DIMITRI FROM PARIS After The Playboy Mansion (Astralwerks) 2cd 21.00
Another tres chi chi dance mix by French suave DJ Dimitri From Paris. L'homme onctueux has stylishly stacked two full cds worth of sexy, jazz-tinged clubland tracks for his follow-up to his 2000 collection 'A Night At The Playboy Mansion'. One is designated "laidback" and includes tracks by Les Nubians, a not so laidback Grace Jones, and Gwen Guthrie. The other is decidedly more "uplifting" and contains De La Soul with Chaka Khan, TS Monk, and Llorca. Kid Loco and euro-dance fans gather 'round.
RealAudio clip: GRACE JONES "Feel Up (Danny Tenaglia remix)"
RealAudio clip: LLORCA "Indigo Blues"

DIMLAIA s/t (Stonehenge / Destructure) lp 12.98

DIMLAIA / SWARRRM split (SuperFi Records) 10" 9.98

DIMMER I Believe You Are A Star (Columbia) cd 16.98
Dimmer is led by one New Zealand rock veteran Mr. Shayne Carter. I Believe You Are A Star is far darker (yes, dimmer, haha!) and deeper entrenched in a brooding mood than their more recent full length There My Dear which we also just got in stock. Unlike that album, it seems like with this (his first recordings after his old band split) he was consciously trying to distance himself from his Straitjacket Fits past. A shadowy chill-out collection of songs propelled by shuffling drumbeats and grooving fluid basslines.
MPEG Stream: "I Drop You Off"
MPEG Stream: "Drift"

DIMMER Remissions (Isounderscore) 2lp 23.00
Not to be confused with the Dimmer that was born from NZ's Straightjacket Fits, this Dimmer brings together two stalwarts of the California experimental community: Thomas Dimuzio and Joseph Hammer. The former skirts the boundaries between electro-acoustic technologies and improvisational abstraction, having collaborated with the likes of Chris Cutler, Matmos, Wobbly, Scott Arford, Illusion Of Safety and countless others. Mr. Hammer is one of the prominent members of the willfully oblique Los Angeles Free Music Society, having participated in such projects as Solid Eye, Points Of Friction, and Steaming Coils. Hammer's instrument of choice is the reel-to-reel tape deck, through which he can muster an uncanny palette of sound, noise, and drone. The two have worked together off and on for a good part of the last decade, with a handful of performances throughout California and a couple of releases - Remissions being their second and collecting some of the best moments from those live gigs.
"Sky Wire" builds insectoid buzzes and creepily harmonic drones out of the interplay between Hammer's rough-hewn tape manipulation and Dimuzio's deftly rendered swells, somewhere between Machinefabriek and Christoph Heemann. "Sun Dog" grafts blackened noise onto an electrocutioner's hum, with Hammer's start 'n' stop tapes popping into view like a detached Burroughs cut-up. Both "Gases That Emit Light" and "Giant Eagle" continue along these same strategies with eerie clouds of drones that fold and collapse between harmonic resonance and dissonance with unsettled bursts of soft focus noise. This is really exceptional stuff, and certainly some of the best that we've encountered from either artists individually.

DIMMER There My Dear (NZ On Air) cd 16.98
As we've mentioned a few times before, we were pretty geeked when former member of New Zealand's Straitjacket Fits Shayne Carter stopped in for a surprise visit while on tour with his band Dimmer last year. We missed their gig, but fortunately he brought in a couple cds for us to enjoy. After listening to them, we were kicking ourselves even more for missing them live. Sorry for the delay, but it's taken this long for us to get our hands on them to pass along to you! The songs on this their most recent release There My Dear sound as if they were carried to our pop-loving shores by a gentle ocean breeze. Not too soft though, this wistful, yearning pop isn't without a hearty gust or two! You can definitely hear some similarities to his old band, but Carter's sensitive gent vocals and easygoing stride are also quite reminiscent of The Style Council or the Tindersticks pitched up to a higher register. Really good!
MPEG Stream: "Don't Even See Me"
MPEG Stream: "You're Only Leaving Hurt"

DIMMU BORGIR Death Cult Armageddon (Nuclear Blast) cd 16.98

DIMMU BORGIR Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (Nuclear Blast) cd 14.98
Epic, gothic black metal in the Cradle of Filth vein.

DIMMU BORGIR Godless Savage Garden (Nuclear Blast) cd 13.98
"Eliza, the whore of the night/attends the sabbath, the theatre of lust/The hunter is in the ring, caressing folds of flesh/Diabolical intercourse profound." Words and music with no equal?...from Norway's answer to Cradle of Filth, and one of the most popular metal bands in Europe at present. This ep contains new songs, an Accept cover (!), and some live cuts, eight tracks in total.

DIMMU BORGIR In Sorte Diaboli (Nuclear Blast) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "The Serpentine Offering"
MPEG Stream: "The Chosen Legacy"
MPEG Stream: "The Conspiracy Unfolds"

DIMMU BORGIR Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (Nuclear Blast) cd 16.98
Newest and possibly best (certainly best in a while) record from black metal's second biggest 'sell outs' (first place belongs to Cradle of Filth of course). Not sure how this band managed to alienate the true black metallers (other than by getting popular) 'cause this is heavy and brutal and really great. Blazing fast, with cool changes, amazing playing and a crushing production. Even the keyboards, which seem to be people's biggest complaint in the past, aren't all that obtrusive, and lend just the right amount of pomp or creep, depending on the song. And the addition of Nick Barker (ex Cradle of Filth) on drums continues to make a huge difference. He is amazing. Fans of Cradle of Filth and the like will love this, and people who have been resisting Dimmu Borgir should give this one a try. This is just a really fucking great record.
RealAudio clip: "Blessings Upon the Throne of Tyranny"

DIMMU BORGIR Spiritual Black Dimensions (Nuclear Blast) cd 15.98

DINEEN, BILL 17 Pianos (Pseudo Arcana) 3" cd-r 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Awesome solo piano recording from this NZ legend. Only 4 copies in stock.

