ELEGI Sistereis (Miasmah) cd 17.98
Hard for us to describe, but easy for us to enjoy... Elegi's Sistereis is an extremely moody, haunting soundscape, dismal and a-frighted, constructed around sparse, sad piano musings set amidst eerie ambient hiss and hum. What sound like close-mic'd "field recordings" of random background creakings, crackle and clatter, which are perhaps the nervous rustlings of the pianist himself, are layered with melancholic drones. Meanwhile, the aforementioned piano carries on, so slowly, and so lovely. The whole effect is like listening in to the near-silent, wordless "internal monologue" of the piano player, suffering quietly some mental/emotional distress. This Norwegian project reminds us in a way of the British band Reigns, in that you get a sense of hearing an audio document of events that are otherwise hidden from view, and perhaps should remain hidden. Elegi also brings to mind the similar "acoustic doom" sounds on the Type label, like Svarte Greiner and Xela, of which of course we're fans. This is actually released on the Svarte Greiner guy's own label, Miasmah.
The cd booklet is mysteriously evocative, with grey-toned Victorian photo collages depicting something of a dreary nautical theme, and text telling of a burial at sea... which all begins to make sense when you lean that the man behind Elegi, Tommy Jansen, supposedly has as a hobby (vocation?) diving down to explore wrecked ships in the watery depths! Depths which he evokes effectively on this disc...
MPEG Stream: "Despotiets Vesen"
MPEG Stream: "Time Lapse"
MPEG Stream: "Fyrtarnet part 3"

ELEGI Varde (Miasmah) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
There must be something about the wondrous landscapes of Norway that seems to breed some of the most epic, gorgeously somber music around. Frigid cold and towering crags rising from the Arctic water, it's no wonder Tommy Jansen, the composer behind Elegi, is a living example of this Norwegian vision that never fails to blow us away.
Varde, the title of Elegi's second album in a trilogy from the excellent Miasmah label, translates to cairn, a pile of stones usually left to mark a pathway. Which is totally appropriate considering Varde was written as an instrumental narrative retelling the adventures and hardships of the first polar explorations. With electronics, piano, quiet percussion, various field recordings and lush violin, Jansen lures the listener into a world not unlike the experience of those brave explorers: icy bleakness, uncertainty and impending doom. Shimmering drones grow and subside, slow trudging footsteps in the distance, cascading swirls of snow are lifted and thrown about by the wind. Jensen is a master at crafting an incredibly vivid atmosphere, evoking frozen memories of the desolate north, gorgeous and inspirational. Combining modern composition, ambient drones, and his love for Victorian storytelling, Jensen offers up his most accomplished and touching masterpiece, a seriously beautiful and haunting experience. Kinda like if Andrew Chalk, Goldmund and Stars of the Lid met up in the Arctic to write an epic score for the apocalypse. Super dark dreamy goodness here, we couldn't be more impressed. Already we've played this a bunch in the store, and really can't get enough of it. Varde is just one of those records where you hear something new every time you listen to it, subtle textures and details that surface from the constantly shifting background. Highly recommended for fans of washed out midnight ambience, similar to the dreamier stuff the Type label has been releasing lately, beautiful melodies laced with a sinister darkness that lurks just below the surface. Oh and, uh, just in case you couldn't tell already, we REALLY dig this album!!! Highly recommended, especially for fans of any of the other recent killer releases on the Misamah label!!
MPEG Stream: "Skrugard"
MPEG Stream: "Rak"

ELEGY Radio Broadcasts (Chairkickers) cd 14.98
Elegy was a one off project comprised of Alan Sparhawk of Low, Jessica Bailiff, Brian John Mitchell, Mark gartman, Jesse Beacom, Ryley Fogg, and Michael Anderson who had all come together for a 25 hour continuous drone composition that was a tribute of a mutual friend who had been murdered. Given that this performance occured in late September 2001, the proximity to 9/11 only heightened the sense of mourning and loss already loaded into the performance. "Radio Broadcasts" however does not feature any of that 25 hour piece, rather this is a condensation of that music recorded for a local radio station in Duluth, Minnesota. Unfortunately quick at 28 minutes, this indie-rock chamber ensemble for electric and acoustic guitars, cello, electronics, percussion, keyboards, hurdy gurdy, and dulcimer unfurls a gorgeous piece of eternal music on par with the organic dronescaping of Stars Of The Lid. A touchingly beautiful tribute.
MPEG Stream: "Track 1"
MPEG Stream: "Track 2"

