DAT POLITICS Tracto Flirt (Tigerbeat6) cd 10.98
This is the second reissue of Dat Politics' "Tracto Flirt," originally reissued through A-Muzik. The side project of Tone Rec specializes in excessive high-end squealiness, digitally distorted Nintendo crackle, post new-wave electronica (a la Cheap Records) and Mouse on Mars abstract techno wackiness.

DAT POLITICS Villager (A-Musik) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Released on A-Musik, known mostly for releasing whimsically abstract electronica (I seem to think there's a Mouse On Mars connection to the label), Dat Politics' "Villager" album is a fanciful exploration of rather clever timestretched melodic bits thrown in the blender of electron bending and digital glitchery. Dat Politics is also the all-laptop alter-ego of Sub Rosa post-rock/electronic band Tone Rec.

DATACH'I Mmale And Ffemale (Planet Mu) cd 15.98

DATACH'I This Is My EP (Caipirinha) 12" 5.98
Vinyl only ep teaser to Datach'i's upcoming full-length of tweaky electronica. And now the magic words: features remixes by Mogwai and Kid 606! oh, and by Bogdan Raczynski too.

DATACH'I We Are Way Swell Thank You (Caipirinha Music) cd 14.98
Following the Mogwai/Kid606/other fella remix ep released recently, here's the new full-length from this edgy electronica New Yorker.

DATE COURSE PENTAGON ROYAL GARDEN Report From Iron Mountain (P-Vine) cd 32.00
This is the debut recording from a new eleven piece fusion outfit featuring Otomo Yoshihide on guitar (yep, he's better known for his turntable artistry, but he's been doing guitar improv for a long time too). Basically, Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden (what a name!) is the brainchild of Naruyoshi Kikuchi (whose dexterous saxophone work can be heard in Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Quintet), who fronts this group on guitar and electronics. Joining the lineup are New Jazz Quintet members Kenta Tsugami and Yasuhiro Yoshigaki and many other luminaries from the Japanese improv underground. They play a weird, roiling electronic-jazz-fusion with samples, synths, and funky grooves. At its best, DCPRG is kinda like early '70s electric Miles with a Boredoms twist. But then there's some super-cheesy sounding stuff on here, the kinda sax blowing that gives the words "jazz" and "fusion" a bad name. So you might have to hit the fast-forward button once in a while. Despite that reservation, this is actually worth the $32 import price just for the twelve minutes of their delirious, almost unrecognizable, wildly psychedelic and funky instrumental cover of "Hey Joe"!! Then again, the kitschy pastiche called "Mirror Ball" that follows it, however, may tip your purchasing decision in the other direction. It sounds like some song we can't pin down, but whatever it is, it would be at home on an episode of "The Love Boat". It's hard to tell, is this really what underground Japanese avant-garde jazz is supposed to sound like, or is Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden meant to be an ironic pisstake on '70s lounge-jazz cheese? We're confused, and amused.
RealAudio clip: "Play Mate At Hanoi"
RealAudio clip: "Hey Joe"

DATURA Visions For The Celestial (Astral Projection) cd 14.98
Back in stock! Some druggy downer stoner rock from the man behind space rock outfit Lamp Of The Universe, only a few more in stock...
We're huge fans of NZ guitarist Craig Williamson and his space raga rock outfit Lamp Of The Universe, whose sound is actually light on the rock, and heavy on the space and the raga, with buzzing sitars, and loping krautrock grooves, blissed out ambience and wispy clouds of spaced out FX. But way back in 1999, before the birth of LOTU, Williamson was doing time in a little band called Datura, who shared some sonic sensibilities with his later outfit, spacey, groovy, buzzy, but Datura rocked, we mean ROCKED, some serious stoner rock Hawkwind / Monster Magnet worship for sure. Big ol' wah wah guitar riffs, pounding drums, downtuned fuzz guitars, BIG BIG amps unleashing thick walls of sun baked drug drenched sound. The kind of sound we could gladly listen to forever. But...
...It's the vocals that will make it or break it for you. Super throaty rock croon, very reminiscent of Kyuss, some folks here thought it sounded a little too bar rock, or like the one rock guy on every season of American Idol, channelling some Eddie Vedder with that "yyyyuuuuuaaaayy" sort of classic rock yowl. But if you were into Kyuss, or any of the first wave of stoner rock bands (Beaver, Dozer, tons of other Man's Ruin bands) or any bands on the Small Stone label, this will definitely push those space rock, desert rock, stoner rock, slow groove, blown out guitar, beer and pot laced laid back groove buttons for sure.
MPEG Stream: "Magnetise"
MPEG Stream: "Sunshine In Purple"

DATURAH Reverie (Graveface) cd 13.98
Germany's Daturah return with a second album of magnificently, majestically moody post-rock. As before, it's mostly instrumental, with just some spoken voice samples (Godspeed style) buried in the mix, occasionally punctuating the sweep of Daturah's spacey songs. Mostly it's repetitiously reminiscent of Mogwai and Isis and Sigur Ros and Pelican and the like, with five long songs (nine and a half to thirteen plus minutes) going on and on, all very sad and pretty. The guitars swell and chime, drums metronomically keeping time, and as we mentioned time does pass, during which Daturah's quiet parts yearn always for the crush to come, when they heavy it up - sometimes almost achieving a black metal buzz (burz?), or hint of one, that could make you think you were listening to part of a recent Katatonia album for a moment or two. Atmospheric and/or heavy, and always melodically, melancholically tremulous, Daturah slowly dive in and out of the loud-soft dynamics thing with grace and gravitas, if not utter originality. Nice, though.
MPEG Stream: "Ghost Track"
MPEG Stream: "Deep B Flat"