DINOSAUR JR Beyond (Fat Possum) cd 13.98
Good ol' Dinosaur Jr.! Looks like Dinosaur Jr.! Sounds like Dinosaur Jr.! Yes, regardless of its title the band's first studio album in ten years -- and first with one Mr. Lou Barlow who left the band back in '89 -- doesn't venture far from their trademark sound of old. In fact, we might even attest to it being on par with any one of their most beloved records. Lofty praise, innit? File under: perfect-driving-in-car-record!
Perhaps taking a cue from a classic Mr. Show sketch, despite the infamous animosity amongst band members in the past, Lou, J and Murph use that tension to sing! Indeed they don't necessarily set their differences aside, but instead put that palpable friction to good use, coming together once more to rock as only they can! Bent and broken guitar chords butt into J's unmistakable sodden whimper vocals. Loud, cacophonous rough-housing meet some of the sweetest romantic sentiments often within the same song. Awwwww! Few other bands can alternately snuggle and sock you in the gut... and have you enjoy it. Just check out the lone song that was co-written by Mascis and Barlow (Mascis wrote the other ten). Damn good. Don't know if the guys like each other any more than they used to, but we sure have a soft spot for 'em. Heck, they even brought back their signature colors -- fuchsia and lime!
After so many disappointing reunion records recently (like, say, The Stooges) it's quite something that this one isn't just not-disappointing, but SO GREAT. Wow.
MPEG Stream: "Almost Ready"
MPEG Stream: "Lightning Bulb"

DINOSAUR JR Beyond (Fat Possum) lp 14.98
NOW ON VINYL!!
Good ol' Dinosaur Jr.! Looks like Dinosaur Jr.! Sounds like Dinosaur Jr.! Yes, regardless of its title the band's first studio album in ten years -- and first with one Mr. Lou Barlow who left the band back in '89 -- doesn't venture far from their trademark sound of old. In fact, we might even attest to it being on par with any one of their most beloved records. Lofty praise, innit? File under: perfect-driving-in-car-record!
Perhaps taking a cue from a classic Mr. Show sketch, despite the infamous animosity amongst band members in the past, Lou, J and Murph use that tension to sing! Indeed they don't necessarily set their differences aside, but instead put that palpable friction to good use, coming together once more to rock as only they can! Bent and broken guitar chords butt into J's unmistakable sodden whimper vocals. Loud, cacophonous rough-housing meet some of the sweetest romantic sentiments often within the same song. Awwwww! Few other bands can alternately snuggle and sock you in the gut... and have you enjoy it. Just check out the lone song that was co-written by Mascis and Barlow (Mascis wrote the other ten). Damn good. Don't know if the guys like each other any more than they used to, but we sure have a soft spot for 'em. Heck, they even brought back their signature colors -- fuchsia and lime!
After so many disappointing reunion records recently (like, say, The Stooges) it's quite something that this one isn't just not-disappointing, but SO GREAT. Wow.
MPEG Stream: "Almost Ready"
MPEG Stream: "Lightning Bulb"

DINOSAUR JR Bug (Merge) cd 14.98
Wow. Never thought we'd be reviewing a Dinosaur Jr. record. I mean, they are one of those bands that were always around. We all loved them. Had all of their records (at the time). Had the cassettes on the floor in the frontseat of the car, just a quick lean from the driver's seat, ready to pop in for the next long drive. They definitely stopped being relevent (and -good- some might argue) after Bug, their third record. But for three or four years there, Dinosaur Jr. took everything we loved and stuffed it into one perfect little indie rock package. Punk rock snarl, metallic crunch, indie jangle, squiggly guitar solos (!), and a Neil Young like whine in the form of frontman J. Mascis' stoned drawling vocals. You can definitely hear the influence Dinosaur had on Nirvana, Polvo, Swervedriver, and about a million other late eighties rock bands! Lou Barlow, bass player for Dinosaur Jr., would go on to send indie rock from the studio back to the practice space and launch a million bedroom rockers with his home recorded 4-track project Sebadoh (whose first official release was actually a track on the second Dinosaur Jr. record You're Living All Over Me) while Mascis (formerly of punk sludge outfit Deep Wound and metal weirdos Upsidedown Cross) would go on to more commerical success before dropping off the face of the earth and giving up music altogether. But for those first three records, Dinosaur Jr. were the shit. And damn if these records don't sound just as good now almost a decade later! All three re-issues have liner notes by Byron Coley and bonus tracks!
Bug was what you would call Dinosaur Jr's breakthrough. Or maybe sell out record. But who really give a shit what you call it. This was the ultimate kick ass indie rock record. Period. Heavy and catchy, melodic and weird, totally derivative and totally original! The song "Freak Scene" is what did it. A perfect pop song if there ever was one. AND the best use of expletives in an indie rock song ever. Even people who didn't know the song, would sing along to -those- parts: "So fucked, I can't believe it", and "Just don't let me fuck up will you, cuz when I need a friend it's still you", at the top of their lungs. And why not? Every inch of that song was a stone cold hook, the chorus, the verse, even the guitar solos. Track two, "No Bones" is maybe as Neil Young as Dino Jr. got, a totally unforgettable riff, and perfectly drawled vocals. Then there was "The Post", a doomy dirge that somehow morphs into into a perfect little pop ditty, wrapped around one of the most kick ass rock riffs ever and some wicked leads on top! This is maybe the first (and only?) truly perfect Dinosaur Jr. record. The sound is still buzzy and heavy, guitars are big and distorted, but the pop songs are just too strong to stay buried and against all odds, and often battling crushing guitars and freaked out noise, they rise to the surface and shine brightly through swirling shroud of distorted psychedelic haze. So so so great!!!
Bonus tracks: videos for "Freak Scene", a sill assemblage of wacky band hijinks and some poor kid getting his head shaved, and "No Bones", a gorgeously arty live video, that perfectly captures the mood of the song!
MPEG Stream: "Freak Scene"
MPEG Stream: "The Post"