ELEH Floating Frequencies / Intuitive Synthesis 1 (Important) lp 14.98
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ELEH Location Momentum (Touch) cd 15.98
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After about ten years of existence, and a bunch of limited vinyl-only documents, including a fairly recent LP with Nana April Jun, also on Touch, the mysterious dronological entity Eleh releases their first ever compact disc. Eleh's aesthetic of low frequency, (often) low volume drones fits in well on the Touch label. On Location Momentum, there's an hour of Eleh's vibrations, five tracks, all but one quite lengthy, some barely audible. At low volumes, Eleh's "minimalist noise" will slowly, almost imperceptibly insinuate itself into your consciousness, it becomes part of the surrounding sonic environment, instead of something you're specifically listening to. Track one, "Heleneleh", is a subtle, slowly evolving, stretched-out presence, less heard than felt. A hum, a throb, a wavering drone. It's meditative, like a subliminally sensed Buddha machine loop, under a microscope... But turn up the volume, and it becomes physical, starts squeezing your head just a little bit. Near the end of this 20+ minute track, before it fades, Eleh decides to start modulating the pitch up and down, getting jiggy with it Eleh style, or maybe just saying, something's happening, almost done, waving goodbye. But really it's only the beginning.
The next track, the shortest one here, does a backwards-sounding whip-whip-whip for about two and half minutes. It becomes lulling quite quickly, and you might wish it was still doing its slowly stuttering thing when track 3, "Circle One: Summer Transcience" starts up, utilizing a temporarily annoying high pitched test-tone sound, but that's soon joined by deeper pulsations, and begins to get interesting. This one's for the Ryoji Ikeda fans out there! A subtle bassy thump-thump-thump picks up the pace, your heartbeat perhaps quickening along with it, the test tone become more of a buzz, some white noise wind sound also enters the mix in the background, and with such simple elements Eleh creates a compelling 13 minute, 33 second composition, for those willing to take the time to absorb it. Actually, a lot of this disc reminds us of Ikeda, also Alva Noto most definitely, and Mika Vainio and the like.
The disc continues on with two more tracks of similar length, but their own identities, some elements louder and more overt than what's come before, some more "clicky" in Geiger counter fashion, yet again, there's a spooky, "is that sound coming from my stereo or outside or somewhere upstairs or inside my brain???" aspect to these.
As with so many Touch releases, recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Heleneleh"
MPEG Stream: "Circle One: Summer Transcience"
MPEG Stream: "Rotational Change For Windmill"

ELEH / NANA APRIL JUN Observations & Momentrum (Touch) lp 19.98

ELEKTRIKTUS Electronic Mind Waves (Wah-Wah Records) lp 30.00
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Sweet! We recently got hip to this album via an official (but cd-r for some odd reason) reissue, and now here's a nice import vinyl reish as well!
Seems like no matter what, there's always some obscure gem left out there to be dug up and reissued, you've never heard it all. Here's the latest example, a reissue of a 1976 album with a promising title and equally alluring cover art. Electronic Mind Waves by Italy's mysterious Elektriktus (aka one Andrea Centazzo) is indeed pretty awesome, as a lone offering naturally touching on both the traditions of Italian prog and Germanic "kosmische" electronics, especially heavily influenced it would seem by the latter.
While over the years Centazzo has apparently made other albums, of improvised avant-garde jazz, collaborating with the likes of Steve Lacy, Evan Parker, Derek Bailey, and ROVA, under his one-off Elektriktus guise (as might be expected) he concentrated on synthesizer-based keyboard music, creating hypnotic (and sometimes haunting) electro-acoustic soundscapes of abstract droning synths and sequencer patterns, also employing tinkling bells, tape effects, and on one track, upright bass.
There's eight tracks here, 38 minutes of his shimmering, ringing, burbling sounds that wouldn't sound out of place on the score to some strange sci-fi flick. Fans of Tangerine Dream, Conrad Schnitzler and Klaus Schulze should definitely check this out... For an Italian comparison, maybe some Franco Battiato? It also reminds us of a variety of more current underground acts, at moments like Vibracathedra Orchestra, or Kemialliset Ystavat, or something on Spectrum Spools, perhaps!
MPEG Stream: "Frequencer Departure - Flying At Daybreak"
MPEG Stream: "First Wave"
MPEG Stream: "Power Hallucination"

ELEKTRIKTUS Electronic Mind Waves (Ictus) cd-r 14.98
Seems like no matter what, there's always some obscure gem left out there to be dug up and reissued, you've never heard it all. Here's the latest example, a reissue of a 1976 album with a promising title and equally alluring cover art. Electronic Mind Waves by Italy's mysterious Elektriktus (aka one Andrea Centazzo) is indeed pretty awesome, as a lone offering naturally touching on both the traditions of Italian prog and Germanic "kosmische" electronics, especially heavily influenced it would seem by the latter.
While over the years Centazzo has apparently made other albums, of improvised avant-garde jazz, collaborating with the likes of Steve Lacy, Evan Parker, Derek Bailey, and ROVA, under his one-off Elektriktus guise (as might be expected) he concentrated on synthesizer-based keyboard music, creating hypnotic (and sometimes haunting) electro-acoustic soundscapes of abstract droning synths and sequencer patterns, also employing tinkling bells, tape effects, and on one track, upright bass.
There's eight tracks here, 38 minutes of his shimmering, ringing, burbling sounds that wouldn't sound out of place on the score to some strange sci-fi flick. Fans of Tangerine Dream, Conrad Schnitzler and Klaus Schulze should definitely check this out... For an Italian comparison, maybe some Franco Battiato? It also reminds us of a variety of more current underground acts, at moments like Vibracathedra Orchestra, or Kemialliset Ystavat, or something on Spectrum Spools, perhaps!
Kinda disappointed that this turned out to be a cd-r, though. We thought it was a real cd at first, it's in a jewel case and totally pro-printed with color artwork and all. Not sure why they didn't make it a real cd (and it's NOT a bootleg, Ictus is Centazzo's own label, started in the '70s and reactivated recently). Oh well, still neat to have!
MPEG Stream: "Frequencer Departure - Flying At Daybreak"
MPEG Stream: "First Wave"
MPEG Stream: "Power Hallucination"