DATURAH s/t (Graveface) cd 9.98
Oooh. Nice one here for fans of Mogwai and Mono and the like... Germany's Daturah are quite adept at that style of dynamic soft-loud mesmerization, being both gently melodic and heavy too. It's easy to lose oneself in this lulling but loud set of really pretty post-rock.
Daturah bring the depresso-drone hammer of melancholy down with some force on these three stretched-out, mostly-instrumental epics. Some half-buried voices are to be heard, tranmissions lost in shortwave ether, drifting in the mix, a la Godspeed or Nadja. But the focus is on the magnificent oceanic swells of guitar. On "Warmachines" they really manage to rock out, whereas other parts of this are suffused with light, lightness.
If you like Mogwai, Mogwai, Explosions In The Sky, Pelican, Growing, Cult Of Luna, Isis, etc., this is 45 minutes of music you'll also like, we're pretty sure!
MPEG Stream: "Warmachines"
MPEG Stream: "Shoal"

DATURAH s/t (Graveface) cd 9.98
Oooh. Nice one here for fans of Mogwai and Mono and the like... Germany's Daturah are quite adept at that style of dynamic soft-loud mesmerization, being both gently melodic and heavy too. It's easy to lose oneself in this lulling but loud set of really pretty post-rock.
Daturah bring the depresso-drone hammer of melancholy down with some force on these three stretched-out, mostly-instrumental epics. Some half-buried voices are to be heard, tranmissions lost in shortwave ether, drifting in the mix, a la Godspeed or Nadja. But the focus is on the magnificent oceanic swells of guitar. On "Warmachines" they really manage to rock out, whereas other parts of this are suffused with light, lightness.
If you like Mogwai, Mogwai, Explosions In The Sky, Pelican, Growing, Cult Of Luna, Isis, etc., this is 45 minutes of music you'll also like, we're pretty sure!
MPEG Stream: "Warmachines"
MPEG Stream: "Shoal"

DAUBY, YANNICK Alisen (Cloud Of Static) cd ep 13.98

DAUERFISCH Crime Of The Century (Bungalow) cd 15.98
The ultimate in suave chic pop. Positively groovy. Ideal music for the Euro-fashion show runways including the catfights backstage. One part Heaven 17. Remember "Let Me Go"? Well, check out the track entitled "So Gut". One part Charles Wilp. One part Human League. One part Pizzicato 5 (see "Whole Lotta Weasel"). One part dorky weirdness. Well shaken, and topped with an avalanche of cocktail fruit, olives and canapes. So very very fun.

DAUERFISCH Tausend Ganz Legale Steuertricks (Bungalow) cd 14.98
The duo known as Dauerfisch bring to you a campy array of lounge-y numbers on a label known for it's suave, glitzy euro-pop. Many a well-turned heel and finely cut suit. Tres sexy. Recorded in Berlin. Yes, fans of StereoTotal, Air and Pizzicato Five, try this one on for size.

DAUGHTERS Canada Songs (Robotic Empire) cd 10.98
Gonna try to make this review a short one, not because this record isn't great, because it is, but just because it's only eleven minutes long. That's right, eleven minutes. Ten songs in eleven minutes. That should give you a clue as to what you're in for. Somehow though it doesn't seem like a rip off since the Daughters jam more parts and notes and insanity into a minute long song than most bands fit in a whole record. Ultra spastic, maniacal grinding prog metal punk is what we're talking here. A la the Locust, An Albatross, Horse The Band and all those bands that take twice as long setting up as they do playing their entire set! Just set your cd player on repeat and listen to Canada Songs over and over and over and over. You'll want to anyway this record is so good. From the same label that brought us the great Circle Takes The Square record from a few lists back!
MPEG Stream: "Fur Beach"
MPEG Stream: "Jones From Indiana"
MPEG Stream: "Pants, Meet Shit"

DAUGHTERS Hell Songs (Hydra Head) cd 12.98

MPEG Stream: "Fiery"
MPEG Stream: "Recorded Inside A Pyramid"
MPEG Stream: "Fiesty Snake-Woman"

