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.

DIRTY THREE Ocean Songs (Touch & Go) lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
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.

DIRTY THREE Sad And Dangerous (Poon Village) cd 13.98

DIRTY THREE She Has No Strings Apollo (Drag City) cd 14.98
Perennial AQ favorite Dirty Three return with a proper follow-up to 2000's Whatever You Love You Are. While their singular sound has always been delicately gloomy, poignant instrumentals played out on guitar, simple drums, and achingly touching violin, each album applies the chiaroscuro in a slightly different way. On earlier albums such as Sad & Dangerous, for example, the violin delicately poured out passages so pretty they almost made up for the sadness of the compositions. On She Has No Strings Apollo, the interplay between the guitar/drums and the violin is more tension-filled and meditative -- less predictably heartwrenching, more meditative and stretched out. There's also autumnally bare piano adding an elegant stateliness to the whole affair. Very, very nice, if a touch more 'difficult' than their previous works. If you've never heard them before, we'd recommend you start with Whatever You Love but don't get me wrong, Apollo is a fine, dark record.
RealAudio clip: "Long Way to Go with No Punch"

DIRTY THREE Whatever You Love, You Are (Touch & Go) cd 14.98
Wow. Dirty Three's fifth album is a masterpiece of instrumental melancholia. Quiet percussion and layers of evocative guitar are overlayed by the most emotional violin parts ever. Much of this album's brilliance is due to what our ears discern as the first time the band has overdubbed distinctly different violin melodies over each other. Although they've obviously overdubbed tracks before, it was mostly similar melodies meant to fill out the sound (perhaps they were worried about being able to do it live). This time, the delicately plucked and bowed violin parts weave in and around each other to deliriously lovely effect. One of their best albums. Highly recommended.

DIRTY THREE Whatever You Love, You Are (Touch & Go) lp 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Wow. Dirty Three's fifth album is a masterpiece of instrumental melancholia. Quiet percussion and layers of evocative guitar are overlayed by the most emotional violin parts ever. Much of this album's brilliance is due to what our ears discern as the first time the band has overdubbed distinctly different violin melodies over each other. Although they've obviously overdubbed tracks before, it was mostly similar melodies meant to fill out the sound (perhaps they were worried about being able to do it live). This time, the delicately plucked and bowed violin parts weave in and around each other to deliriously lovely effect. One of their best albums. Highly recommended.

DIRTY THREE / LOW (Touch & Go) split cdep 3.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Our favorite Australian violin/guitar/drums trio do an instrumental (of course) cover of a Kim Salmon/Scientists tune, whilst tour-mates Low contribute an original called "No Need" to their half of this cd single.

DIS*KA Dis*ka Presents: C 2064 (Dis*ka) cd 16.98
Incredibly cheesy and fun comp out of Munich that gleefully covers all sorts of '80s and '90s hits using Commodore 64 Atari gamesounds as its only instrument. Now this is what I *wish* I could have listened to while playing Frogger back in the day. 8-bit hilarity, in the form of "Always on My Mind", "Blue Monday", "Enola Gay", "Venus", "Mission Impossible", "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Chariots of Fire", "Sheena is a Punk Rocker", the theme to Beverly Hills Cop, etc. This is the first time on disc for this previously LP-only release, and the disc has several bonus tracks that aren't on the vinyl. Comes in a clear jewel case, no cover art; the disc itself bears the info and looks good. A novelty purchase, for sure, but lots of fun.
RealAudio clip: "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
RealAudio clip: "Venus"

DIS*KA Dis*ka Presents: C 2064 (Dis*ka) lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Incredibly cheesy and fun comp out of Munich that gleefully covers all sorts of '80s and '90s hits using Commodore 64 Atari gamesounds as its only instrument. Now this is what I *wish* I could have listened to while playing Frogger back in the day. 8-bit hilarity, in the form of "Always on My Mind", "Blue Monday", "Enola Gay", "Venus", "Mission Impossible", "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Chariots of Fire", "Sheena is a Punk Rocker", the theme to Beverly Hills Cop, etc. This is the first time on disc for this previously LP-only release, and the disc has several bonus tracks that aren't on the vinyl. Comes in a clear jewel case, no cover art; the disc itself bears the info and looks good. A novelty purchase, for sure, but lots of fun.

DISAPPEARER s/t (Trash Art!) cd 9.98
Another batch of slow burn, churning doom drenched epic metal, steeped in convoluted math rock and blissed out post rock. You know what we're talking about. Disappearer fall WAY on the heavier end of that spectrum, with massive downtuned guitars, pummeling drums, soaring psychedelic leads and guitar harmonies, a gloriously lurching monstrous groove, loping and hypnotic, huge sweeping waves of melancholic post doom rock bliss, cymbals explode and sizzle all over the proceedings like acid rain, the bass grinds and throbs, pushing everything along like some ominous black tide, and the guitars, shit, this is all about the guitars, thick layered walls of drop-d sludge, long lazy drifts of glistening guitar minimalism, stuttery stretches of crumbling chug, swirling tangled tendrils of muted melody, all matched push for shove by the drums, sometimes a crushing caveman pound, sometimes a simple shuffling plod, other times an impossibly convoluted tribal freakout. If you still need some comparisons, Neurosis, Mouth Of The Architect, Tides, Conifer, Isis, that sort of thing, but Disappearer are all instrumental, and thus have a much more abstract and droney brooding vibe, like any one of those bands, jamming afterhours, not really playing songs, or a show, just slowly carving huge swaths of monumental heaviness under the cloak of darkness.
MPEG Stream: "Crownfire"
MPEG Stream: "Rust / Dust"