ELEKTRO GUZZI Live P.A. (Macro) cd 17.98
This isn't all that new (it came out last year, 2011) but we just heard it, as soon as we did, we knew we wanted to review it. It's the third full-length album from this Vienna-based band, who play what sounds like techno music LIVE, with all-analog 'rock' instrumentation of guitar, bass, and drums - no computers, no sampling, no synthesis, no loops, no overdubs. Elektro Guzzi are probably not the only artists to think of doing this, but they're the first we've heard, and they do it really, really well! It's kind of amazing - listening to this, if you didn't know they were a live group of humans playing 'real' instruments, in a kind of reverse engineering of electronic dance music, you probably wouldn't ever guess. Their music is as rigid and repetitive as any techno made by machineÉ and yet, you might detect that there's something special about 'em, something more vital than most techno, an extra depth to the sound that could never come out of a laptop. Must be incredible to see/hear in person, 'cause it's so mesmerizing on disc. They play with all the discipline and precision of aQ faves The Necks, but in a different, though equally hypnotic, idiom. And, setting them further apart from more everyday techno, these ten tracks can often eventually build into blowouts wherein the rhythmic elements become dense enough to have rather more of a textural impact. Very impressive, everyone here agrees, including our resident techno DJ Matt. Now we'll have to get their other earlier albums too...
MPEG Stream: "Vogelgrippe"
MPEG Stream: "Bronze"
MPEG Stream: "Perturbed Dub"

ELEMENTAL CHRYSALIS, THE The Calocybe Collection (Glass Throat) cd 13.98
Chet Scott might not be a household name, but for all you dark ambient / drone / found sound freaks out there it probably will be soon. Not only does he run the Glass Throat label, which is responsible for releasing lots of gorgeously dark and drone-y records, including both records by the post-Noisegate outfit Beneath The Lake (whose new record is reviewed elsewhere on this list), but he also performs as Ruhr Hunter, whose last record of desolate post industrial drones and ambient soundscapes we absolutely loved. With the Elemental Chrysalis, Scott, is joined by James Woodhead, and together, the two explore a curious world of dense drones, forest mythology, elemental symbolism and folky flutter. Like the best of Ruhr Hunter Lustmordian rumble mixed with sun dappled and summery forest folk, lilting melodies, gently strummed guitars, simple pointilist piano, throat-singing style vocals, pastoral soundscapes of fingerpicked guitar, spare tribal rhythms and swoonsome bowed strings, all above a shimmery backdrop of warm reverberating chordal whir, all constructed from acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, cello, organ, thunder sheet, theremin, bowed sitar, Egyptian hand drums, environmental samples, Brazilian surdo drum, bodhran. electric bass, energy chimes (!), wooden flutes, black cat ocarina (!!), harmonica, mountain dulcimer, voice and hermit thrush sample (!!!). Completely and beautifully tranquil and mesemerizing.
MPEG Stream: "Mourning Dew Of The Fallen Leaf"
MPEG Stream: "Oceans Wreathed In Flame"

ELEMENTAL CHRYSALIS, THE The Dark Path To Spiritual Expansion (Glass Throat Recordings) 2cd 23.00
Finally, the return of the Elemental Chrysalis, the duo of Chett Scott (aka Ruhr Hunter, he also runs Glass Throat Recordings) and James Woodhead, who were responsible for The Calocybe Collection, one of our favorite discs of 2005. A sprawling woodlandscape of dark ominous dronemusick and fluttery forest folk. It's been 3 years but once you hear The Dark Path To Spiritual Expansion, you'll understand what took so long.
A gorgeously packaged double disc set, looooooong tracks, four songs on each disc, the shortest clocking in at 7:32, the longest at 26:55. Gone is much of the drone, leaving their sound much more folky, the focus on the strings, plucked and strummed, buzzing and humming, the sound a mysterious mystical crawl, foresty, funereal, dark and dolorous and dreamlike.
The first nearly 15 minutes of the opening track consist of the same acoustic melody, repeated over and over, like some magical mantra, and it works somehow, the repetition trancelike, the subtle variations, propelling the track forward. Eventually, the track spreads out, the vocals ghostly moans, the strums become more abstract, the sound underpinned by haunting shimmers and whirs.
While these guys do get lumped in with the free folk or freak folk of forest folk movements, on The Dark Path, they are definitely something more akin to classic seventies folk. It could be some lost disc from a mysterious UK hippy commune in 1971. Opening for Comus and The Incredible String Band. This is some serious Wickerman shit. But without all the silliness or overt weirdness. The Elemental Chrysalis have created timeless folkmusic. A sort of foresty country music. Bits of twang definitely inform the band's dark wistful threnodies. The pace is lugubrious, the sound is sprawling and soporific, the voices drawled to the extent that they often sound like just another instrument. And the instrument list again is extensive and massive, a handful we'd never even heard of, but the band don't do the usual, everything and the kitchen sink, instead, they are employed subtly and judiciously, so much that you could be forgive for believing it to be just voice and guitar and a bit extra ambience. There are a few moments, especially on the second disc, where the band stretch out and craft some serious sonic soundscapes, but even then, they tend to drift above that same gorgeous forest floor folk flutter.
A gorgeously languorous countrified folk flecked slowcore, that will no doubt appeal to all the various folks mentioned above, but should also appeal to fans of later Earth, and anyone into dark beauty and haunting musical mystery.
Fantastic packaging, an oversized thick cardstock 6 panel fold over sleeve, green and black, stunning cover art, linernotes and credits, the cds mounted on nubs on two of the panels...
MPEG Stream: "In Through A Desert Door Of A Wooded Heart"
MPEG Stream: "Procession Of Burning Flowers"
MPEG Stream: "Hehaka"