DINOSAUR JR Bug (Baked Goods) lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Available on vinyl for the first time since the original lp on SST way back in 1988! Limited to 2000 copies on Baked Goods, the label of Dinosaur mainman Jay Mascis.
Wow. Never thought we'd be reviewing a Dinosaur Jr. record. I mean, they are one of those bands that were always around. We all loved them. Had all of their records (at the time). Had the cassettes on the floor in the frontseat of the car, just a quick lean from the driver's seat, ready to pop in for the next long drive. They definitely stopped being relevent (and -good- some might argue) after Bug, their third record. But for three or four years there, Dinosaur Jr. took everything we loved and stuffed it into one perfect little indie rock package. Punk rock snarl, metallic crunch, indie jangle, squiggly guitar solos (!), and a Neil Young like whine in the form of frontman J. Mascis' stoned drawling vocals. You can definitely hear the influence Dinosaur had on Nirvana, Polvo, Swervedriver, and about a million other late eighties rock bands! Lou Barlow, bass player for Dinosaur Jr., would go on to send indie rock from the studio back to the practice space and launch a million bedroom rockers with his home recorded 4-track project Sebadoh (whose first official release was actually a track on the second Dinosaur Jr. record You're Living All Over Me) while Mascis (formerly of punk sludge outfit Deep Wound and metal weirdos Upsidedown Cross) would go on to more commerical success before dropping off the face of the earth and giving up music altogether. But for those first three records, Dinosaur Jr. were the shit. And damn if these records don't sound just as good now almost a decade later! All three re-issues have liner notes by Byron Coley and bonus tracks!
Bug was what you would call Dinosaur Jr's breakthrough. Or maybe sell out record. But who really give a shit what you call it. This was the ultimate kick ass indie rock record. Period. Heavy and catchy, melodic and weird, totally derivative and totally original! The song "Freak Scene" is what did it. A perfect pop song if there ever was one. AND the best use of expletives in an indie rock song ever. Even people who didn't know the song, would sing along to -those- parts: "So fucked, I can't believe it", and "Just don't let me fuck up will you, cuz when I need a friend it's still you", at the top of their lungs. And why not? Every inch of that song was a stone cold hook, the chorus, the verse, even the guitar solos. Track two, "No Bones" is maybe as Neil Young as Dino Jr. got, a totally unforgettable riff, and perfectly drawled vocals. Then there was "The Post", a doomy dirge that somehow morphs into into a perfect little pop ditty, wrapped around one of the most kick ass rock riffs ever and some wicked leads on top! This is maybe the first (and only?) truly perfect Dinosaur Jr. record. The sound is still buzzy and heavy, guitars are big and distorted, but the pop songs are just too strong to stay buried and against all odds, and often battling crushing guitars and freaked out noise, they rise to the surface and shine brightly through swirling shroud of distorted psychedelic haze. So so so great!!!
MPEG Stream: "Freak Scene"
MPEG Stream: "The Post"

DINOSAUR JR Dinosaur (Merge) cd 14.98
Wow. Never thought we'd be reviewing a Dinosaur Jr. record. I mean, they are one of those bands that were always around. We all loved them. Had all of their records (at the time). Had the cassettes on the floor in the frontseat of the car, just a quick lean from the driver's seat, ready to pop in for the next long drive. They definitely stopped being relevent (and -good- some might argue) after Bug, their third record. But for three or four years there, Dinosaur Jr. took everything we loved and stuffed it into one perfect little indie rock package. Punk rock snarl, metallic crunch, indie jangle, squiggly guitar solos (!), and a Neil Young like whine in the form of frontman J. Mascis' stoned drawling vocals. You can definitely hear the influence Dinosaur had on Nirvana, Polvo, Swervedriver, and about a million other late eighties rock bands! Lou Barlow, bass player for Dinosaur Jr., would go on to send indie rock from the studio back to the practice space and launch a million bedroom rockers with his home recorded 4-track project Sebadoh (whose first official release was actually a track on the second Dinosaur Jr. record You're Living All Over Me) while Mascis (formerly of punk sludge outfit Deep Wound and metal weirdos Upsidedown Cross) would go on to more commerical success before dropping off the face of the earth and giving up music altogether. But for those first three records, Dinosaur Jr. were the shit. And damn if these records don't sound just as good now almost a decade later! All three re-issues have liner notes by Byron Coley and bonus tracks!
Dinosaur was not only the name of their debut record, but was actually the name of the band before they added the Jr. (after the release of Bug and a threatened lawsuit from SF hippy leftovers Dinosaur). Sloppy and chaotic, noisy and snotty, Dinosaur is the record that introduced us to what would become a hugely important band, and who by melding melody, punk rock blast, and metallic crunch would end up being massive influences on a decade of indie / college rock. Mascis' lazy, whiney nasal drawl is definitely present, but hasn't become the focal point it would be on later records. Lots of reverb, big distorted guitars, a beautifully clumsy, strummy indie rock with plenty of wah guitar, bursts of angstful harcore grrrr and the occasional metal guitar freakout. Diamonds in the rough include the glimmer of Dinosaur to come in "Repulsion" and the indie jangle love song "Severed Lips" that definitely made it on every indie geek's mixtape in 1985. Bonus track: "Does It Float (live)".
MPEG Stream: "Bulbs Of Passion"
MPEG Stream: "Severed Lips"

DINOSAUR JR Live In The Middle East (Image Entertainment) dvd 24.00
WTF?! Dinosaur Jr Live In The Middle East? Well, sort of... not in the geographical region, mind you! No, the Middle East in question here is a music venue in Boston, MA, and it is only one of the many locations at which the footage on this dvd was actually shot. It documents Dinosaur Jr's triumphant December 2005 reunion tour on which the original lineup dusted off all the old faves and tore into them with all the electricity, volume vim and vigor that we were hoping for. Lots of behind the scenes footage and bonus interviews with fellow veteran rockers Steve Albini, Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Kevin Shields, Mike Watt, Sonic Boom and uhhh, Matt Dillon.