DISC (Vinyl Communications) 2cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
What a concept, two discs of skipping cd sounds (literally). Masterminded by Jay Lesser, Kid 606 and Matmos. Oval/Autechre/broken cd player fans can rejoice. Interesting clear packaging, with each cd differentiated only by a bar code. Each is the same length and starts with the same sounds, for maximum confusion.

DISCO OPERATING SYSTEM Compact Disc Digital Audio (RSI) cd-r 7.98
RSI is another UK label trafficking in difficult and totally original electronic music (like countrymates Fflint Central). It's a shame that they only make cd-rs. I find it hard to believe they wouldn't be able to sell 1000 cds, but it hardly makes a difference, because this stuff is so good.
The beginning of the opening track is a bit misleading, with what sounds like the gentle shimmering of Tibetan bells, but they slowly distort until POW! A crunching ear-shredding sort-of-electro/sort-of-jungle MONSTER BEAT kicks in. And while within these 5 tracks, DOS takes the occasional breather, with bleeping and blipping, squiggly electronic squeals and tranquil burbling, it's all about the beat, which resurfaces a couple more times to pound your skull and rattle the rafters.
RealAudio clip: "Alan Rothwell"
RealAudio clip: "Def.Arr"

DISCO OPERATING SYSTEM Ultrasonic Bath (Lotta Continua) cd 6.00
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**

DISCO OPERATING SYSTEM You Don't Have To Work To Be Mad Here (RSI) cd 11.98
We introduced you to RSI a while ago, another UK label trafficking in difficult and totally original electronic music (like countrymates Fflint Central). And we were lamenting the fact that all these cool labels were only making cd-rs. Well, finally here it is. A cd without the 'r'. Record number two from the UK's Disco Operating System (DOS, get it?). Much more serene and sedate than their debut, but that in no way means less intersting. Think Boards Of Canada doing electro. More spare and spartan and less syrupy and hazy. Wildly panned stutters and hiccups careen from ear to ear as simple beats dot a soundscape of gurgles and bass thumps. Warm dreamy blurred electronics wrapped around simple bleeping melodies. Later on in the record, things get a little bit wilder with high pitched sine waves, bursts of electronic skree and pseudo industrial thrum. But the sound doesn't stray far from warm and buzzy wide-open-spaces, dreamy and surreal humming stutter-scapes of blissed out electronica. Really really nice.
RealAudio clip: "Grand Parade"
RealAudio clip: "Binatone Grandstand"
RealAudio clip: "Flutie Loop"
RealAudio clip: "Because Children Are Matter"

DISCORDANCE AXIS 2. Perfect Collection. Jouhou (Hydra Head) cd 14.98
Another reissue of crucial stuff by these grindcore heroes, Hydrahead making it possible now for your entire Discordance Axis cd collection to be all uniformly packaged in DVD-style cases. And they do look spiffy. Inside this one you'll find a big ol' booklet of lyrics and detailed commentary, along with a 31-track cd of killer grind: DA's second album Jouhou from 1997 plus their sides of splits with Melt Banana (for whom DA's drum god Dave Witte later played) and Plutocracy, and a live, improvised track from their final show in Tokyo in '98.
If you already have the Jouhou cd released a few years ago in the regular jewel case, you've got all the same tracks. But the booklet here is expanded and redesigned and of course now it matches the packaging of your The Inalienable Dreamless and Original Sound Version 1992-1995 disc. What? You like grind and you don't have those? Well any or all would be good places to start.
MPEG Stream: "Vertigo Index"
MPEG Stream: "Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said"

DISCORDANCE AXIS Original Sound Version 1992-1995 (Hydra Head) cd 14.98
You wanna know what we mean when we talk about "grind"? This band could be the dictionary definition of grindcore. Not 'cause they're the most typical or generic, but rather because they're an exemplary grindcore band in so many respects. They'll certainly give you a good idea of grind: short, sharp, stop start songs with screamy grrrrrrr vocals, angular metallic riffs, and insane drumming (on most of the material here, by the godlike Dave Witte, ex-Human Remains, also of Burnt By The Sun and Melt-Banana). A political lyrical stance is also part of the equation, although these guys are also obsessed with information theory and Japan-fandom (the culture, not the band).
This disc is a "perfect edit" reissued collection of stuff from this NJ "ninja grindcore" unit. Their first album Ulterior, live stuff, unreleased recordings (their first rehearsal!), tracks from split releases and comps and singles...approximately one gazillion tracks total, including sometimes multiple versions of the same song, like any good grindcore discographical release. All packaged in a DVD case, like their masterpiece Inalienable Dreamless, which allows for a big thick booklet of lyrics, art, and commentary. The self-deprecating liner notes are revealing and funny, great reading for fans, for example:
"Our policy has always been if anyone likes any of our slow parts, we make them shorter or cut them entirely" and "The title track and yowza is it lame". The booklet is great, but it's the disc that (at proper volume) will really get your attention. It's a grind cornucopia, lurching from blasting beatdowns to quirky noise to almost-post-rock, even including a cover of Black Flag's "Gimme Gimme Gimme". Essential for anyone who is or wants to be grind-savvy.
MPEG Stream: "Hyenosis"
MPEG Stream: "My Neighbor Totoro"
MPEG Stream: "Lathe"