ELEPHANT KNEES s/t (Non-Prophet) 12" 9.98

ELEPHANT MAN Battle Field (RMC) 7" 2.98
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Hip hop remix.

ELEPHANT MAN Beetle Juice (Special Remix) 7" 2.98
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Hip hop remix. Rhythm = "Oochie Wally" (Braveheart's).

ELEPHANT MAN Bruk Out (Special Remix) 7" 2.98
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Hip hop remix. Rhythm = "Get Ur Freak On" (Missy Elliott).

ELEPHANT MAN Bun It Down (Club Remix) 7" 2.98
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Hip hop remix. Rhythm = "Ugly" (Bubba Sparxxx).

ELEPHANT MAN Good 2 Go (Atlantic) cd 12.98

ELEPHANT MAN Higher Level (Greensleeves) cd 14.98

ELEPHANT MAN Humble Calf (RMC) 7" 2.98
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Hip hop remix. Rhythm = "Oh Yeah" (Foxy Brown) mixed with Maytals "54-46". B-side says "version" but has Elephant Man's theme song instead.

ELEPHANT MAN Log On (Greensleeves) cd 14.98
With an album title like "Log On" you know that Elephant Man wants to let his audience know that he's still on the cutting edge... er, maybe. But this 2001 release does seem to follow in the trend of many rising stars in dancehall by working in a hip hop flavor into their productions. This newest album from Elephant Man hesitates from committing completely to the hip hop sound and the production here seems to be divided about 60 / 40 between dancehall and hip hop production aesthetics. The success of the album itself rests at around 50 / 50 good and bad. The biggest problem with the album is that it's just too damn long. I know it has probably been said before, but another great thing about the LP was that it limited just how much material an artist could put on their album without having to dish out for a double LP. Once technology allowed for the 80 minute CD it seems that everyone feels obliged to fill up that space. This disc, clocking in at just under 77 minutes, could probably been cut down to pretty tight 40 minute album. They could probably cut about 15 minutes off the album merely by trimming off every single "You Know!" uttered by Mr. Elephant Man. Though maybe just taking out the tracks with the circus calliope style melodies would be good enough. But along with cameos by Spragga Benz, Ricky Rudy, Buju Banton, Ward 21 and more, there's still a lot of good edgy, gruff and wheezy toasting on both dancehall and breakbeats.
RealAudio clip: "Warrior Cause"
RealAudio clip: "Yuh A War"
RealAudio clip: "Anything-A-Anything"

ELEPHANT MAN Log On (Greensleeves) lp 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
With an album title like "Log On" you know that Elephant Man wants to let his audience know that he's still on the cutting edge... er, maybe. But this 2001 release does seem to follow in the trend of many rising stars in dancehall by working in a hip hop flavor into their productions. This newest album from Elephant Man hesitates from committing completely to the hip hop sound and the production here seems to be divided about 60 / 40 between dancehall and hip hop production aesthetics. The success of the album itself rests at around 50 / 50 good and bad. The biggest problem with the album is that it's just too damn long. I know it has probably been said before, but another great thing about the LP was that it limited just how much material an artist could put on their album without having to dish out for a double LP. Once technology allowed for the 80 minute CD it seems that everyone feels obliged to fill up that space. This disc, clocking in at just under 77 minutes, could probably been cut down to pretty tight 40 minute album. They could probably cut about 15 minutes off the album merely by trimming off every single "You Know!" uttered by Mr. Elephant Man. Though maybe just taking out the tracks with the circus calliope style melodies would be good enough. But along with cameos by Spragga Benz, Ricky Rudy, Buju Banton, Ward 21 and more, there's still a lot of good edgy, gruff and wheezy toasting on both dancehall and breakbeats.

ELEPHANT MAN One (RMC) 7" 2.98
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Hip hop remix. Rhythm = "Shake Ya Ass" (Mystikal).

ELEPHANT MAN Pop It Out (Special Remix) 7" 2.98
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Hip hop remix. Rhythm = "One Minute Man" (Missy Elliott).

ELEPHANT MAN This Feeling (RMC) 7" 2.98
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Hip hop remix. Rhythm = "One Minute Man" (Missy Elliott). B-side says "version" but it actually has Capleton's "Forward Inna Clothes" (different mix?) on it.

ELEPHANT MAN & RICKY RUDY Living In Hell (RMC) 7" 2.98
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Another Jamaican dancehall 7". This time the rhythm is again"One Minute Man" (Missy Elliott). And the B-side has a completely unrelated version. Yes indeed, as the title implies this is Elephant Man and Ricky Rudy paying homage to Bob Marley here, singing a slightly altered version of "Time Will Tell".