DAUNER, WOLFGANG (QUINTET) The Oimels (Long Hair) cd 24.00
We've heard tell of record for a long time, but this is the first occasion that a cd reissue has wound up in our bins. It's about time 'cause it is indeed a pretty cool little album! Multi-instrumentalist Wolfgang Dauner was an innovative German jazz musician who in the late '60s started to move into more experimental and "krautrock" territory. The Oimels, originally released in 1969, was supposedly his attempt at a "pop" album...
It starts off with the funky, quirky instrumental "Oh, Baby, I Don't Love You Anymore", wherein ivories are tickled, flutes are flaunted, and there's some silly serious stabs of fuzz guitar from Siggi Schwab (an MPS label vet that you've heard before if you're familiar with the Vampyros Lesbos soundtrack!). Reminds us a bit of that bizarre exploito-kraut "party album" by Staff Carpenborg & The Electric Corona we reviewed a couple years ago. Neat enough, should appeal to the same folks digging those "In-Kraut" and "Instro-Hipsters" compilations... but with an extra dose of something. Uh, LSD?
Sitar twang is added to the next track, the faux-Eastern hippy jam "Take Off Your Clothes To Feel The Setting Sun", the vocals blissfully, mantrically suggesting that one disrobe as per the song title. That's followed by another bright n' slinky lounge instrumental, "My Man's Gone Now", that would have Austin Powers sayin' "Groovy, baby" and whooping it up. So far, so good... a groovy jazzy album yeah, with some freaky pop leanings, but a psychedelic krautrock classic? Well then you hit the positively CRAZED track four, "Come On In On In" and you realize that The Oimels are seriously trippin'. It's a hard one to describe, totally unhinged, almost hyperactively punked-up like The Monks, with chaotic chanting vocals and infectious rhythmic glee. Wow, wild! Ok, now we're convinced. And as the album continues, the freakiness does too. It's such a weird blend of smooth jazz grooves and psychedelic spasms. Dauner and his Quintet were definitely on to something (or on something) with their sound. Some of the other surprises in store for listeners include a swingin' version of "Greensleeves", and, to end the record, a pretty amazing cover of "A Day In The Life" by the Beatles. The elegiac mood of the original is maintained, enhanced even, yet also subverted with insane atonal fuzz-jazz soloing.
We're now definitely interested in hearing Dauner's other progressive jazz and fusion albums of the era, if we can find 'em...
MPEG Stream: "Come On In On In"
MPEG Stream: "Take Off Your Clothes To Feel The Setting Sun"

DAVENPORT Free Country (Last Visible Dog) cd 14.98
We've been loving Davenport for a good long while now, but they were one of those bands who hovered ghostlike in the world of ultra limited cd-r's and limited-to-50-copies lathe cuts and thus we were never able to get more than a few copies of any of their records until now. Free Country is the first proper cd release we've had from this gorgeously mysterious outfit and the title couldn't more perfectly reflect the music inside. Completely free country, loosed from the restraints of typical twang and instead posessing some haunting otherworldly magic, occupying an impossible space somewhere between Jackie-O-Motherfucker, Scott Tuma, the No Neck Blues Band, Souled American, Avarus, Smithsonian Folkways and all of the wraith like purveyors of whir and drone we dig so much. This is still, somehow, some bizarre strain of country music, but it's filtered through foresty folk and free noise and tribal clatter and all the other stuff that informs what is sometimes referred to now as new weird America. It's really hard to describe. Nashville via Finland via the American Southwest maybe? Harry Smith's Anthology of abstract free folk and minimal country? Drone country? They all hint at the sweet mystery of this record but fall just short of truly describing how fucking beautiful it really is. Free Country is a series of dark, droning, sweetly melancholic sonic abstracts, all cobbled together from warm washes of organ, swirls of tone generators and simple muted percussive thumps, skittery casios and simple twangy guitar melodies, keening fiddles, grizzled old-blues-guy vocal samples, smears of impossibly lovely ambience, stretches of whispery almost-krautrock like rhythms, delicate piano tinkle and blurry synthesizer squiggle, mumbled sad boy vocals all marble mouthed and introspective (sounding a bit like This Heat vocals), streaks of fuzz guitar and plenty of reverb and delay and a production that deftly manges to combine outdoorsy campfire whispiness with big cavernous throb, making every thing sound warm and dense but airy and free, like a thick cloud of steam when you first open the door of a hot shower, the melodies and fragments of song smeared and indistinct, quickly fading as if drawn on a fogged up mirror with your finger. Gorgeous.
MPEG Stream: "Joy! By Numerals Act"
MPEG Stream: "Thou Shall Be Walking"
MPEG Stream: "The Crowned And Conquering Children Dirt Pour"

DAVENPORT Marble Seed (Jyrk Collective) cd-r 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

MPEG Stream: "Marble Seed"

DAVENPORT Rabbit's Foot Propeller (3 Lobed) cd 14.98

DAVENPORT s/t (Not Not Fun) lp 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A few lists back we reviewed the most recent Davenport cd, a gorgeous slab of droney dreamy outsider free folk twang. It was great to finally be able to spread the word about a band we'd been digging for ages via super limited cd-r's and lps, always unfortunately too limited to get enough for the list. And as if on cue, a few weeks later, after mentioning the bands penchant for limited runs, we get a new SUPER limited lp, so limited it's already out of print in fact. But we did manage to get a bunch, but a bunch means like 20. so don't snooze on this one!
A little less overtly twangy than the Last Visible Dog cd, the lp is a more abstract, much dronier, more mysteriously abstract affair. Creepy and skeletal, ominous and darkly dreamy. Warm swells of rumble and deconstructed twang. Occasionally the mist parts revealing a strange pagan gypsy hoedown, a wondrous forest ritual, keening fiddles, softly strummed detuned guitars and strange sing songy vocals. But thos brief glimpses are soon obscured by more droney murk and rumbling fuzz. Really cool.
Packaged in swank hand screened sleeves. The first half of the orders for the 20 or so we have will get the colored vinyl version, the rest will get the black vinyl. If you will not be happy with the black vinyl DO NOT ORDER THIS, just feel lucky if you end up with a red copy, although as far as we're concerned black is WAY cooler than red, when you really think about it...