DISCORDANCE AXIS Our Last Day (Hydra Head) cd 11.98
Arguably the greatest grind band ever! Meaning you could argue they weren't, but you would be dead wrong and would summarily lose any argument to the contrary. DA combined impossibly complex composition, with furiously blurred execution, all held together by some of the most creative, innovative and cryptic design we've seen in ages, -especially- from a grind or metal band! They added a hyper intellectual slant to an already politically charged scene, forgoing all the gore and guts and stuff in lieu of, well, ART. The breakup of Discordance Axis was a blow to metal and grindcore freaks worldwide and as always with things like that, rumors started circulating about a lost, unreleased DA record. Well, the rumors were partially true. Two songs, recorded but unreleased did in fact exist, and are finally getting released with loads of extra stuff, in that immediately recognizable Hydra Head / Discordance Axis oversized DVD style packaging. So the good news: the two new songs are AMAZING, fucked up and brutal, dizzyingly and impossibly dense and intricate. The bad news: the two new tracks clock in at a total time of 1:42. But thankfully DA manage to pack in about a jillion changes and parts into that minute and a half.
So then there's the extra bonus material on this here DA 'single'. First you've got ten tracks credited to 'Cide Project' which could be a real band but is probably more likely one of the DA guys fucking around on his computer. That said, these tracks are SO AWESOME, fully rendered MIDI versions of all your favorite DA tracks. Fuzzy computer synths and chaotic drum programming turn these grind classics into buzzing, fuzzed out midi blurs. Like a grindcore Anton Maiden! Then there's a bunch of bands covering their favorite DA tracks, Gate, Mortalized, Noiseear, none of whom we've heard of but who all offer up appropriately thrashing grinding tribute. Then there's Melt Banana's cover, which turns the DA original into a minute of bizarre skronky, bleeping blooping grindpop. Also included is the full version of Merzbow's interpretation of DA's The Inalienable Dreamless, an insanely chaotic mix of Japanoise, spacerock skree, and about a million skipping Discordance Axis cds. And finally, to finish things off, the first song from DA vocalist Jon Chang's new outfit Gridlink, a dense shrieking exercise in turbulent, super spastic grind! Now we can all anxiously await the forthcoming War Chalking record, featuring members of Discordance Axis, Human Remains and Burnt By The Sun (counting some folks twice or thrice!). Yowza!
MPEG Stream: "Sega Bass Fishing"
MPEG Stream: "Flow My Tears..."
MPEG Stream: "Information Sniper"
MPEG Stream: "Ulterior (Melt Banana Version)"

DISCORDANCE AXIS Pikadourei (Hydra Head) dvd 14.98
Anyone who heard Discordance Axis's last full length, The Inalienable Dreamless, knows that they weren't your average grind band. They were heavy and complex and intelligent, with thoughtful lyrics and an amazing design sense. They just seemed to do everything better than their fellow grinders. Unlcear why they decided to call it quits but they did and left us wanting more. So the more they've given us is this live document of their last Japanese tour. And it's as challenging as their records. Edited in a way that parallels their ultra jagged and complex songs, with seizure-inducing jump cuts, freeze frames, distortion, pixelization and all sorts of other effects passing by in a flash. Exhausting and exhilarating. Also included is their 'proper' video which is edited in a similar fashion, except it utilises television style inconsistencies to make their video look like a mix between scrambled porn and a bootleg live video. Extras include a discography, photos, artwork, and even tablature!!

DISCORDANCE AXIS The Inalienable Dreamless (Hydra Head) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Yeah, I know we listed this last time, but it sort of got short shrift, especially seeing as this record, and this band are the absolute masters of technical grind, and have taken their chosen form and stretched it farther then anyone could have imagined, creating something furious and brutal and violent and frightening, but absolutley stunning at the same time. And stunning in ways other than musical, which is remarkable for a genre that often shuns the avant garde, or doesn't understand it. The cd comes housed in a DVD box, allowing for more artwork, and the gorgeous minimal cover art certainly benefits. The cover and the booklet, continue the DA tradition of hyper minimalism, obfuscated text, and a wicked eye for design. Sleek and smooth, warm, and slightly sinister. And that subtlety bleeds into the sound as well. You would think that a 17 song, 24 minute cd would be short on subtlety and long on bombast, and maybe you'd be half right. DA temper their lightning speed metalcore bombast with, complex song structures, a breathtaking technical prowess, and fleeting moments of dark ambience, classic metal riffing, and face melting noise. This is about as close to perfection, both visually and sonically, as any grindcore/metalcore I have ever heard or seen. Seriously.
RealAudio clip: "Castration Ritz"
RealAudio clip: "Oratorio In Grey"
RealAudio clip: "Compiling Autumn"