ELEPHANT MAN (THE ENERGY GOD) Monsters Of Dancehall (Greensleeves) cd 12.98

MPEG Stream: "Log On"
MPEG Stream: "Watchie Pum"
MPEG Stream: "Shizzle Ma Nizzle"

ELEPHANT MAN / CAPLETON Mek She Cry / Rough N Tough (New Jeans) 12" 6.98

ELEPHONE Bunny Ears EP (Three Ring Records) 7" + cd-r 4.98
Elephone follow up their Shivering cdep with... bunny ears? Wha'?! Not sure if the cover art's intended for Easter time or maybe the band's been hangin' out with Hefner. Hey, that's a pretty good song title, innit? Anyways, these SF fellas have generously offered up a limited edition combo set of 7" record and cd-r (both with the same music). Sort of a return to their earlier more punchy and poppy selves, but also a bit more edgy and angular than their more dramatic, moody recent offerings. Includes a cover of U2's "Seconds". Limited to 200.
MPEG Stream: "Hemlock 3"
MPEG Stream: "Seconds"

ELEPHONE Canister (Talking House) cd 9.98
The latest album from this veteran Bay Area indie rock combo finds the band on a slightly different path. Most notable is the addition of female vocals courtesy of new band member Sierra Frost who also fleshes out things further on keyboards. Elephone has always been pretty darn punchy yet also well-crafted and dramatic, but these days they're even more so -- easily bringing to mind bands such as The Pixies and Arcade Fire. Heck, who doesn't love intelligent indie pop rock with boy-girl vocals and infectious hooks? This band always delivers the goods!

ELEPHONE Far Distant Parade (Brown Owl Bakery) cd 9.98
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ELEPHONE Still Life With Vodka (self-released) cd ep 4.98
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Check out this emotive power pop EP from this Bay Area quintet who, as hinted at in the title, clearly enjoy a drink or three. This is the follow-up to their well-received album A Far Distant Parade. Although the very Devendra-Banhart-meets-Violent-Femmes'-Gordon-Dano high nasal male lead vocals might be considered an acquired taste, particularly on the first song, things seem much more locked in when other vocalists join into the slightly trippy, energetic fray. These are three solid, well-crafted and dramatic songs, the third brings things to a close with a solemnly meandering piano outro.
MPEG Stream: "Persona"

ELEPHONE The Camera Behind The Camera Behind The Camera (Three Ring) cd 12.98
The Camera Behind The Camera Behind The Camera is by far this SF band's most composed and focussed release to date. Tight and punchy (with the exception of the eighth song "Hollyhock" whose first half is slow and pretty and the vocal'n'guitar album closer "Something About Fire"), Elephone have smoothed out the rough edges in the vocals, tightened up the rhythm section and applied more attention to detail on each song's arrangement. The dynamics in the big sinewy guitars, synths and solid drumming are more pronounced and effective. The album as a whole is propelled by a brooding verve. On a bunch of these songs with their solid thumpin' beat, Elephone will have the indie rock kids making their way to the dancefloor in no time! Fits really well alongside the recent self-titled debut from their local pals (and frequent show bill sharers) Madelia.
Psst, the official release date is July 11, but we've got some now!
MPEG Stream: "Let Go Of My Arm"
MPEG Stream: "Hollyhock"

ELEPHONE The Shivering (DIYORELSE) cd ep 5.98
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Here's the new 5-song ep from local combo Elephone which treads a different, more expansive path than their last self-released ep 2003's Still Life with Vodka and its full length predecessor A Far Distant Parade (both now sadly out of print). The first two songs are very dramatic and surprisingly early/mid-Radiohead-eque, but on the third the band shifts into quite a different space... and for fans of the Elephone of old, it's a welcome one! The song "Style Style" is definitely more pop-oriented and more like their past efforts, but much more composed and crisply executed. High on energy and emotion. With cool artwork featuring a gasmasked frog and a goggled bird.
MPEG Stream: "Moving Beds"
MPEG Stream: "Style Style"

ELEVEN POND Bas Relief (Other Voices) cd 15.98
A lost classic from '86, reissued on lp back in 2010 by Dark Entries, now available as a handy cd!
What a total gem! An amazing unearthed, ultra obscure album from way back in 1986. Hailing from Rochester, NY, Eleven Pond crafted super infectious dark pop with wonderful synth moments and song writing that has really held up over the years. Some of the production, and much of the overall sound reminds us a bit of Seventeen Seconds era Cure, where basslines lead the tracks and the guitars and synths add such a nice mood and texture. We're also reminded a lot of another obscure mid '80s band, For Against, who had the same ability to take Factory/4AD elements and influences and meld them so nicely with classic eighties American college rock, they kind of sounded like this amazing hybrid of Joy Division and R.E.M.
With new romantic vocals that totally tap into vintage Depeche Mode and New Order territory, we also hear echoes of other lesser known yet great bands of this era like Soul Merchants and Jet Black Factory. With so many new bands lately referencing that era and looking to similarly vintage sounds for inspiration, it's so refreshing to hear an actual relic from that period, too bad it sadly somehow slipped through the cracks, but now we can finally enjoy this set of songs, so worthy of much wider appreciation.
MPEG Stream: "Tear & Cinnamon"
MPEG Stream: "Asterisk"
MPEG Stream: "Portugal"