DINOSAUR JR s/t (Baked Goods) lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Available on vinyl for the first time since the original lp on Homestead way back in 1986! Limited to 2000 copies on Baked Goods, the label of Dinosaur mainman Jay Mascis.
Wow. Never thought we'd be reviewing a Dinosaur Jr. record. I mean, they are one of those bands that were always around. We all loved them. Had all of their records (at the time). Had the cassettes on the floor in the frontseat of the car, just a quick lean from the driver's seat, ready to pop in for the next long drive. They definitely stopped being relevent (and -good- some might argue) after Bug, their third record. But for three or four years there, Dinosaur Jr. took everything we loved and stuffed it into one perfect little indie rock package. Punk rock snarl, metallic crunch, indie jangle, squiggly guitar solos (!), and a Neil Young like whine in the form of frontman J. Mascis' stoned drawling vocals. You can definitely hear the influence Dinosaur had on Nirvana, Polvo, Swervedriver, and about a million other late eighties rock bands! Lou Barlow, bass player for Dinosaur Jr., would go on to send indie rock from the studio back to the practice space and launch a million bedroom rockers with his home recorded 4-track project Sebadoh (whose first official release was actually a track on the second Dinosaur Jr. record You're Living All Over Me) while Mascis (formerly of punk sludge outfit Deep Wound and metal weirdos Upsidedown Cross) would go on to more commerical success before dropping off the face of the earth and giving up music altogether. But for those first three records, Dinosaur Jr. were the shit. And damn if these records don't sound just as good now almost a decade later! All three re-issues have liner notes by Byron Coley and bonus tracks!
Dinosaur was not only the name of their debut record, but was actually the name of the band before they added the Jr. (after the release of Bug and a threatened lawsuit from SF hippy leftovers Dinosaur). Sloppy and chaotic, noisy and snotty, Dinosaur is the record that introduced us to what would become a hugely important band, and who by melding melody, punk rock blast, and metallic crunch would end up being massive influences on a decade of indie / college rock. Mascis' lazy, whiney nasal drawl is definitely present, but hasn't become the focal point it would be on later records. Lots of reverb, big distorted guitars, a beautifully clumsy, strummy indie rock with plenty of wah guitar, bursts of angstful harcore grrrr and the occasional metal guitar freakout. Diamonds in the rough include the glimmer of Dinosaur to come in "Repulsion" and the indie jangle love song "Severed Lips" that definitely made it on every indie geek's mixtape in 1985. Bonus track: "Does It Float (live)".
MPEG Stream: "Bulbs Of Passion"
MPEG Stream: "Severed Lips"

DINOSAUR JR You're Living All Over Me (Merge) cd 14.98
Wow. Never thought we'd be reviewing a Dinosaur Jr. record. I mean, they are one of those bands that were always around. We all loved them. Had all of their records (at the time). Had the cassettes on the floor in the frontseat of the car, just a quick lean from the driver's seat, ready to pop in for the next long drive. They definitely stopped being relevent (and -good- some might argue) after Bug, their third record. But for three or four years there, Dinosaur Jr. took everything we loved and stuffed it into one perfect little indie rock package. Punk rock snarl, metallic crunch, indie jangle, squiggly guitar solos (!), and a Neil Young like whine in the form of frontman J. Mascis' stoned drawling vocals. You can definitely hear the influence Dinosaur had on Nirvana, Polvo, Swervedriver, and about a million other late eighties rock bands! Lou Barlow, bass player for Dinosaur Jr., would go on to send indie rock from the studio back to the practice space and launch a million bedroom rockers with his home recorded 4-track project Sebadoh (whose first official release was actually a track on the second Dinosaur Jr. record You're Living All Over Me) while Mascis (formerly of punk sludge outfit Deep Wound and metal weirdos Upsidedown Cross) would go on to more commerical success before dropping off the face of the earth and giving up music altogether. But for those first three records, Dinosaur Jr. were the shit. And damn if these records don't sound just as good now almost a decade later! All three re-issues have liner notes by Byron Coley and bonus tracks!
You're Living All Over Me was the transitional record, where Dinosaur Jr. started sounding, well. like Dinosaur Jr. With Mascis' Neil Young like drawl way up in the mix, swirling squalls of wah guitar, and most importantly, KILLER songs! Not even remotely punk rock anymore, this was the sound that would define late eighties indie rock. "Little Fury Things", the opening track is the perfect Dinosaur microcosm, starting off with a blast of noisy guitar feakout, a jangly strum takes over, and Mascis belts out a melody that remains stuck in our heads even to this day before the whole thing is subsumed by a suffocating swirl of guitar noise. The rest of the record is practically perfect, veering from loping heavy guitar grooves, to slow shimmering jangle, to full on Crazy Horse instrumental guitar jam. In fact YLAOM is the record that turned Mascis into the first indie rock guitar god. Live, every track would stretch out into endless psychedelic jams, while on record, those jams were compacted and stuck between perfect pop choruses and plaintive, sad boy verses, which again became the blueprint for every indie rock band that followed. YLAOM also included the track "Poledo" which while technically a Dinosaur Jr. track, was performed and recorded by bassist Lou Barlow at home, and was the first officially released Sebadoh song (or songs, as it actually sounds like several song fragments strung together), a mumbly lo-fi acoustic dirge, interspersed with tape hiss, noisy interference, found sounds and bursts of white noise. Weirdly, the first cd version of YLAOM included the Peter Frampton cover "Show Me The Way", replaced here by their infamous cover of the Cure's "Just Like Heaven" with its dirge-y blast of a chorus and wailing guitars, and which, in a testament to Dinosaur's songwriting brilliance, sounds like it could be a Dinosaur original. Bonus tracks: Videos for "Just Like Heaven", a totally ridiculous puppet and band members hamming it up goof fest, and "Little Fury Things" which is amazing, a series of found film footage, band footage, and scratched film negatives, looks a little like the Sonic Youth's Sister album cover come to life!
MPEG Stream: "Little Fury Things"
MPEG Stream: "SludgeFeast"