DISCOVERY LP (XL) cd 13.98
It seems like many of the figurative walls that used to keep musical scenes and and record collections segregated are finally crumbling to the ground. In recent years indie rockers have embraced pop and the dance floor while lots of pop, hip-hop and R&B artists have latched on to the always evolving world of electronica. Discovery are kind of like the perfect poster boys for this evolution.
While best known for their more indie rock minded bands (one of those bands being quite the buzz band from a couple years ago) these two soundmakers have taken the opportunity to fully embrace their love of un-ironic pure dance pop delight. Much like the way Hot Chip brought the sound of Prince to a more indie sensibility, Discovery have crafted totally irresistible modern pop gems that kind of sound like the newest Phoenix record mixed with Kanye West. There is something so bright, colorful and refreshing about the sounds on LP. A bit more bouncy and playful then the Junior Boys while still using a bit of the same sonic template that they and Hot Chip helped create a few years back. The beats and electronics on LP are executed so flawlessly, if tweaked just a bit more they would sound right at home on a skweee record, but even so, this record is all about full on shiny pop perfection. Imagine the sound in the mall as we all roller-skated down the escalators after hours, in some teen movie with an Orange Julius in our hands, the food court behind us and a Forever 21 on the horizon. So yummy!
MPEG Stream: "Osaka Loop Line"
MPEG Stream: "So Insane"
MPEG Stream: "Carby"

DISCOVERY LP (XL) lp 14.98
Now on vinyl!
It seems like many of the figurative walls that used to keep musical scenes and and record collections segregated are finally crumbling to the ground. In recent years indie rockers have embraced pop and the dance floor while lots of pop, hip-hop and R&B artists have latched on to the always evolving world of electronica. Discovery are kind of like the perfect poster boys for this evolution.
While best known for their more indie rock minded bands (one of those bands being quite the buzz band from a couple years ago) these two soundmakers have taken the opportunity to fully embrace their love of un-ironic pure dance pop delight. Much like the way Hot Chip brought the sound of Prince to a more indie sensibility, Discovery have crafted totally irresistible modern pop gems that kind of sound like the newest Phoenix record mixed with Kanye West. There is something so bright, colorful and refreshing about the sounds on LP. A bit more bouncy and playful then the Junior Boys while still using a bit of the same sonic template that they and Hot Chip helped create a few years back. The beats and electronics on LP are executed so flawlessly, if tweaked just a bit more they would sound right at home on a skweee record, but even so, this record is all about full on shiny pop perfection. Imagine the sound in the mall as we all roller-skated down the escalators after hours, in some teen movie with an Orange Julius in our hands, the food court behind us and a Forever 21 on the horizon. So yummy!
MPEG Stream: "Osaka Loop Line"
MPEG Stream: "So Insane"
MPEG Stream: "Carby"

DISEMBOWELMENT Discography (Relapse) 2cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Since it first came out, we've been selling the limited mailorder triple cd version of this amazing collection, everything every recorded by Australian doomcrust experimentalists diSEMBOWELMENT. The 3cd version finally just went out of print, so we now have the slightly cheaper 2cd version for folks who might have missed out. And while the third disc was pretty cool, packed with alternate versions, even without it, this two disc set is a mindblower. Heavy and freaked out and utterly brilliant.
Just the sight of that immediately recognizable underlined, lower case 'd' logo sends shivers up our spine. Some of you already know exactly what we're talking about, and just reading this far has probably got you all in a tizzy as well. For those of you who are new to the lower case 'd', prepare yourself for diSEMBOWELMENT!! Even the name, replete with mandatory case change, conjures up all sorts of bleak lifeforce snuffing, soul crushing sensations, at least for fans of mysterious otherworldly doom and bizarre slow motion grind!!
diSEMBOWELMENT were but a brief flash in the underground doom metal scene, existing for a scant three years in the early nineties, but in that time, they recorded one of the all time classic HEAVY records ever, Transcendence Into The Peripheral. A mind blowing record that somehow melded extreme brutality with delicate beauty, a record that totally changed the way some of us listened to heavy music. Referring to the music of diSEMBOWELMENT as doom might give folks the wrong impression. This is not regular old doom like Black Sabbath or My Dying Bride, it's not even funereal doom like Skepticism or Esoteric, although it definitely spends most of its time a lot closer to the slow motion sludge end of the spectrum. diSEMBOWELMENT most definitely inhabit their own unique sonic space. It's slow, sure, but not always, bursts of pounding blast beats will erupt from a bleak tranquil soundscape, guttural inhuman grunts, machine like percussion, buzzing riffs, all intertwined into a blazing near-death metal onslaught, but it's not long before big reverb drenched guitar melodies begin to fall like some sort of black rain, the metallic pummel sort of stumbling to a seasick lumber, turning the whole thing into a creepy crawl, lurching, plodding, downtuned guitars and spare, simple rhythms, a crushing slow motion dirge, with haunting atonal clean guitar parts and moaning melodies. And even during these vast expanses of atmospheric tranquility, you can never rule out sudden blast beat, or a throat shredding vocal part, or a sudden crushing riff. The magic of diSEMBOWELMENT though is that somehow the metallic crush and the melancholic ambience are perfectly balanced. The whole thing is a dark and depressive, minor key and mournful masterpiece. But it's all so fucking heavy! Even the not-so-heavy parts manage to sound completely massive and totally crushing! So intense and emotional and just absolutely beautiful. Yep, beautiful. Lovely even. Like few records we can remember, and certainly one of the only records this heavy and brutal that manages to be absolutely beautiful. Sonically it's a bit like Napalm Death's Scum, and Carcass's Reek of Putrefaction, that classic Earache sound, a bit lo-fi, lots of reverb, big drums, buzzing guitars, all boiled down into a viscous blackened sludge, sprinkled throughout with brief melodic flares and occasional glistening guitars, like rays of sunlight just barely penetrating the suffocating atmosphere of thick low hanging riffs and bleak, brutal ambience.
Disc one contains all of Transcendence Into the Peripheral, and hell, we would have been happy with just that, a long overdue reissue of one of our all time favorite discs. But disc two contains the quite rare Dusk ep, as well as a rare compilation track and the five track Mourning September demo, all of it suitably genius!
Obviously totally and completely essential. The 2cd version is packaged in a cool embossed double digipak, with a booklet of photos and liner notes, including lyrics and a history of the band from drummer Paul Mazziotta.
MPEG Stream: "The Tree Of Life And Death"
MPEG Stream: "Your Prophetic Throne Of Ivory"
MPEG Stream: "Cerulian Transience Of All My Imagined Shores"