ELEVEN POND Bas Relief (Dark Entries) lp 19.98
BACK IN PRINT!!!
What a total gem! An amazing unearthed, ultra obscure album from way back in 1986. Hailing from Rochester, NY, Eleven Pond crafted super infectious dark pop with wonderful synth moments and song writing that has really held up over the years. Some of the production, and much of the overall sound reminds us a bit of Seventeen Seconds era Cure, where basslines lead the tracks and the guitars and synths add such a nice mood and texture. We're also reminded a lot of another obscure mid '80s band, For Against, who had the same ability to take Factory/4AD elements and influences and meld them so nicely with classic eighties American college rock, they kind of sounded like this amazing hybrid of Joy Division and R.E.M.
With new romantic vocals that totally tap into vintage Depeche Mode and New Order territory, we also hear echoes of other lesser known yet great bands of this era like Soul Merchants and Jet Black Factory. With so many new bands lately referencing that era and looking to similarly vintage sounds for inspiration, it's so refreshing to hear an actual relic from that period, too bad it sadly somehow slipped through the cracks, but now we can finally enjoy this set of songs, so worthy of much wider appreciation.
Limited to a pressing of 500, each copy has been silk screened and contains two Eleven Pond postcards as well as a sticker from Dark Entries, the label who mark this as their first release and who we have a pretty good feeling we're going to be hearing a lot more from in the future. Grab one while you can, as this is highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Tear & Cinnamon"
MPEG Stream: "Asterisk"
MPEG Stream: "Portugal"

ELEVEN SHADOWS Sangsara (Adastra) cd 13.98
"If Brian Eno produced beautiful Italian arias in a Tibetan monastery". That's how the band's website describes AQ customer Ken Lee's Eleven Shadows and it's not that far off the mark. Haunting, creepy, sort-of-gothic epics with soaring strings, ominous atmospheres and operatic female vocals. Very cinematic and etherial with lots of traditional Tibetan instruments. Reminiscent of Dead Can Dance, Kate Bush, Enigma and the like. Nice.
RealAudio clip: "Amitabha"

ELEVEN TIGERS Clouds Are Mountains (Solid Motive) cd 15.98
Like Clubroot, Eleven Tigers is another artist pushing the boundaries of the dubstep sound. And as much as we love the stripped down dubstep big beat heaviness that's all stuttery thump and big bass warble, we're also pretty into these new dubstep variants that concern themselves with atmosphere, texture, mood and vibe, as much, if not more than beats, taking those beats, and setting them in some verdant otherworld of sound, lush and expansive, or submerging them in some swirling murky subterranean sonic sea, infusing the core dubstep sound with bits of techno, house, even soul, to create, in this case, a single linked set of songs, each one flowing into the next, slipping seamlessly from washed out hazy shimmer, to sweetly soulful dubpop, to bass heavy dubstep crunch, to playful almost ska flecked electronic skitter, to warped woozy downtempo drift, to Portishead-y trip hop and back again.
The record begins super atmospheric, with psychedelic streaks of sound, fragments of melody, all floating in a softly swirling haze, the beat a buried pulse, warm lush swells, when the beat does finally surface, it manages to be fierce, but still subdued and subtle, eventually the beat slips back under the surface again, leaving a whirling bit of muted murk, which slips directly into a short stretch of cool twisted processed sound, clipped and looped guitars, twisted into atmospheric smears, glitchy and hypnotic, like some Jeckian loop, which leads into the first proper song, a woozy bit of folk flecked electronica, the vocals wistful and sweet, balanced by some serious bass buzz, a little distant guitar strum, vocal harmonies looped over a tangle of skeletal rhythm and buzzing synth, so nice.
From there on out, the record is a continues flow of constantly evolving dubstep, dipping into the above mentioned sounds, but twisting each on up over the course of the track, darkly aggressive one minute, tranquil and dreamy the next, the beats varied and expressive, the surrounding sounds lush and layered and in constant motion, a long slow build that finally settles back down near the record's end, into some divinely dark and stripped down dubbed out electronic bliss.
Another new favorite electronic record, to add to the stack recent discoveries from Clubroot, Gold Panda, Actress, Glitterbug, Pantha Du Prince, Walls, Vex'd T++, Klimek...
MPEG Stream: "Open Mirror"
MPEG Stream: "Made Of"
MPEG Stream: "Songs For You"
MPEG Stream: "Flux"

ELEVENTH DREAM DAY Stalled Parade (Thrill Jockey) cd 14.98
The ninth record from this all-star ensemble (weird to think that EDD is going on 17 years now, but the band members side projects are so much more high profile: Freakwater, Tortoise, Brokeback, and Tara Key's band), 'Stalled Parade', is more of their dreamy, droney, funky, twangy, hypnotic rock. Nice.