DINOSAUR JR You're Living All Over Me (Baked Goods) lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Available on vinyl for the first time since the original lp on SST way back in 1987! Limited to 2000 copies on Baked Goods, the label of Dinosaur mainman Jay Mascis.
Wow. Never thought we'd be reviewing a Dinosaur Jr. record. I mean, they are one of those bands that were always around. We all loved them. Had all of their records (at the time). Had the cassettes on the floor in the frontseat of the car, just a quick lean from the driver's seat, ready to pop in for the next long drive. They definitely stopped being relevent (and -good- some might argue) after Bug, their third record. But for three or four years there, Dinosaur Jr. took everything we loved and stuffed it into one perfect little indie rock package. Punk rock snarl, metallic crunch, indie jangle, squiggly guitar solos (!), and a Neil Young like whine in the form of frontman J. Mascis' stoned drawling vocals. You can definitely hear the influence Dinosaur had on Nirvana, Polvo, Swervedriver, and about a million other late eighties rock bands! Lou Barlow, bass player for Dinosaur Jr., would go on to send indie rock from the studio back to the practice space and launch a million bedroom rockers with his home recorded 4-track project Sebadoh (whose first official release was actually a track on the second Dinosaur Jr. record You're Living All Over Me) while Mascis (formerly of punk sludge outfit Deep Wound and metal weirdos Upsidedown Cross) would go on to more commerical success before dropping off the face of the earth and giving up music altogether. But for those first three records, Dinosaur Jr. were the shit. And damn if these records don't sound just as good now almost a decade later! All three re-issues have liner notes by Byron Coley and bonus tracks!
You're Living All Over Me was the transitional record, where Dinosaur Jr. started sounding, well. like Dinosaur Jr. With Mascis' Neil Young like drawl way up in the mix, swirling squalls of wah guitar, and most importantly, KILLER songs! Not even remotely punk rock anymore, this was the sound that would define late eighties indie rock. "Little Fury Things", the opening track is the perfect Dinosaur microcosm, starting off with a blast of noisy guitar feakout, a jangly strum takes over, and Mascis belts out a melody that remains stuck in our heads even to this day before the whole thing is subsumed by a suffocating swirl of guitar noise. The rest of the record is practically perfect, veering from loping heavy guitar grooves, to slow shimmering jangle, to full on Crazy Horse instrumental guitar jam. In fact YLAOM is the record that turned Mascis into the first indie rock guitar god. Live, every track would stretch out into endless psychedelic jams, while on record, those jams were compacted and stuck between perfect pop choruses and plaintive, sad boy verses, which again became the blueprint for every indie rock band that followed. YLAOM also included the track "Poledo" which while technically a Dinosaur Jr. track, was performed and recorded by bassist Lou Barlow at home, and was the first officially released Sebadoh song (or songs, as it actually sounds like several song fragments strung together), a mumbly lo-fi acoustic dirge, interspersed with tape hiss, noisy interference, found sounds and bursts of white noise. Weirdly, the first cd version of YLAOM included the Peter Frampton cover "Show Me The Way", replaced here by their infamous cover of the Cure's "Just Like Heaven" with its dirge-y blast of a chorus and wailing guitars, and which, in a testament to Dinosaur's songwriting brilliance, sounds like it could be a Dinosaur original.
MPEG Stream: "Little Fury Things"
MPEG Stream: "SludgeFeast"

DINOSAUR JR. Farm (Limited Deluxe Version) (Jagjaguwar) 2cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It's weird to think that in the current climate of rock reunionism, there's probably not a single band you loved when you were younger that you can't imagine reuniting, touring, even making a record. It's even weirder to think that once that band did get together, they might make a record the rivals any of their classics from decades earlier, and while Farm is no Bug or You're Living All Over Me, it's really not that far off. Especially considering what you might expect from a band making a new record nearly 25 years since their debut. Even harder to believe with a band like Dinosaur Jr, whose acrimonious (to say the least) breakup had most of us assuming they would never speak again, let alone write and record and tour.
But here it is, record number two since the original Dinosaur lineup reunited. 2007's Beyond was great, and Farm just rules. It's heavy, catchy as hell, the band are tight, Mascis' voice sounds exactly the same, his leads are wild and all over the place, and while we never thought we'd be hankering for some seriously jammed out guitar rock, Dino Jr. makes us wonder how we did without it for so long. Some of the tracks on Farm ("Pieces") are so catchy and so rocking, they sound like they could have been Bug outtakes. Farm is even more like an old Dinosaur Jr. record as bassist Lou Barlow (Sebadoh, Sentridoh, Folk Implosion) contributes a couple of his old songs, and unlike the old days, when his tracks were gorgeous sad boy 4-track loner folk gems, his two tracks here are dense and intense, super heavy, super catchy melancholy rockers, that sound like kick ass Sebadoh jams, and have us hankering for a new record from those guys too!
We're getting tired of reunions like everyone else. Not every band we loved needs to come back from the dead, and most already have a catalog that's pretty perfect without adding some modern sub par attempt at relevance, but fuck, it's tough to argue with a record as good as Farm, and a band who still kick as much ass as Dinosaur Jr.
While they last (not long we're guessing), we have the deluxe version, with a 4 song bonus track, which includes two Dino originals, a Zombies cover, and a cover of a psych pop classic by Elyse Weinberg.
MPEG Stream: "Pieces"
MPEG Stream: "I Want You To Know"
MPEG Stream: "Your Weather"