DISEMBOWELMENT Discography (Relapse) 3cd 23.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Just the sight of that immediately recognizable underlined, lower case 'd' logo sends shivers up our spine. Some of you already know exactly what we're talking about, and just reading this far has probably got you all in a tizzy as well. For those of you who are new to the lower case 'd', prepare yourself for diSEMBOWELMENT!! Even the name, replete with mandatory case change, conjures up all sorts of bleak lifeforce snuffing, soul crushing sensations, at least for fans of mysterious otherworldly doom and bizarre slow motion grind!!
diSEMBOWELMENT were but a brief flash in the underground doom metal scene, existing for a scant three years in the early nineties, but in that time, they recorded one of the all time classic HEAVY records ever, Transcendence Into The Peripheral. A mind blowing record that somehow melded extreme brutality with delicate beauty, a record that totally changed the way some of us listened to heavy music. Referring to the music of diSEMBOWELMENT as doom might give folks the wrong impression. This is not regular old doom like Black Sabbath or My Dying Bride, it's not even funereal doom like Skepticism or Esoteric, although it definitely spends most of its time a lot closer to the slow motion sludge end of the spectrum. diSEMBOWELMENT most definitely inhabit their own unique sonic space. It's slow, sure, but not always, bursts of pounding blast beats will erupt from a bleak tranquil soundscape, guttural inhuman grunts, machine like percussion, buzzing riffs, all intertwined into a blazing near-death metal onslaught, but it's not long before big reverb drenched guitar melodies begin to fall like some sort of black rain, the metallic pummel sort of stumbling to a seasick lumber, turning the whole thing into a creepy crawl, lurching, plodding, downtuned guitars and spare, simple rhythms, a crushing slow motion dirge, with haunting atonal clean guitar parts and moaning melodies. And even during these vast expanses of atmospheric tranquility, you can never rule out sudden blast beat, or a throat shredding vocal part, or a sudden crushing riff. The magic of diSEMBOWELMENT though is that somehow the metallic crush and the melancholic ambience are perfectly balanced. The whole thing is a dark and depressive, minor key and mournful masterpiece. But it's all so fucking heavy! Even the not-so-heavy parts manage to sound completely massive and totally crushing! So intense and emotional and just absolutely beautiful. Yep, beautiful. Lovely even. Like few records we can remember, and certainly one of the only records this heavy and brutal that manages to be absolutely beautiful. Sonically it's a bit like Napalm Death's Scum, and Carcass's Reek of Putrifaction, that classic Earache sound, a bit lo-fi, lots of reverb, big drums, buzzing guitars, all boiled down into a viscous blackened sludge, sprinkled throughout with brief melodic flares and occasional glistening guitars, like rays of sunlight just barely penetrating the suffocating atmosphere of thick low hanging riffs and bleak, brutal ambience.
Disc one contains all of Transcendence Into the Peripheral, and hell, we would have been happy with just that, a long overdue reissue of one of our all time favorite discs. But disc two contains the quite rare Dusk ep, as well as a rare compilation track and the five track Mourning September demo, all of it suitably genius! And, for a very limited time, we have managed to get a hold of the "mailorder only" version of this diSEMBOWELMENT reissue (limited to 1000 copies worldwide) that comes with a whole extra, third, disc! Disc three contains an unreleased version of "The Spirit Of The Tall Hills" (from Transcendence Into the Peripheral), as well as rehearsal versions of The Spirit Of The Tall Hills and Your Prophetic Throne Of Ivory (also from Transcendence Into the Peripheral). These versions are a lot weirder than the album versions, faster, with way more deranged and damaged vocals! Also includes a Necrovore (who we'd never heard of) cover, a murky, fuzzy, droned-out thrash workout! Wow.
Obviously totally and completely essential. Like we mentioned before, the three disc version is super limited so we're not sure how long we'll have those. Packaged in an oversized 3cd jewel case, with a booklet of photos and liner notes, including lyrics and a history of the band from drummer Paul Mazziotta. When the 3cd version is gone we will have the 2cd version, which is cheaper and comes packaged in an embossed double digipak.
MPEG Stream: "The Tree Of Life And Death"
MPEG Stream: "Your Prophetic Throne Of Ivory"
MPEG Stream: "Cerulian Transience Of All My Imagined Shores"