ELEVENTH DREAM DAY Zeroes And Ones (Thrill Jockey) cd 14.98
It never fails to amaze just how incredibly strong Chicago, Illinois' musical roots are, and that they feed a sturdy community trunk from which have flourished countless awesome branches that themselves have become deeply interwoven. This band is a perfect example. Metaphors aside, throughout the '80s and '90s, Eleventh Dream Day was a consistently amazing outfit, and this new album proves that they still are. A little history lesson for ya... commencing in 1983 their original lineup included Janet Beveridge Bean (also of Freakwater), Doug McCombs (also of Tortoise, Brokeback, The For Carnation and Pullman). Baird Figi and Rick Rizzo. Over the years, a fella named John McEntire (also of Tortoise, duh!) stepped in from time to time to help produce and play stuff. Their current roster is graced by the talented former Coctail multi-instrumentalist Mark Greenberg. The sound of these pop rockers has always been comfortably nestled right in with the likes of fellow college pop veterans the Go-Betweens and Throwing Muses. They've surely shared a lot of fans. And with this, their return after six years of silence, they've picked right up where they left off. Perhaps with even more vigor and urgency than before. Catchy, smart, solid and executed with ease. Welcome back old friends!
Note: not to be mistaken with the album Ones and Zeroes by Canadian youngsters Immaculate Machine. Hmmm, does everyone have binary code on the brain?
MPEG Stream: "Dissolution"
MPEG Stream: "For Martha"

ELF POWER A Dream in Sound (Arena Rock/Elephant Six) cd 13.98
The newest release from probably the least well known of the Elephant 6 bands (Elephant 6, for the uninitiated, is a loose collective of experimental 60s-ish psychedelic bands including Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, Apples in Stereo and more). Not as intense and soul baring as NMH, and not as 'out there' as OTC, Elf Power play a raggedy catchy amalgam of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Kinks all filtered through that lo-fi/4 track/ homespun Elephant 6 aesthetic.

ELF POWER Back To The Web (RykoDisc) cd 15.98
On Back To The Web, Elf Power's frontman Andrew Rieger's voice struck us as really familiar, and then we realized that it reminded us of Al "Year Of The Cat" Stewart. Is that a good or bad thing in your books? For us, we don't have a problem sayin' it's not bad at all. The album's pretty darn good from beginning to end, but stand-out songs are "The Spider And The Fly" and "Peel Back The Moon, Beware!" Both are entrancingly psychedelic and a bit folky at times, but also check out "All The World Is Waiting" which combines late night slinky electric guitar with the more characteristically Elf Power plucky folk guitar. It's a very groovy, very glammy tune. The album as a whole is infused with a '70s rock vibe, especially the final third which definitely reveals the potent influence of bands from that decade such as T-Rex and Led Zeppelin. While we do on occasion yearn for the toothsome dreamy psych pop of the Elf Power days gone by, we do quite dig the new direction the band's been taking on their last couple albums.
MPEG Stream: "The Spider And The Fly"
MPEG Stream: "All The World Is Waiting"

ELF POWER Creatures (Spin Art) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Elf Power have quietly dwelled under the shadow of Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, and Apples In Stereo of the Elephant 6 collective, consistently releasing some fantastic, if quirky indie jangle with lots of thoughtfully constructed lo-fi fuzz (a la Sparklehorse, Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips) running through lots of references to the Beatles and the Kinks. "Creatures" is the least adventurous and most accessible album for this Athens, Georgia outfit, pushing closer towards the bubblegum pop of the Apples and further away from their earlier Neutral Milk-ish ramshackle pop as on "Dream In Sound" and "Winter Is Coming."
RealAudio clip: "Let The Serpent Sleep"
RealAudio clip: "Everlasting Scream"
RealAudio clip: "The Haze"

ELF POWER In A Cave (Rykodisc) cd 16.98
It's hard to believe that this is the 9th album from Elf Power. Seems like just yesterday that this Athens, GA band were the new kids on the Elephant Six block. They really haven't released a dud either over the years and like lots of bands who remain consistent over a long period of time it becomes easy to take what they do for granted. In A Cave might be their most fresh and immediate record since their 2000 album, Winter Is Coming, which has definitely become an all-time AQ favorite.
They've really excelled and created their own unique take on psych-pop that's so well constructed and pleasing on the ears. Swirling melodies, experiments with tape and subtle electronics all used to great success, and above all such great songwriting that continues to set Elf Power above the pack, far beyond the rest of those outfits desperate to tap into that paisley psychedelic pop sound but lacking the great songs and killer hooks. Like early R.E.M. paying homage to The Kinks and The Zombies, In A Cave is proving to be one of the better pop records of the year.
MPEG Stream: "Owl Cut (White Flowers In The Sky)"
MPEG Stream: "Spiral Stairs"
MPEG Stream: "Heads Of Dust, Hearts Of Lust"

ELF POWER Nothing's Going To Happen (Orange Twin) cd 14.98
An all covers collection by these Georgia-based Elephant 6'ers released on Jeff Mangum's label. 16 songs in all (six of which were previously released on their tour only limited edition "Come On" ep) including Tall Dwarfs' "Nothings Going to Happen", Billy Childish's "You Make Me Die", Bad Brains' "Pay To Cum", The Misfits' "Hybrid Moments" (with altered lyrics), Sonic Youth, Jesus & Mary Chain, Frogs, Buzzcocks, etc. The broad choice of covers all done in Elf Power's indierock style actually serves to highlight the excellent *songwriting* evident in each track, and this is a very pleasant listen. Earnest, fun, crowd-pleasing tributes to their favorite bands or neutered, lackluster indie pop versions? We're on the fence. We enjoyed this a lot, but does that mean it's great? Hmm. You decide.
RealAudio clip: "You Make Me Die"
RealAudio clip: "Pay To Cum"
RealAudio clip: "Hybrid Moments "