DAVENPORT FAMILY At The Foot Of Zodiac Mountain (Meudiademorte) cassette 5.98
Ultra limited release from the Davenport Family, the extended lineup of free folkers Davenport, released on the Meudiademorte label.
This is a single 35 minute jam, and it is a monster, sure there's the usual, clattery percussion, distant folky jangle, shimmery ambience, but shit here gets way more fierce and scary. Some massive slow motion stripped down folk doom. Epic sludgy rhythms, a plodding crashing thud, demarcating a harsh landscape of wild tribal drumming, strange echoe-y vocals, streaks of guitar feedback, like some krautrock free folk doom metal Taj Mahal Travellers or something. Everything blown out and abstract, hung loosely around a relentless rhythmic death march, trawling through dense clouds of damaged FX, dubbed out drums, clattery percussion and huge bassy throbs. Tribal and primitive, spacey and majestic, pounding and surprisingly brutal for a bunch of hippy free folk misfits. Awesome!!
LIMITED TO 230 COPIES!!! We got about 20, after these are gone they are gone for good.

DAVENPORT, BART, MOORE BROTHERS AND GUESTS (V/A) Ace of Spades Series Volume 8 - April, 2005 (E14) cd-r 4.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Ace Of Spades is a cd-r series of live recordings showcasing the intimate acoustic music of a variety of local indie artists. The series so far boasts consistently strong performances from all participants (well played and well recorded at Mama Buzz Cafe in Oakland).
Volume 8 was recorded on April 17th, and features a hearty gathering of Paul Panamarenko Band, Bart Davenport, the Moore Brothers (their four sweet songs on their very own make this well worth gettin'... you might also wanna check out their wonderful studio album Now Is The Time For Love!), Laura Weinbach, Matthew Herz, Vernal Falls and Helen Chaya.
MPEG Stream: MOORE BROTHERS "Fresh Thoughts Of You"
MPEG Stream: DAVENPORT, BART "Clara"

DAVID & THE CITIZENS Until The Sadness Is Gone (Friendly Fire) cd 14.98
David & The Citizens have received bountiful accolades in their home country (including a nomination for 'best pop band' in Sweden's Grammy Awards!), and it's easy to hear why. The Swedish sextet make some dandy rustic indie rock with a twist. They've infused the songs on their latest album Until The Sadness Is Gone with Klezmer elements as well as some gorgeous string arrangements courtesy of the Ebrelius Quartet. A crafty yet unassuming bittersweet beauty. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Graycoated Morning"
MPEG Stream: "On All American Winds"

DAVID COPPERFUCK Chalet Chalet (Party Turtle) 7" 5.98

DAVID-IVAR HERMAN DUNE Ya Ya (Shrimper) cd 13.98

DAVIDSON, LOWELL Trio (ESP-Disk) cd 14.98

DAVIES, HUGH Interplay (FMR Records) cd 20.00
Conceived of as a showcase for his invented amplified concert instruments, such as "Multishozgy," "Concert Aeolian Harp," and "Bowed Diaphrams," Englishman Hugh Davies appears in a variety of duos and trios. Tinkery improv loveliness ala AMM's quiet, reflective bits.

DAVIES, RAY Other People's Lives (V2) cd 16.98
Especially in summer time there is nothing better then pulling out some old Kinks records and letting the Davies brothers take you on all the right breezy twists and turns. All these years later Ray Davies is still alive and well and making music. OF course not quite as great as classic Kinks albums but we'll still take this over a new Paul McCartney album.
MPEG Stream: "Things Are Gonna Change"
MPEG Stream: "The Tourist"

DAVIES, RICHARD There's Never Been a Crowd Like This (Sub Pop) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Painstakingly constructed, emotional, epic songs played out on piano and guitar, drums. Although this record gets raves from just about everybody, I didn't really get it until I saw Davies live at Terrastock I, where he slayed with his songwriting prowess. Davies used to be in Australia's Moles and more recently Cardinal, with now-similarly-solo Eric Matthews.

DAVIES, RICHARD There's Never Been a Crowd Like This (Sub Pop) lp 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Painstakingly constructed, emotional, epic songs played out on piano and guitar, drums. Although this record gets raves from just about everybody, I didn't really get it until I saw Davies live at Terrastock I, where he slayed with his songwriting prowess. Davies used to be in Australia's Moles and more recently Cardinal, with now-similarly-solo Eric Matthews.

DAVIGNON, MATT Bwoo (Edgetone) cd 12.98

DAVILA 666 s/t (In The Red) cd 13.98
Imagine if the Dead Boys, the Stooges or Black Lips were from Puerto Rico and you'll begin to have an idea of the raucous fun and mighty punch that Davila 666 pack into their In The Red debut. It takes a lot to really move us when it comes to modern day garage rock as we find much of it a bit stale and burnt out, but god damn we can't stop listening to this record! There is such a pure excitement to these sounds, and enough of a range in Davila 666's music to truly make them stand above the crowd. It's not just the novelty of singing in Spanish, but you can tell these are guys who have an awesome appreciation for a wide range of garage sounds from the punk to the pop, and the few slower tracks on here are like some lost 4-track tapes of sessions produced by Phil Spector in a Puerto Rican garage in the late '70s. This is the band you would dream of seeing play at a house party, it could make even the most jaded and sullen of souls jump with joy. Luckily all you have to do is throw this on and the party comes right through the speakers. So damn good!
MPEG Stream: "Basura"
MPEG Stream: "Tú"

DAVILA, CAMILLE Not For The Disco (Below) cd 13.98
Geez, how did I miss this release from last year? If you like the euro-pop quirkiness of Stereo-Total and/or Charles Wilp as I do, press 'play' on this baby. A very eclectic array of musical styles (lounge, retro-synth pop, strummy acoustic, Bacharach, polka, etc), but the bottom line is kitchy playfulness. Camille's smooth, warm voice really brought to mind a hybrid of Karen Carpenter, Laetitia Sadier and Call & Response (especially on tracks like the very C&R-ish "I Am"), and are a great match for both the rounded synth sounds and low-key guitar lines that take turns backing her up. Quite a fun listen.
RealAudio clip: "I Am"
RealAudio clip: "Your Spice"