DISEMBOWELMENT Discography (3XM Productions) 3lp 38.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The first (and LAST) diSEMBOWELMENT vinyl release EVER. Limited to 500 copies worldwide, only 200 copies in the US, of which we got 30 copies and may not ever be able to get more. Packaged in a black box with a black foil stamp. Includes a full color poster and a patch!!
Just the sight of that immediately recognizable underlined, lower case 'd' logo sends shivers up our spine. Some of you already know exactly what we're talking about, and just reading this far has probably got you all in a tizzy as well. For those of you who are new to the lower case 'd', prepare yourself for diSEMBOWELMENT!! Even the name, replete with mandatory case change, conjures up all sorts of bleak lifeforce snuffing, soul crushing sensations, at least for fans of mysterious otherworldly doom and bizarre slow motion grind!!
diSEMBOWELMENT were but a brief flash in the underground doom metal scene, existing for a scant three years in the early nineties, but in that time, they recorded one of the all time classic HEAVY records ever, Transcendence Into The Peripheral. A mind blowing record that somehow melded extreme brutality with delicate beauty, a record that totally changed the way some of us listened to heavy music. Referring to the music of diSEMBOWELMENT as doom might give folks the wrong impression. This is not regular old doom like Black Sabbath or My Dying Bride, it's not even funereal doom like Skepticism or Esoteric, although it definitely spends most of its time a lot closer to the slow motion sludge end of the spectrum. diSEMBOWELMENT most definitely inhabit their own unique sonic space. It's slow, sure, but not always, bursts of pounding blast beats will erupt from a bleak tranquil soundscape, guttural inhuman grunts, machine like percussion, buzzing riffs, all intertwined into a blazing near-death metal onslaught, but it's not long before big reverb drenched guitar melodies begin to fall like some sort of black rain, the metallic pummel sort of stumbling to a seasick lumber, turning the whole thing into a creepy crawl, lurching, plodding, downtuned guitars and spare, simple rhythms, a crushing slow motion dirge, with haunting atonal clean guitar parts and moaning melodies. And even during these vast expanses of atmospheric tranquility, you can never rule out a sudden blast beat, or a throat shredding vocal part, or a sudden crushing riff. The magic of diSEMBOWELMENT though is that somehow the metallic crush and the melancholic ambience are perfectly balanced. The whole thing is a dark and depressive, minor key and mournful masterpiece. But it's all so fucking heavy! Even the not-so-heavy parts manage to sound completely massive and totally crushing! So intense and emotional and just absolutely beautiful. Yep, beautiful. Lovely even. Like few records we can remember, and certainly one of the only records this heavy and brutal that manages to be absolutely beautiful. Sonically it's a bit like Napalm Death's Scum, and Carcass's Reek of Putrifaction, that classic Earache sound, a bit lo-fi, lots of reverb, big drums, buzzing guitars, all boiled down into a viscous blackened sludge, sprinkled throughout with brief melodic flares and occasional glistening guitars, like rays of sunlight just barely penetrating the suffocating atmosphere of thick low hanging riffs and bleak, brutal ambience.
This collection contains all of Transcendence Into the Peripheral, and hell, we would have been happy with just that, a long overdue reissue of one of our all time favorite discs. But also included is the quite rare Dusk ep, as well as a rare compilation track and the five track Mourning September demo, all of it suitably genius!
Obviously totally and completely essential.
MPEG Stream: "The Tree Of Life And Death"
MPEG Stream: "Your Prophetic Throne Of Ivory"
MPEG Stream: "Cerulian Transience Of All My Imagined Shores"

DISGUST War Deterrent (Grave / Grindfreaks) cd 14.98

DISHES, THE 1-2 (No. 89) cd 14.98
These four Chicago ladies play garagey, rockin, catchy punk. Stooges-esqe with a snotty girl sneer. The guitars are beefy and tough. The production is clean, which gives it more of a rock feel, than lo-fi live garageness. 14 songs in 30 minutes. Wow. This is their second record. They are touring a ton and playing with a lot of girl bands throughout the country. Keep your eyes open for em'.
RealAudio clip: "The Fight"
RealAudio clip: "Feel It"