DIO Holy Diver (Warner Bros.) cd 12.98

DIO, RONNIE & THE PROPHETS Gonna Make It Alone b/w Swingin' Street (HR Archive) 7" 2.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Here is one third of a triple dose of bizarre that's just arrived at AQ! What's so bizarre? Well, first off, the pairing of buoyant sixties pop tunes featuring a young lad's sweet voice with the incongruous sepiatone vintage porn pics on the record sleeves. If we were to stop our description there, these would be pretty darn odd enough, but let's continue shall we? The almighty catch is that the voice in question just happens to be the one that would go on to sing for Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and Dio! Yes, these singles are early sixties recordings by none other than Ronnie James Dio himself! We all know he's an old guy, and had heard rumours for years that his recording career began way back in 1957...well now we pretty much have the proof in the form of these three singles, reissues of tracks circa 1962 done by Dio and his teenage cronies. This is not just pre-Heavy Metal Dio, this is pre-Beatles! Poppy, doo-wop, sock hop styled stuff in the vein of Dion, Richie Valens, that sort of thing. These singles with their risque covers come randomly assorted between plain black and nice thick swirly colored vinyl. Quite a curio. And as you might imagine, we have only a few in stock!

DIO, RONNIE & THE PROPHETS The Ooh-poo-pah-doo b/w Love Pains (HR Archive) 7" 2.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Here is one third of a triple dose of bizarre that's just arrived at AQ! What's so bizarre? Well, first off, the pairing of buoyant sixties pop tunes featuring a young lad's sweet voice with the incongruous sepiatone vintage porn pics on the record sleeves. If we were to stop our description there, these would be pretty darn odd enough, but let's continue shall we? The almighty catch is that the voice in question just happens to be the one that would go on to sing for Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and Dio! Yes, these singles are early sixties recordings by none other than Ronnie James Dio himself! We all know he's an old guy, and had heard rumours for years that his recording career began way back in 1957...well now we pretty much have the proof in the form of these three singles, reissues of tracks circa 1962 done by Dio and his teenage cronies. This is not just pre-Heavy Metal Dio, this is pre-Beatles! Poppy, doo-wop, sock hop styled stuff in the vein of Dion, Richie Valens, that sort of thing. These singles with their risque covers come randomly assorted between plain black and nice thick swirly colored vinyl. Quite a curio. And as you might imagine, we have only a few in stock!

DIO, RONNIE & THE PROPHETS Where You Gonna Run To, Girl b/w Say You're Mine Again (HR Archive) 7" 2.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Here is one third of a triple dose of bizarre that's just arrived at AQ! What's so bizarre? Well, first off, the pairing of buoyant sixties pop tunes featuring a young lad's sweet voice with the incongruous sepiatone vintage porn pics on the record sleeves. If we were to stop our description there, these would be pretty darn odd enough, but let's continue shall we? The almighty catch is that the voice in question just happens to be the one that would go on to sing for Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and Dio! Yes, these singles are early sixties recordings by none other than Ronnie James Dio himself! We all know he's an old guy, and had heard rumours for years that his recording career began way back in 1957...well now we pretty much have the proof in the form of these three singles, reissues of tracks circa 1962 done by Dio and his teenage cronies. This is not just pre-Heavy Metal Dio, this is pre-Beatles! Poppy, doo-wop, sock hop styled stuff in the vein of Dion, Richie Valens, that sort of thing. These singles with their risque covers come randomly assorted between plain black and nice thick swirly colored vinyl. Quite a curio. And as you might imagine, we have only a few in stock!

DIPLO Blow Your Head (Mad Decent) 12" 10.98

DIPLO I Like Turtles (Mad Greasy) cd 9.98

DIPLO Top Ranking Santogold (Mad Decent) cd 12.98
Top Ranking Santogold, mixed by Diplo, is a full blown Santogold medley. So if you were into her latest release, you'll definitely be skankin' to this ragga, pop, dub influenced mega mix which ties some of the Santogold favorites, b-sides, remixes and mash-ups together into a rude 35 track mixture of gold goodness. The mix runs seamless from start to finish with plenty of overlapping blends that somehow someway work wonders together. Picture Santogold vocals, singing/rapping over the likes of dubstep wonders Benga and Skream's shakey slumpers or the Celtic synth grooves of electro pop jam band Ratatat, with added appropriate yet unsuspected jams from Devo, The Dixie Cups, and The Clash mashed against Cutty Ranks, Sister Nancy, and Three Six Mafia betwixt and between, what!? Oh and did we mention, a little Sir Mix-A-Lot action for good measure? Trust us, the line-up looks semi-disaterous but Diplo definitely makes it work effortlessly. We dare you to stay in one place while this album is a bumpin'! Recommended!!
MPEG Stream: SANTOGOLD (SWITCH REMIX) "ANNE"
MPEG Stream: THE DIXIE CUPS / MISSY ELLIOT "IKO IKO"
MPEG Stream: SANTOGOLD FT. M.I.A. (RADIOCLIT RMX) "GET IT UP"
MPEG Stream: SANTOGOLD FT. AMANDA BLANK (DIPLO RMX) "IM A LADY"

DIPLO / NEWHAM GENERALS / ELEWEDU OF AGEGE split (Honest Jons) 12" 12.98

DIRECTING HAND Bells For Augustin Lesage (Secret Eye) cd 14.98
Featuring drummer Alexander Neilson (of w/ Richard Youngs fame).