DAVINGNON, MATT Music at 1/2 Speed (Edgetone Records) cd-r 11.98

DAVIS REDFORD TRIAD Blue Cloud (Holy Mountain) cd 13.98
As heavy psych guitar power trios channelling the lost '70s krautrock vibe go, well, these guys are the current champs of the US of A (and rival the heavy hitters like Acid Mothers Temple from Japan as well). Of course, they're from the hippie coast up north from here (Portland actually), though their guitarist/mastermind Steven Wray Lobdell has connections in Germany -- he plays in Faust too y'know! This latest DRT album takes their spacey, drugged out, droney psychedelia into some aggro areas, while remaining totally dreamy at other times. The single misstep occurs early in the album -- we'll be hitting the 'skip' button at track two in future after hearing it once, as it's based on a pseudo-beat poetry spoken word thing by The Baseball Astrologer. He's a cool old dude, sure, with some right-on sentiments about "America, my violent stupid friend" but we prefer the music to do the talking. Which it does on the rest of the disc, instrumentals stretched out to the horizons of your inner consciousness, man. The centerpiece to the album, "Mellowed For Over 80 Million Years", takes the listener on a 15+ minute blissed out trip, while other tracks are much heavier and freakier. It's mind-expanding, lava-lamp goodness. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Into The Mist"
MPEG Stream: "The Temple Of The Jaguar"

DAVIS REDFORD TRIAD Code Orange (Holy Mountain) cd 13.98
Out of the misty Pacific Northwest, underground psychedelic guitar god Stephen Wray Lobdell (heck he's been playing guitar for legendary krautrockers Faust, that's close to godhood, right?) and the other three guys in the strangely named Davis Redford Triad enter our waking dreamspace yet again with "Code Orange". The Triad is Lobdell's primary venue for his way-out instrumental drone guitar psych -- think Japan's Fushitsusha or SF's Comets On Fire. Chugging, chiming, wailing, haunting, heavy effin' cosmic beauty. This disc is a "live collage" from the band's tour in the spring of 2002, and features not only favorites like "Solar Aquarius" and "Apocalypse Greeting Card" from their two studio albums, but also adaptations of some Lobdell compositions originally found on his lovely "Automatic Writing" solo album -- suitably amped up for Triad performance -- AND three totally new songs as well!! Numbered, limited to 500, consider this a (must-have for fans) teaser of sorts for the Triad's upcoming studio full-length "Blue Cloud" on Holy Mountain this fall. Now, how'd Holy Mtn. honcho John Whitson manage to get our gov't to bump the official "panic rating" up to Code Orange for real the very same week this was due for release? I don't want to think about it, we'll leave that to the FBI. Maybe Tom Ridge is a mystical dude. Anyway, the, um, coincidence is an "Apocalypse Greeting Card" for us, indeed.
RealAudio clip: "All Mystics Are Numbered"
RealAudio clip: "Blue Cloud"

DAVIS REDFORD TRIAD Ewige Blumenkraft (Holy Mountain) cd 12.98
This excellent droney guitar-psych band's second album, after their acclaimed vinyl-only Holy Mountain debut a year or two ago, "The Mystical Path of The Number 86". Making the move to cd hopefully will increase the chances that more folks will be lucky enough to check them out. The Triad (Davis Redford is not a real person) features, and I mean really features, the oceanic guitar playing of one Stephen Wray Lobdell, who has been responsible for that instrument on the last few Faust recordings and live tours (maybe that's where he got the German for the title). So, fans of Faust's fine "Ravvivando" as well as the likes of Doldrums, Ghost, Nurse With Wound, and similar, krautrocky things should bend an ear towards Lobdell's combo for sure. Lovely stuff, all dreamy and Eastern-tinged. It's epic, and it'll take you places.

DAVIS REDFORD TRIAD The Mystical Path Of The Number Eighty Six (Holy Mountain) cd 13.98
Psychedelic rock music inspired by and/or the cause of various psychological anomalies and psychic phenomena! Seriously. The Davis Redford Triad is the fully levitational drone-rock unit centered on the outer-mind guitar explorations of Steven Wray Lobdell (just don't call him Stevie Wray!). He's the bearded hippy with the brow, holding the dog in his lap, both of whom stare out at you from the back cover of this release. You may also know him from his other projects (Baseball Astrologer, Sufi Mind Game, and the lovely acoustic solo set "Automatic Writing By The Moon", also on Holy Mountain). Oh, and of course he's also the guitarist in Faust! Yes, although Lobdell's from the Pacific Northwest, he somehow ended up playing guitar with those re-united krautrockers on their last few albums. Faust of course wouldn't hire just any old long-hair to play guitar, and our favorite 'new Faust' album "Ravvivando" wouldn't have been nearly as excellent without him.
We really liked the Triad's second album, 2000's German-titled but Eastern-tinged "Ewige Blumenkraft" but really, *really* liked their much heavier first LP, "The Mystical Path Of The Number Eighty Six". Originally released in 1997 as a limited edition vinyl artifact, the Triad's debut album has long been in need of compact disc reissue, and at last here it is. This classic has now re-emerged in remixed and re-sequenced form, and includes a theremin track mysteriously missing from the LP version...
It's a really good late night listen, as Lobdell & co. conjur a kosmic kraut vibe via deep, droney instrumental psych jams on guitar and organ, with drums on one track and some electronics thrown in. But mostly guitar, lots of guitar! It's essentially a solo album. Fans of Keiji Haino (another Faust collaborator) and his band Fushitsusha should dig this...though Fushitsusha can be a lot more abrasive. Lobdell's clouds of distortion are rather more 'round' and pleasant than the extremes of Haino's skree. Yet amid the Triad's transportational anthems you'll find some abrasive distorto-grind to be sure (right in the very loud, very dark first track actually). Other comparisons could be made to guitarists like Caspar Brotzman (at his most Hendrix-feeling), or Blue Cheer's Randy Holden (at his most abstract)...
Truly essential for anyone into heavy drone-psych guitar from Bardo Pond to Population II to Fushistsusha. Even if you have the original vinyl, you should check this cd out, as it's quite a bit different. And look for a new Triad release in the fall.
RealAudio clip: "Solar Aquarius"
RealAudio clip: "Mysteries of Cydonia"
RealAudio clip: "Hymn of the Virgin Sun Queen"