DISHES, THE 3 (File 13) cd 13.98
Let's get one thing straight, the Dishes are three gals and one guy from Chicago who'll end their trashy rock'n'roll songs when they damn well feel like it, thank you very much! As you might've guessed from the title, this is their third album and it all kicks off with the nine and a half minute "Something To Tell You" which howls with guitar feedback and barrels along relentlessly for really quite some time after the vocals stop telling you... uh, something. They're no doubt pretty rad live, but in lieu of having them trash your basement, the File 13 label have kindly captured their energy well on record. While they're certainly not doing anything you haven't heard before, they do sound like a good sweaty time! If brash garage rawk loaded with sneering female vocals and super crunchy guitars is your thing, don't miss The Dishes live or on record.
MPEG Stream: "Flim Flam"
MPEG Stream: "Bones & Plastic"

DISINTERESTED Behind Us (Dynamophone) cd 13.98
Another of the uncommonly sumptuous array of releases from the young music label Dynamophone. As we mentioned earlier in the review of labelmates Balustrade Ensemble, they've only been around since mid-2006, but already have a bountiful catalog with many more on the way. Particularly if you've been enjoying the recent aquatic drone releases on the Mystery Sea label, you might wish to check out the seemingly likeminded, but more melodically inclined Dynamophone artists. An absolute treasure trove of shimmering and dewy listening delights. Delve in immediately (also see: Balustrade Ensemble, Halou, Po, Pornopop, A Lily, Curium, and R/R Coseboom)!
Disinterested is primarily the work of one man, guitarist Matt Brown. Don't let his moniker dissuade you though. Behind Us is his second full length (and his first for this label), and an engagingly soothing listen it is. It's an album of grey skies, the anticipation of a thunderstorm. Very weighted with solemnest of moods, but not heavyhanded, these eleven post-rock instrumentals accumulate atmospheric layers of shuffling drumbeats and droning blankets of effected guitars and loops (some by Bill Frisell, by the way!). Breathy female vocals appear briefly in one track Felt (Leaves). Austere and beautiful.
MPEG Stream: "Dissonance"
MPEG Stream: "Felt (Leaves)"

DISIPLIN Anti Life (Moonfog) cd 15.98
You like your metal raging and misanthropic? Probably you do. After all, mellow, have-a-nice-day metal just isn't that popular, we've noticed. Well this second album from up n'coming Moonfog act Disiplin sure as heck ain't filled with a lot of love for their fellow man! Instead these Norwegians are full up with aggression and negativity. A powerful production here showcases Disiplin's violent blend of black and death and thrash metal brutality...thrash blackened thrash! But very modern and mechanized mayhem this is, and unrelenting. Maybe a song will start swith a sample, and/or a few moments of atmospheric string-scrape...however it's not long before you (or the inner demons you intend to exorcise with this particular listening regime) are being trampled by vicious riffage, blasting drums, and the throat-scorching bile-spew of the vocalist. For fans of more recent Satyricon, Myrkskog, Grimfist, Zyklon, etc. Includes bonus video clip for the title track.
MPEG Stream: "Feed The Fucker To The Dogs"
MPEG Stream: "Anti-Life"

DISIPLIN s/t (Moonfog Productions) cd 14.98
It's almost enough for us just to say "new on Moonfog", isn't it? That label, run by Satyr of Satyricon, has definitely become synonymous with quality Norwegian black metal, bringing us both experimental stuff like Dodheimsgard/DHG and the current work of pioneers Darkthrone, with the likes of Thorns and Satyricon themselves bridging the old and new schools. So any new release on Moonfog is certainly worthy of our -- and your -- attention. Disiplin don't fail to meet our expectations. Fierce and raging yet, well, disciplined, Disiplin play black metal heavily infused with the energy and chops of thrash and death metal. Classy and kick-ass. But with just enough strange ambient/industrial/folky weirdness to keep things interesting. This is the band's first release, with guitarist/bassist "General K" having served time in Myrkskog. Guests include ex-Emperors Bard Faust and Zamoth. Folks in desperate need of a Satyricon fix will find everything they've been hankering for on Disiplin's crushing debut.
MPEG Stream: "Liberation"
MPEG Stream: "Kniferegime"

DISJECTA Clean Pit & Lid (Warp) cd 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
UK import. "For some people, stacking boxes into crates is a career; working their way up from stacking boxes to watch other people stacking them. Not all boxes are square, though most are."

DISJECTA Clean Pit & Lid (Warp) 2lp 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
UK import. "For some people, stacking boxes into crates is a career; working their way up from stacking boxes to watch other people stacking them. Not all boxes are square, though most are."

DISJECTA EP (Polyfusia) cd ep 14.98
Disjecta is the electronic alter-ego of Mark Clifford, who is best known as the glide guitar sculptor from Seefeel back in the early '90s. As Disjecta he has attempted to bridge the gap between the dreamy, electronically tinged shoegazerism of Seefeel and the emotionally sympathetic sounds of IDM electronica. On this short EP which marks his first recordings in five or six years, Clifford dabbles in similar procedures as Stefan Mathieu and Oval by enshrouding samples of organ and guitar in the finely crushed mist of Max/MSP pixellation. In augmenting many of these sounds with cascades of delay patterns, the resulting abstractions come across as rougher mixes of Keith Fullerton Whitman's epic Playthroughs album. Pretty nice, if no Clean Pit & Lid.
MPEG Stream: "True_Love By Normal"