DIRGE All The Sky Shall Descend (Blight Records) cd 16.98

DIRGE Wings Of Lead Over Dormant Seas (Bright Records) 2cd 17.98

DIRTBOMBS Dangerous Magical Noise (In The Red) cd 13.98

DIRTBOMBS Horndog Fest (In The Red) cd 12.98
Ex-Gories/Blacktop guy and other guys (two bass players, two drummers!) hurl some punk-garage-psycho-noise your way.

DIRTBOMBS Horndog Fest (In The Red) lp 8.98
Ex-Gories/Blacktop guy and other guys (two bass players, two drummers!) hurl some punk-garage-psycho-noise your way.

DIRTBOMBS If You Don't Already Have A Look (In the Red) 2cd 16.98
Attention Dirtbombs completists! Here's a two-disc compilations of rare songs, singles, eight new songs and over 20 covers (Gun Club, Rolling Stones, Yoko Ono, Flipper, ESG, Ohio Players, Stevie Wonder, among others)! Many of the tracks found here were recorded and just never released by the labels that took 'em on. A nice 24-page booklet accompanies the discs with tons of photos and track notes. Love your Dirtbomb grungey gutter punk rock all day long.
MPEG Stream: "Broke Again"
MPEG Stream: "Ha Ha Ha"
MPEG Stream: "Little Miss Chocolate Syrup"

DIRTBOMBS, THE Ultraglide In Black (In The Red) cd 13.98
Their best. Amazing covers of such songs as the Underdog theme and "Livin' For The City". Having a party? Get this.

DIRTBOMBS, THE We Have You Surrounded (In the Red) cd 13.98
The Dirtbombs are back and they're gunnin' their hotrod, straight out of the gutter, burning bluesy rawk for fuel, all spiced up with some unexpectedly contemporary modern rock elements. Far less garage-gritty and rebelliously raunchy than any of their earlier recordings, We Have You Surrounded is at times sleeker, dancier and more trippy! The results come across as something that calls to mind TV On The Radio and EMF (check out "Indivisible" which at times bears a bizarre resemblance to the latter's hit "Unbelievable")... yes, very different! Might take some getting used to for old fans!
MPEG Stream: "Sherlock Holmes"
MPEG Stream: "Indivisible"

DIRTBOMBS, THE We Have You Surrounded (In the Red) lp 13.98
The Dirtbombs are back and they're gunnin' their hotrod, straight out of the gutter, burning bluesy rawk for fuel, all spiced up with some unexpectedly contemporary modern rock elements. Far less garage-gritty and rebelliously raunchy than any of their earlier recordings, We Have You Surrounded is at times sleeker, dancier and more trippy! The results come across as something that calls to mind TV On The Radio and EMF (check out "Indivisible" which at times bears a bizarre resemblance to the latter's hit "Unbelievable")... yes, very different! Might take some getting used to for old fans!
MPEG Stream: "Sherlock Holmes"
MPEG Stream: "Indivisible"

DIRTY LUST When Fear Envelops Your Spirit (Outrage) cd 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
First off, DIRTY LUST? Wow, what an amazing name! They must be a metal band -- and indeed they are, but a weird one. We discovered this very heavy, very cool, very strange Spanish band on the internet (thanks to the www.customheavy.com site -- hi Chris!) and immediately knew we had to contact 'em and get their most recent cd for Aquarius. Dirty Lust play a highly unclassifiable, eccentric brand of metal, with stoner rock grooves, doom metal riffing, death metal drums, bizarre samples and sound effects, and way more bizarre, semi-gruff English-language vocals. Imagine an unholy combination of Cathedral, Voivod, Celtic Frost, Dio, and god knows what else. Dirty Lust consider themselves a doom metal band, apparently, but whatever they are, they're original -- how many doom metal bands would mix R2D2-sounding bleeps into the crushing opening of "Sweet Inmortality" (sic) for instance? Open-minded metal/music fans should check 'em out! Two thumbs up from AQ's metal mavens Andee and Allan. You won't find these cds too many other places outside of Spain, they're cheap, and ... DIRTY LUST!
RealAudio clip: "How Could You Do It?"
RealAudio clip: "Sweet Inmortality"
RealAudio clip: "Envoies From Satania"

DIRTY PICTURES, THE Shuttin' Out The World (self-released) cd 11.98
Shuttin' Out The World is your (and our) introduction to the fine sounds of these transplanted Dubliners, now based here in SF. It's an impressive debut album filled with somber, elegant rock pop songs. The duo Pierce Healy and Ciaran McFeeney (along with their musical comrades Desmond Shea, Dave Douglas and Jeff Lucas) craft a lush, shadowy tapestry from a variety of guitars, keyboards, strings, percussion and samples. Wonderfully earthy and resonant. Healy's deep vocals on occasion bring to mind a cross between the sensitive ache of Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo, the subtler moments of drama from Thom Yorke of Radiohead and the warm depths of Richard Buckner. Very nice.
MPEG Stream: "Whiskey"
MPEG Stream: "Distraction"

DIRTY PROJECTORS Bitte Orca (Domino) cd 14.98
A strange mixture of soaring vocal harmonies and odd rhythms, the Dirty Projectors genius lies in surprise. Surprising rhythms, surprising changes, surprising harmonies, some of which can take a few listens to really understand. What gets stuck in your head, though, is a vocal line here, an "oooohhhh-ahhhhh" there. The musical backdrop, at times, is almost Shaggs-like in its jerky stagger and serves as a counterpoint to the chorus of female vocal layerings. There's a lot of great guitar work in the quieter moments, sort of a what-if-Devendra-Banhart-played-in-Animal-Collective vibe. "Two Doves" takes the band on a Nick Drake guitar-and-strings trip, except with female vocals. Dirty Projectors have been compared to the Talking Heads and there is definitely some similarity in both band's artistry and skewed takes on traditional pop.
MPEG Stream: "Cannibal Resource"
MPEG Stream: "Temecula Sunrise"
MPEG Stream: "Two Doves"