DAVIS REDFORD TRIAD The Mystical Path of the Number Eighty Six (Holy Mountain) lp 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Stephen Wray Lobdell, the mysterious guy who played guitar on Faust's "Rien," surfaces again on the respected Holy Mountain label, with a guitar/organ psychedelic drone record. Lovely sleeve. Limited to 500 copies.

DAVIS, BETTY Is It Love Or Desire (Light In The Attic) cd 16.98
There's really no doubt about it, Betty Davis was the true queen of funk! While she was only Mrs. Miles Davis for a very brief time, the influence she had on him was considerable, introducing him to rock and funk culture which undoubtedly led to his amazing funk filled '70s era that resulted in records like On The Corner and Agharta. Then there's her own amazing albums. Her first two records in the early '70s, a self-titled one and They Say I'm Different (both finally back in print on cd, by the way) really are the blueprints for raw, nasty, super charged soul filled funk and they still hold up so well even after all these years, and anytime we play them for someone who has never heard them before, they invariably are instantly blown away and want to learn all they can about the force of funky nature that is Betty Davis.
Little is known about much of her musical output outside of those legendary two albums, well there was a record called Nasty Gal released later in the '70s that has its moments but just didn't quite get to that magical place those first two records did. So when we found out there was a lost album from 1976 finally being released we were both way excited and a bit nervous as we love Betty Davis so much that we didn't want her legacy to be dampened at all with another sub par album. Luckily we didn't have anything to worry about, Is It Love Or Desire is one damn smoking set of fully on fire funk! There is such strength and conviction that in Betty's voice, every word she sings oozing with sez and power and intensity. If you've never heard any of her albums before we INSIST you get those first two records immediately - they are truly holy grails of funk, so it is pretty impossible to match that level of greatness, but this one really comes damn close.
There is such a raw and hedonistic salaciousness to these songs. You can picture some hedonistic no holds barred seventies coke party with this blasting in the background as the perfect soundtrack. These jams are almost abstract in their sheer funkiness, the band vamping, Davis and an equally badass male vocalist trading off exclamations and exultations of the FUNK. So crazy to think how early in the game Davis was getting to such a raw, deep and nasty side of things, WAY before folks like Rick James, Grace Jones, Chaka Kahn, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Missy Elliott, Trina, Lil' Kim, and Beth Ditto would all become mega stars channeling the same sort of energy. Funk lessons don't come with more fire and sexual swagger then when Betty Davis is on the mic, take out your pen and paper because school is in session!
PS Make sure to check out the amazing photo spread in the cd booklet for some seriously scandalous photos!
MPEG Stream: "Is It Love Or Desire"
MPEG Stream: "Crashin' From Passion"
MPEG Stream: "Stars Starve, You Know"

DAVIS, BETTY Is It Love Or Desire (Sundazed) lp 21.00
Now available on vinyl!
There's really no doubt about it, Betty Davis was the true queen of funk! While she was only Mrs. Miles Davis for a very brief time, the influence she had on him was considerable, introducing him to rock and funk culture which undoubtedly led to his amazing funk filled '70s era that resulted in records like On The Corner and Agharta. Then there's her own amazing albums. Her first two records in the early '70s, a self-titled one and They Say I'm Different (both finally back in print on cd, by the way) really are the blueprints for raw, nasty, super charged soul filled funk and they still hold up so well even after all these years, and anytime we play them for someone who has never heard them before, they invariably are instantly blown away and want to learn all they can about the force of funky nature that is Betty Davis.
Little is known about much of her musical output outside of those legendary two albums, well there was a record called Nasty Gal released later in the '70s that has its moments but just didn't quite get to that magical place those first two records did. So when we found out there was a lost album from 1976 finally being released we were both way excited and a bit nervous as we love Betty Davis so much that we didn't want her legacy to be dampened at all with another sub par album. Luckily we didn't have anything to worry about, Is It Love Or Desire is one damn smoking set of fully on fire funk! There is such strength and conviction that in Betty's voice, every word she sings oozing with sez and power and intensity. If you've never heard any of her albums before we INSIST you get those first two records immediately - they are truly holy grails of funk, so it is pretty impossible to match that level of greatness, but this one really comes damn close.
There is such a raw and hedonistic salaciousness to these songs. You can picture some hedonistic no holds barred seventies coke party with this blasting in the background as the perfect soundtrack. These jams are almost abstract in their sheer funkiness, the band vamping, Davis and an equally badass male vocalist trading off exclamations and exultations of the FUNK. So crazy to think how early in the game Davis was getting to such a raw, deep and nasty side of things, WAY before folks like Rick James, Grace Jones, Chaka Kahn, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Missy Elliott, Trina, Lil' Kim, and Beth Ditto would all become mega stars channeling the same sort of energy. Funk lessons don't come with more fire and sexual swagger then when Betty Davis is on the mic, take out your pen and paper because school is in session!
PS Make sure to check out the amazing photo spread in the cd booklet for some seriously scandalous photos!
MPEG Stream: "Is It Love Or Desire"
MPEG Stream: "Crashin' From Passion"
MPEG Stream: "Stars Starve, You Know"