ELF POWER Vainly Clutching At Phantom Limbs (Arena Rock) cd 14.98
"Vainly Clutching At Phantom Limbs" is a reissue of a super limited edition lp, with the "Winterhawk" ep tacked on for good measure. When this was recorded in 1994, Elf Power's sound had not yet developed into the tropes of Elephant 6 avant-psych-pop, instead they dabbled in gritty lo-fi straight-forwardness of the kind that made all of those early Sebadoh / Sentridoh singles sound so brilliant in their crappiness. That said, the best track on this album is a cover of "Drug Store" by, yes, the Dwarves!

ELF POWER Walking With The Beggar Boys (Orange Twin) cd 14.98
Many of the Elephant 6 crafty retro pop experimental collective members have been resurfacing as of late. Not only have AQ faves the Olivia Tremor Control's albums been reissued, but many of the bands in the E6's second tier are stepping forward with new albums too! As soon as you press 'play' on Walking With The Beggar Boys, Elf Power are bursting from your speakers with their particular tasty blend of jubilant retro folk pop. Much less psychedelic than previous releases, instead it's very "Up With People" and filled with lyrics of wide-eyed innocence like "God is cool". It's not all sunshine and daffodils though, there are somber moments on this album. They just take a little time to materialize (how 'bout the sixth song "The Cracks"?). As per most E6 projects, this album features members (and ex-members) of other E6 bands, namely Laura Carter of Neutral Milk Hotel and Eric Harris of OTC. An additional highlight is the unmistakable voice of Vic Chesnutt! Yup, he sings on the title track.
MPEG Stream: "Never Believe"
MPEG Stream: "The Cracks"

ELF POWER When the Red King Comes (Arena Rock/Elephant 6) cd 13.98
Second album from the Athens-based pop group that was the last minute surprise act at Terrastock West.

ELF POWER Winter Is Coming (Sugar Free ) cd 14.98
With every Elf Power release the band grows in leaps and bounds, gleefully becoming more psychedelic and less sweetly pop. This is a good thing! Developing their own, original spin on the tried and true Elephant 6 sound (the underground pop collective typified by Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, and Apples in Stereo) has resulted in "Winter is Coming", which is filled with delightfully ambitious psychedelic rock with a few nods here and there to their toothy pop roots. Very well executed and stunningly melodic. Highly recommended!
RealAudio clip: "Embrace the Crimson Tide"
RealAudio clip: "Green Sea Days"

ELFMILK Extragalactic Distance (Independence) lp 13.98
We've mentioned it before, but we love it when people we know make amazing records, and we're then available to share them with all of you. Such is the case with this, the oddly monikered Elfmilk, the project of aQ customer/pal Eddie, who hails from Mexico, and who is solely responsible for the gorgeous sounds to be found on Extragalactic Distance, a collection of abstract ambience, deep drones, and experimental rhythmic minimalism.
Beginning with the brief minute long intro "Spiral", a smoldering bit of crumbling distorted piano, and shimmering overtone rich drift, Elfmilk reveals itself as something more raw and immediate than much of the ambient/drone/electronic music we hear. It's super well crafted, and lush and lovely, but it's still raw, and rough around the edges, which makes the sounds more warm, the vibe more human and organic, instead of sounds, these feel like songs, long tones shimmer and undulate, melodies seem to slowly evaporate into a haze of high end whir, scattered throughout are fragmented rhythms, dubby and abstract, disembodied pulses and ghostly beats, a sort of electrokrautrock that seems to be gradually coming apart, like some old space station left in orbit, the various pieces drifting off into the ether, some into the heart of the sun, some into the cold black void, here liquid squelches demarcate loose swirling melodic tangles, and thick swells of feedback wreathed buzz, acoustic guitars let loose spare notes, that flutter like leaves falling from trees, or mysterious detritus floating through space.
In a few places, the sounds go haywire, explosive bursts of almost jungle like rhythms, or exploding firecrackers woven into frantic beats, but even then the sounds surrounding these blasts are warm and whirling and sweetly soothing, while elsewhere, the sounds slip into dubby Portishead like low slung downtempo grooves, culminating in the 14+ minute epic "Obsidian", a constantly shifting soundscape that plays out like a soundtrack to some mysterious art film, swirling electronics, lush textures, fractured effects, pulsing synths, the sound seeming to shift ever minute or two, finishing off with a stretch of grinding downtuned lo-fi dirgery, which leads directly into the closing number, a fantastically blissed out sprawl of super distorted melodies, all hazy and spacey and dreamlike, but wrapped in crunchy buzz and hissy static, which eventually slips away, leaving lush lustrous sonic swells, lovely hushed computer vox and what sounds like field recording, all woven into a softly undulating bit of dreamlike drift.
Fantastic stuff. Highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Degenerate Dwarf (Mix C)"
MPEG Stream: "Rave Tonight Near Alfa Centauri!!!"
MPEG Stream: "Hawaii"
MPEG Stream: "Type Ia Supernova"

ELGAROY, TORE The Sound of The Sun (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98