stellar Acid Folk comps, Gathering In The Mushrooms, and An Early Morning Hush, as well as reissue labels Lion, Water and Sunbeam, our ears have been pricked up to rare folk ever since, so we are a bit ahead of the game in terms of making a whole lot of new discoveries here on this collection, which includes store favorites, Sibylle Baier, Pentangle, Turid, Susan Christie and Emmanuelle Parrenin. But there are plenty of surprises and wonderful inclusions such as the female Spanish/Dutch duo, Vainica Doble, the sitar-folk stylings of Paul Parrish, the Swedish prog-folk of Midsommar, the child sung lullabyes of Jan and Lorraine, Hawaii's These Trails, the Dutch commune folk of Elly & Rikkart, The Christian folk of Parchment and 11.59 and stalwart blues-folk heavyweight, Alexis Korner, among many others. So Awesome!!!
MPEG Stream: THESE TRAILS "Of Broken Links"
MPEG Stream: JAN AND LORRAINE "Number 33"
MPEG Stream: VAINICA DOBLE "Dime Felix"
MPEG Stream: PAUL PARRISH "Dialogue of Wind and Lover"

V/A Folk Music In Sweden (Caprice) 3cd 44.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Three cd set of the earliest existing recordings of Swedish folk music - primarily solo fiddle, with occasional clarinet and dulcimer - recorded onto wax cylinders between 1913 and 1920. Includes a 39 page booklet with liner notes in Swedish and English along with archival photos.

V/A Folks, He Sure Do Pull Some Bow (Old Hat) cd 14.98
Old Hat seems to be picking up the slack from Yazoo these days when it comes to reissuing American roots music. On the last AQL we got the "Music From the Lost Provinces" disc, which was great, and now comes a pair of great discs showcasing black fiddle players from the 20's and 30's. For while the fiddle was a prominent instrument in black string bands way back when, it's been all but disassociated from blues and jazz in the present. So what happened to the violin's place in black string bands to relegate it from lead instrument at the turn of the 20th century, to being all but unused before the century was half way through? And why isn't the violin used more often in the blues today? Maybe it comes down to ergonomics; the lone singer with a guitar not only has an easier time with singing and playing, but certainly cuts a more striking pose with his ax than a fiddler. While it's generally agreed that guitarists were indeed more popular than fiddlers at the dawn of commercial recording, the editors of these discs argue that recording companies were extraordinarily biased towards recording guitarists for the sole interest of profits from record sales. So what's new? That might explain the blues, but what about jazz? At the birth of jazz during the 1920's there were more violinists in New Orleans' Storyville (according to the local registry of musicians and bands) than the now ubiquitous horn players. That, I suppose, can be chalked up to volume. A loud horn section will always have an edge playing to large audiences in an urban setting such as New Orleans. What Old Hat has collected here are some of the finest examples of fiddle players who were, by some thankful foresight, preserved for our edification and enjoyment. And for what is lacking in quantity of fiddle recordings available from this period is made up for in quality. The majority of tracks here were recorded between 1926 and 1935 (with one straggler taken from a 1948 session). The greatest thing about the music on these discs is that it's not "jazz" and it's not "blues" per-se either. Performers themselves took the liberty of calling their tunes "_________ (insert word here) blues" even when the tunes didn't follow the rigid parameters of the blues chord progression. This in the hopes of capitalizing on the increasing popularity of the new genre. The popular form of the day, ragtime, spawned both blues and jazz. Old Hat has done a fine job with both of these, as with all of their reissues, including excellent liner notes and historic photos. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: ABREW'S PORTUGUESE INSTRUMENTAL TRIO "Cabo Verdranos Peca Nove"
MPEG Stream: THE BLUE BOYS "Memphis Stomp"

V/A Fonotone Records : Frederick Maryland (Dust-To-Digital) 5cd+book 72.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
From Dust To Digital, the label that brought us the absolutely breathtaking Goodbye Babylon collection of early gospel music comes this exhaustive collection of lost 78's released between 1956-1969 on Fonotone Records, the last 78-RPM record label in the land. None of these tracks has ever been available on cd before, but now, after years and years of extensive research, digging through old records, sifting through old photographs and tracking down musicians, we're finally able to hear these amazing recordings. 5 discs, 131 tracks of some of the most amazing and long unheard latter-day American Primitive music, bluegrass, blues, folk, country and more. Housed in a cigar box, this set includes five cds in full color printed sleeves, a massive 160 page book with photos, liner notes, notes on each track and each artist, seventeen full color postcards, three record label reproductions, a souvenir folder and a Fonotone bottle opener!
Most of the artists were new to us with the notable exception of Mr. John Fahey recording as Blind Thomas and as the Mississippi Swampers (with Mike Stewart) and of course Fonotone head honcho Joe Bussard. But that almost makes it cooler. So many unheard and unheard of artists. Fans of Goodbye Babylon, the American Primitive compilations, and American Folkways will most likely find this pretty darn essential!
MPEG Stream: JOE BUSSARD & OSCAR MYERS "Chinese Breakdown"
MPEG Stream: BLUE RIDGE PARTNERS "Carry Me Back To The Mountains"
MPEG Stream: LUCKY CHATMAN'S OZARK MOUNTAIN BOYS "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"
MPEG Stream: LEE MOORE "Boweavil"
MPEG Stream: B. SAM FIRK "Old Country Rock"

V/A For A Decade Of Sin: 11 Years Of Bloodshot Records (Bloodshot) 2cd 16.98
Oh Bloodshot how we love thee. You singlehandedly (okay, well maybe not SINGLEhandedly) convinced a nation of hipsters that it's okay to love country music. And that there was more to country music than Kenny Chesny or Toby Keith. And that maybe a quick peek at your parents records might prove that they weren't so square after all, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, David Allan Coe, Patsy Cline, George Jones. So we had a generation of punk rockers discover their inner twang and thus was born the so-called No Depression movement. Named for the first Uncle Tupelo record, which in turn owed everything but it's country punk sound to the Carter Family, this upstart generation of REAL young country grew and changed and became a gorgeously varied patchwork quilt of all the various strains of strum and twang. And Bloodshot was there to document it all. From the swampy Bliblical blues of Sixteen Horsepower, to the stomping punk-as-fuck broken bottle bluegrass of Split Lip Rayfield, to the rambunctious country power-pop of the Old 97's, to the mysterious darktwang of Richard Buckner to the psychpop country of My Morning Jacket and on and on. This comp reads like a who's who of the last 10 years of independent music, and is a testament to the vision of Bloodshot. Lots of rare and exclusive tracks from: Paul Burch & Ralph Stanley, Bobby Bare Jr., Andre Williams & The Sadies, the Meat Purveyors, the Bottle Rockets, Carla Bozulich, Minus 5, Nine Pound Hammer, Sally Timms, Kelly Hogan, Crooked Fingers, Mary Lou Lord, Jon Rauhouse, John Doe, Jennie & The Pinetops, Hanl Wiliiams III, The Court And Spark, Rex Hobart, the Waco Brothers and tons more. Comes with a big 'ol booklet of liner notes and amazing photos.
MPEG Stream: SIXTEEN HORSEPOWER "De-Railed"
MPEG Stream: OLD 97'S "I'd Be Lonesome"
MPEG Stream: SPLIT LIP RAYFIELD "How Many Biscuits Can You Eat?"