DAVIS, BETTY Nasty Gal (MPC Ltd.) cd 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Reissue of 1975's "Nasty Gal", the third album by Betty (ex-wife of Miles) Davis. We already praised the sexy funk of the first two recently reissued Davis discs on the last AQ-list, and this one is more of the same, maybe a little more "rock" than before. We have to fault MPC though for including absolutely no liner notes at all -- there's not even any musician credits, which at least the first two reissues had.

DAVIS, BETTY Nasty Gal (MPC Ltd.) lp 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Finally reissued on cd last year were these three albums by Miles Davis' funky ex-wife, who should be famous in her own right for the tough, heavy duty '70s funk she waxed on those records. Now they're available, briefly, as LPs once again, but we've only got a couple of each and don't think we'll be able to get more (they're limited or something), so you'd better hurry on down if you want to get down with Betty on vinyl.
Reissue of 1975's "Nasty Gal", Betty Davis' third album of sexy funk. This one is more of the same, maybe a little more "rock" than before. Slightly less essential than the others.

DAVIS, BETTY s/t (MPC Ltd.) cd 21.00
For all aficionados of the Funk, here's cause for celebration! The long-awaited cd reissues of these early '70s albums by Betty Davis, ex-wife of Miles (famously, the subject "They Say I'm Different"'s second track, "He Was A Big Freak")! Betty belts out her lowdown lyrics over some super heavy funk grooves, kinda like a rawer version of Lyn Collins backed not by the JBs but by the swampier P-Funk band. Betty doesn't hold back and her band does their best to match her attitude. Both records (her third, "Nasty Girl", still awaits reissue but should soon be making the scene) are the quote unquote bomb. The self-titled one is her 1973 debut, and features jams like "If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up" and "Game Is My Middle Name". Larry Graham's the bassist, and Neal Schon (!) appears on guitar. The follow-up, "They Say I'm Different", continued Betty's Afrodelic party, with guests Buddy Miles and others, and made the list of "100 Records That Set The World On Fire" in The Wire magazine a few years back. Tough, sexy funk classics unearthed, don't miss 'em!
RealAudio clip: "Anti Love Song"
RealAudio clip: "If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up"

DAVIS, BETTY s/t (Light In The Attic) cd 14.98
Finally this essential slab of raw classic funk get the proper, deluxe, loving reissue treatment it always deserved. Most importantly, unlike some of the previous versions, this is absolutely legit, so all the money goes straight to Ms Davis.
New super fancy digipak packaging with extra photos and liner notes, a huge booklet, and fancy glittery metallic printing. And as if that weren't enough, there's even a bunch of bonus tracks!!For all aficionados of the Funk, here's cause for celebration! The long-awaited cd reissues of these early '70s albums by Betty Davis, ex-wife of Miles (famously, the subject "They Say I'm Different"'s second track, "He Was A Big Freak")! Betty belts out her lowdown lyrics over some super heavy funk grooves, kinda like a rawer version of Lyn Collins backed not by the JBs but by the swampier P-Funk band (or on s/t Sly Stone's kick ass rhythm section!). Betty doesn't hold back and her band does their best to match her attitude. Both records (her third, "Nasty Girl", still awaits an official reissue but should hopefully soon be making the scene) are the quote unquote bomb. The self-titled one is her 1973 debut, and features jams like "If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up" and "Game Is My Middle Name". Larry Graham's the bassist, and Neal Schon (!) appears on guitar. The follow-up, "They Say I'm Different", continued Betty's Afrodelic party, with guests Buddy Miles and others, and made the list of "100 Records That Set The World On Fire" in The Wire magazine a few years back. Tough, sexy funk classics unearthed, don't miss 'em!
The Three bonus tracks here are all unreleased, "Come Take Me", "You Won't See Me In The Morning" and "I Will Take That Ride"!! Quite possibly the most essential funk album of all time!
MPEG Stream: "Anti Love Song"
MPEG Stream: " Game Is My Middle Name"
MPEG Stream: "Come Take Me"

DAVIS, BETTY s/t (MPC Ltd.) lp 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Finally reissued on cd last year were these three albums by Miles Davis' funky ex-wife, who should be famous in her own right for the tough, heavy duty '70s funk she waxed on those records. Now they're available, briefly, as LPs once again, but we've only got a couple of each and don't think we'll be able to get more (they're limited or something), so you'd better hurry on down if you want to get down with Betty on vinyl.
For all aficionados of the Funk, here's cause for celebration! Betty belts out her lowdown lyrics over some super heavy funk grooves, kinda like a rawer version of Lyn Collins backed not by the JBs but by the swampier P-Funk band. Betty doesn't hold back and her band does their best to match her attitude. This self-titled one is her 1973 debut, and features jams like "If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up" and "Game Is My Middle Name". Larry Graham's the bassist, and Neal Schon (!) appears on guitar.
RealAudio clip: "Anti Love Song"
RealAudio clip: "If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up"