DIRTY PROJECTORS Bitte Orca (Domino) lp 21.00
Also now in on vinyl...
A strange mixture of soaring vocal harmonies and odd rhythms, the Dirty Projectors genius lies in surprise. Surprising rhythms, surprising changes, surprising harmonies, some of which can take a few listens to really understand. What gets stuck in your head, though, is a vocal line here, an "oooohhhh-ahhhhh" there. The musical backdrop, at times, is almost Shaggs-like in its jerky stagger and serves as a counterpoint to the chorus of female vocal layerings. There's a lot of great guitar work in the quieter moments, sort of a what-if-Devendra-Banhart-played-in-Animal-Collective vibe. "Two Doves" takes the band on a Nick Drake guitar-and-strings trip, except with female vocals. Dirty Projectors have been compared to the Talking Heads and there is definitely some similarity in both band's artistry and skewed takes on traditional pop.
MPEG Stream: "Cannibal Resource"
MPEG Stream: "Temecula Sunrise"
MPEG Stream: "Two Doves"

DIRTY PROJECTORS Rise Above (Dead Oceans) cd 14.98
Here we have the second concept record from Dirty Projectors (a.k.a. Dave Longstreth). Many of us here at AQ had high hopes for Rise Above, a reinterpretation of the legendary punk rock album Damaged by Black Flag, having been quite impressed with DP's 2005 reinterpretation of Don Henley's The Getty Address. Plus, it's no secret that many here at AQ are Black Flag super-fans, which only added to the excitement. That said, I (Sally) feel it's important to note here that I may be the only AQ staffer largely unfamiliar with Black Flag's ouvre which is perhaps why in the end I'm writing the review. Since unfortunately, the Black Flag fans weren't all too impressed with Longstreth's re-imagining, and thought it might be interesting to get a clean perspective. So, here goes:
In many ways Dirty Projector's Rise Above sounds, not surprisingly, a lot like a musical - a reinterpretation of a rock album for theatrical presentation perhaps. It bears some similarity in style to the modern musical Rent. That said, we were initially surprised to hear that it's gained so much popularity amongst indie listeners. We don't often think of the people who come through here as having a soft side for musical theater... unless that person is me (*blush*). However, the more we listen, the more we understand. The album contains the briskness, timing, and lush arrangements of recent fave St. Vincent, the choiresque harmonizing of the Polyphonic Spree, vocal stylings that would make Prince weep and most impressively, it's all wrapped up in what could easily be described as a rock opera formula comparable to Queen. So we're not writing this one off just yet. And even some of the Black Flag folks here are beginning to soften their stance... Check out the sound samples to see where you stand... you must be curious by now.
MPEG Stream: "Depression"
MPEG Stream: "Room 13"

DIRTY THREE Cinder (Touch & Go) cd 14.98
You'd think that with all of the band members' numerous other projects (solo efforts, Tren Brothers, playing with New Buffalo and Smog) they'd barely have time and energy left for their main band, but nay, 'tis quite the opposite, dear friends. If anything all the additional creative juices have ignited these Cinder(s). Sorry, couldn't resist the pun, but really, there are a number of new elements and ideas which have been seamlessly incorporated into the band's unmistakable sound on this, their seventh album. For one thing they've expanded their palette of instruments considerably including mandolin and... yes, bagpipes! While the trio's trademark string-laden shadows still haunt and envelop the listener as they always have, this time a few moments of light break through the darkness -- and this is where the most radical addition has been made -- in the form of two familiar female voices. Now, perhaps some dyed-in-the-wool fans may balk at this inclusion/intrusion in their beloved band's instrumental tapestry, but the unexpected vocal entrances of Ms Chan Marshall (Cat Power) on "Great Waves" and Ms Sally Timms on "Feral" are pleasant surprises. Both voices are well-suited to the band's languid melancholia, and as they only appear on two numbers, they make for nice interludes amid the seventeen other songs. A stand-out album from Dirty Three!
MPEG Stream: "Great Waves"
MPEG Stream: "Feral"

DIRTY THREE Cinder (Touch and Go) lp 17.98
You'd think that with all of the band members' numerous other projects (solo efforts, Tren Brothers, playing with New Buffalo and Smog) they'd barely have time and energy left for their main band, but nay, 'tis quite the opposite, dear friends. If anything all the additional creative juices have ignited these Cinder(s). Sorry, couldn't resist the pun, but really, there are a number of new elements and ideas which have been seamlessly encorporated into the band's unmistakable sound on this, their seventh album. For one thing they've expanded their palette of instruments considerably including mandolin and... yes, bagpipes! While the trio's trademark string-laden shadows still haunt and envelope the listener as they always have, this time a few moments of light break through the darkness -- and this is where the most radical addition has been made -- in the form of two familiar female voices. Now, perhaps some dyed-in-the-wool fans may balk at this inclusion/intrusion in their beloved band's instrumental tapestry, but the unexpected vocal entrances of Ms Chan Marshall (Cat Power) on "Great Waves" and Ms Sally Timms on "Feral" are pleasant surprises. Both voices are well-suited to the band's languid melancholia, and as they only appear on two numbers, they make for nice interludes amid the seventeen other songs. A stand-out album from Dirty Three!



MPEG Stream: "Great Waves"
MPEG Stream: "Feral"

DIRTY THREE Horse Stories (Touch & Go) cd 14.98

DIRTY THREE Ocean Songs (Touch & Go) cd 13.98
Lovely new album from our favorite Australian guitar/drums/violin instrumental trio...if you're a fan, you already know what this sounds like, more of their beautiful, melancholy, almost-psychedelic music. It will please you. For those unfamiliar with the D3, Ocean Songs is as fine an album as any of theirs to start with.