DISK ORCHESTRA [k] (Rather Interesting) cd 16.98
Not an actual orchestra, but yet another creative persona for Mr. Uwe Schmidt (aka Atom Heart, Atom, Senor Coconut, et al.). Plunderphonics are alive and kicking shins as Disk Orchestra takes absolutely anything in its path and renders them completely unrecognizable (save for a timestetched orchestral piece that we'll leave unnamed). Playful, irreverent, and just plain ridiculous as expected with all Atom/Rather Interesting releases.
RealAudio clip: "Track 55"

DISK, DJ Ancient Termites (Bomb) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
From Shiggerfraggar and Invisibl Skratch Piklz fame! Currently DJing for Primus, MCM and the Monster and GR2, Disk has finally released his solo debut album on the friendly Bomb label, based in Noe Valley believe it or not. This is not nearly as hyper as the Mixmaster Mike record, preferring mellow and subtle trickery that just begs for a club DJ to mess with.

DISK, DJ Ancient Termites (Bomb) 2lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
From Shiggerfraggar and Invisibl Skratch Piklz fame! Currently DJing for Primus, MCM and the Monster and GR2, Disk has finally released his solo debut album on the friendly Bomb label, based in Noe Valley believe it or not. This is not nearly as hyper as the Mixmaster Mike record, preferring mellow and subtle trickery that just begs for a club DJ to mess with.

DISK, DJ Tornado Of Urine Breaks (Scarecrow Music) lp 12.98
Eww.

DISKJOKKE Staying In (Smalltown Supersound) cd 16.98
Active, uptempo instrumental electronica action outta Sweden on the Smalltown Supersound label (home to the likes of Hans-Peter Lindstrom and Bjorn Torske). It starts off with some pretty piano, but soon breaks into the bouncy, percolating danceparty stuff. Diskjokke mixes it up nicely, never getting too stuck in one set of sounds... "The Dinner That Never Happened" could be a chill-out echo of the Star Wars Death Star music, while elsewhere some possibly African drumming gets mixed in with the squelchin' distorted beats. The disc also takes some purely atmospheric detours as well.
Geographically, they're from the land of skweee, and Diskjokke have some of that funky skweee playfulness, but this is not quite skweee, being more techno, but close.
MPEG Stream: "I Was Go To Marrocco And I Don't See You"
MPEG Stream: "Flott Flyt"

DISKORD Doomscapes (Edgerunner Music) cd 15.98
We must have mentioned before that we're suckers for electric pink on an album cover. Dunno why, it's just a thing with us. Especially when it's a METAL album. How did Boris know? And now Diskord. The shocking pink hues on the cover of this album are part of a garish, trippy painting that's deliberately indicative of the unusual, lysergic-sounding technical death metal these Norwegian guys play. Spaced out, definitely Voivod influenced, grinding weirdness... they're an alien metal machine with lots of cold, sharp edges and many moving parts. And though they're crazy technical and blasting a lot of the time, let's not forget the album is aptly titled Doomscapes, which means they can break it down from the hyperactive heaviness to sheer crushing slabs of sludge, and ooze ambient atmospheric interludes too. Definitely for fans of fellow demented deathsters like Cephalic Carnage and Canvas Solaris, and older bands running the extreme death metal spectrum from Autopsy to Pestilence to Disharmonic Orchestra...
MPEG Stream: "An Architectonic Manifestation Of Death"
MPEG Stream: "Public Static Void"
MPEG Stream: "Harbinger"

DISMAL EUPHONY Autumn Leaves - The Rebellion Of Tides (Napalm) cd 14.98
This Austrian band's earlier records on Napalm *were* truly dismal--and this (their last for the label, before being picked up by the giant Nuclear Blast conglom) may also be tough to stomach, but they're doing the combination of black metal, operatic female vocals and classical passages better than before and I'm sure somebody out there will thrill to the ludicrous bizarreness of it all.

DISMEMBERMENT PLAN A People's History Of The... (De Soto) cd 14.98
Best of!

DISMEMBERMENT PLAN, THE Change (DeSoto) cd 14.98
I dunno, I'm sitting here slowly and pleasantly realizing anew how completely and totally brilliant The Dismemberment Plan is. All the sonic elements combine so well into a singular style, immediately recognizable, always compelling and completely unpredictable. That's the foremost thing about them -- the unpredictability of the songwriting keeps it consistently interesting -- in the same way that you never know where a Pixies or a Minutemen song is going, The Dismemberment Plan rise above their emo punk contemporaries on the basis of their arrangements. I firmly believe that talented arranging is an indispensable element of any great song. This band has it in spades, as well as an angsty, expressive vocalist, a kind of Talking-Heads-style epic tone, layers of soaring (and non-annoying) keyboards anchored by Gang of Four-style angular choppy guitars -- bright bittersweet guitarwork that reminds me of the Pixies, yet it's underlined with a dub-via-punk style bass (think Fugazi) that gives the music more groove than Frank Black has in his pinkie. Windy highly recommends this record, and also the previous album Emergency & I, which features the immensely wonderful song "What Do You Want Me to Say".
RealAudio clip: "The Face of This Earth"
RealAudio clip: "Ellen and Ben"
RealAudio clip: "Pay for the Piano"