DAVIS, BETTY They Say I'm Different (MPC Ltd.) cd 21.00
For all aficionados of the Funk, here's cause for celebration! The long-awaited cd reissues of these early '70s albums by Betty Davis, ex-wife of Miles (famously, the subject "They Say I'm Different"'s second track, "He Was A Big Freak")! Betty belts out her lowdown lyrics over some super heavy funk grooves, kinda like a rawer version of Lyn Collins backed not by the JBs but by the swampier P-Funk band. Betty doesn't hold back and her band does their best to match her attitude. Both records (her third, "Nasty Girl", still awaits reissue but should soon be making the scene) are the quote unquote bomb. The self-titled one is her 1973 debut, and features jams like "If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up" and "Game Is My Middle Name". Larry Graham's the bassist, and Neal Schon (!) appears on guitar. The follow-up, "They Say I'm Different", continued Betty's Afrodelic party, with guests Buddy Miles and others, and made the list of "100 Records That Set The World On Fire" in The Wire magazine a few years back. Tough, sexy funk classics unearthed, don't miss 'em!
RealAudio clip: "He Was A Big Freak"
RealAudio clip: "70's Blues"

DAVIS, BETTY They Say I'm Different (Light In The attic) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Finally this essential slab of raw classic funk get the proper, deluxe, loving reissue treatment it always deserved. Most importantly, unlike some of the previous versions, this is absolutely legit, so all the money goes straight to Ms Davis.
New super fancy digipak packaging with extra photos and liner notes, a huge booklet, and fancy glittery metallic printing. And as if that weren't enough, there's even a bunch of bonus tracks!!For all aficionados of the Funk, here's cause for celebration! The long-awaited cd reissues of these early '70s albums by Betty Davis, ex-wife of Miles (famously, the subject "They Say I'm Different"'s second track, "He Was A Big Freak")! Betty belts out her lowdown lyrics over some super heavy funk grooves, kinda like a rawer version of Lyn Collins backed not by the JBs but by the swampier P-Funk band (or on s/t Sly Stone's kick ass rhythm section!). Betty doesn't hold back and her band does their best to match her attitude. Both records (her third, "Nasty Girl", still awaits an official reissue but should hopefully soon be making the scene) are the quote unquote bomb. The self-titled one is her 1973 debut, and features jams like "If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up" and "Game Is My Middle Name". Larry Graham's the bassist, and Neal Schon (!) appears on guitar. The follow-up, "They Say I'm Different", continued Betty's Afrodelic party, with guests Buddy Miles and others, and made the list of "100 Records That Set The World On Fire" in The Wire magazine a few years back. Tough, sexy funk classics unearthed, don't miss 'em!
The 4 bonus tracks on They Say I'm Different are previously unreleased rough mixes from the original sessions!
MPEG Stream: "Shoop-B-Doop And Cop Him"
MPEG Stream: "He Was A Big Freak"
MPEG Stream: "Your Mama Wants Ya Back"

DAVIS, BETTY They Say I'm Different (MPC Ltd.) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Finally reissued on cd last year were these three albums by Miles Davis' funky ex-wife, who should be famous in her own right for the tough, heavy duty '70s funk she waxed on those records. Now they're available, briefly, as LPs once again, but we've only got a couple of each and don't think we'll be able to get more (they're limited or something), so you'd better hurry on down if you want to get down with Betty on vinyl.
Her second album, "They Say I'm Different", continued Betty's Afrodelic party, with guests Buddy Miles and others, and made the list of "100 Records That Set The World On Fire" in The Wire magazine a few years back. And it features a song specifically about ex-husband Miles, "He Was A Big Freak"!
RealAudio clip: "He Was A Big Freak"
RealAudio clip: "70's Blues"

DAVIS, GARETH & STEVEN R. SMITH Westering (Important) lp 21.00
Gorgeous collaboration between long time aQ fave Steve R. Smith (Thuja, Hala Strana, Ulaan Khol) and clarinetist Gareth Davis. The two got together last year and created this suite of impressionistic soundscapes, dark and dolorous, Smith creating heaving swells of reverb drenched soft sound, reminding us a bit of Scott Tuma, but adding layers of scrabble and scrape to the proceedings, all manner of texture to what might otherwise be soft minimal dronemusic. Instead, the sound is rough, and vibrant, alive and visceral. Davis doesn't play clarinet so much as coax some amazing sounds from it, sometimes it's a bit of hushed rumbling whir , other times it's thick feedback drenched layers of buzz, but it perfectly compliments Smith's atmospheric free folk shimmer and scrape.
Long expanses of minimal low end spread out serenely, a sun dappled drift, that seems surprisingly tranquil, but over that, Davis and Smith add more and more, never overwhelming, but creating the perfect balance of soft focus melody, and in-the-red droning smolder, the sounds shifts from deep and minimal, to dense and heavy and almost metallic, with the guitar and clarinet constantly woven together in woozy soft tangles of sound, that build and build but just as quickly seem to dissipate, drifting back into the warm whirling reverby drift underneath. So gorgeous.
LIMITED TO 500 COPIES. Screen printed on insanely thick cardstock, ultra heavy and handmade.