FOG Ether Teeth (Ninja Tune) cd 15.98
True to all the projects we've heard from Andrew Broder, aka The Fog, there's a laid back, almost meandery approach to the pacing of his albums. You never know where they're going to go but you sorta trust 'em, as on his self-titled first record (IMO still his best), which switched between manic samples, hip hop beats, hazy turntable scratching, and impassioned indie rock. This album is similar only waaay turned down, and inward, and slow. No explosions, but definitely some gentle swells amidst the quiet glitchiness. In fact, whispers, bird calls, wintry piano are all that make up some of the songs. It's good, just not your typically beats-oriented Ninjatune album at all. Get this and listen from the standpoint of expecting a bedroom indierock album -- and in this way it shines.
MPEG Stream: "No Boys Allowed"
MPEG Stream: "The Girl from the Gun Commercial"

FOG Hummer (Dinkytown) cd 12.98
This seven-song EP is the follow-up to Fog's 2003 album Ether Teeth. Fog (aka Andrew Broder) has constructed (or should we say deconstructed?) an eclectic affair of strange melodic and textural bits'n'pieces, acoustic and electronic fragments and laidback, intimate vocal musings. Stream of consciousness or disorganized jumble? You be the judge.
MPEG Stream: "Hummer"
MPEG Stream: "Cockeyed Cookie Pusher"

FOG Pneumonia (Ninja Tune) cd ep 9.98
Way back in the beginning of 2001, we came across the selftitled debut from Fog, a one man band out of Minneapolis, and Windy took a real liking to it, thinkin' it one of the best-executed examples of rock-meets-scratching (and we all know how often that combo has fallen so flat in the past few years). Andrew Broder's got a voice that's as emotional and fragile as Sparklehorse's Mark Linkous, the guitar-strumming chops of a true indie-rocker, and growing skills on the turntables. Apparently this turns on the folks at respected UK label Ninjatune, cos they signed him! Here's a taste of the upcoming full length (a reissue of the abovementioned selftitled first album). This is a three-track cd single -- which includes a Coldcut remix of the title track, and another song with Dose (Anticon) on vocals. The mood is mournful yet hopeful, and the scratching is charming in its obvious-beginner-level. Very nice, very eclectic, and very recommended, especially if you want a fresh take on bedroom indie rock.
RealAudio clip: "Pneumonia"

FOG Pneumonia (Ninja Tune) 12" 9.98
Way back in the beginning of 2001, we came across the selftitled debut from Fog, a one man band out of Minneapolis, and Windy took a real liking to it, thinkin' it one of the best-executed examples of rock-meets-scratching (and we all know how often that combo has fallen so flat in the past few years). Andrew Broder's got a voice that's as emotional and fragile as Sparklehorse's Mark Linkous, the guitar-strumming chops of a true indie-rocker, and growing skills on the turntables. Apparently this turns on the folks at respected UK label Ninjatune, cos they signed him! Here's a taste of the upcoming full length (a reissue of the abovementioned selftitled first album). This is a three-track cd single -- which includes a Coldcut remix of the title track, and another song with Dose (Anticon) on vocals. The mood is mournful yet hopeful, and the scratching is charming in its obvious-beginner-level. Very nice, very eclectic, and very recommended, especially if you want a fresh take on bedroom indie rock.

FOG s/t (Ninja Tune) cd 15.98
In early 2001 Windy got really into the original release of the Fog record, which I guess we and a few stores in Minneapolis carried, and that's it. Well, the fine and talented folk at Ninjatune signed Fog, and here's a re-release of the album, plus three extra tracks, one of which features Dose of the Anticon hip hop crew.
Fog is a one-man project out of Minneapolis that takes you on a journey through said guy's twisted brain. As evidenced by the preponderance of mournful, epic guitarwork on the record, Andrew Broder's background is certainly with guitar-based rock music, but hey it's the new millenium now and samplers have changed everything. Thus the record begins with a spoken piece by hip hop emcee MF Doom, followed by a lengthy tornado of manic samples and swirling percussion. The tension's got you half expecting the breakbeats to kick in at that point (yeah, that's how much this record's first few minutes sound like a DJ Shadow or other Mo'Wax record), but instead you get Beck-like stuttering beats and languid, albeit heavily processed, vocals. In fact this reminds us a lot of Beck (who in fact came in a few weeks ago with Dan the Automator and they both bought the Fog 12"). A bevy of swiped genres battle one another throughout the record, turntablist scratching overtakes doom-laden moans, Broder indulges his inner DJ's penchant for using sampled vocal snippets to carry on an album-length narrative, and it all finally culminates in a nine minute impassioned aching guitarsong at the end that reminds us of Joel Phelps or Rex. Eclectic indeed! In a good way. It's not perfect, but we still recommend it.
BTW, this The Fog is no relation to J. Mascis' similarly named band.
RealAudio clip: "Glory (w/Dose)"
RealAudio clip: "The Smell of Failure"
RealAudio clip: "Hitting a Wall Blues"
RealAudio clip: "The Truth in the Laughing Gas"

FOG s/t (Ninja Tune) lp 15.98
In early 2001 Windy got really into the original release of the Fog record, which I guess we and a few stores in Minneapolis carried, and that's it. Well, the fine and talented folk at Ninjatune signed Fog, and here's a re-release of the album, plus three extra tracks, one of which features Dose of the Anticon hip hop crew.
Fog is a one-man project out of Minneapolis that takes you on a journey through said guy's twisted brain. As evidenced by the preponderance of mournful, epic guitarwork on the record, Andrew Broder's background is certainly with guitar-based rock music, but hey it's the new millenium now and samplers have changed everything. Thus the record begins with a spoken piece by hip hop emcee MF Doom, followed by a lengthy tornado of manic samples and swirling percussion. The tension's got you half expecting the breakbeats to kick in at that point (yeah, that's how much this record's first few minutes sound like a DJ Shadow or other Mo'Wax record), but instead you get Beck-like stuttering beats and languid, albeit heavily processed, vocals. In fact this reminds us a lot of Beck (who in fact came in a few weeks ago with Dan the Automator and they both bought the Fog 12"). A bevy of swiped genres battle one another throughout the record, turntablist scratching overtakes doom-laden moans, Broder indulges his inner DJ's penchant for using sampled vocal snippets to carry on an album-length narrative, and it all finally culminates in a nine minute impassioned aching guitarsong at the end that reminds us of Joel Phelps or Rex. Eclectic indeed! In a good way. It's not perfect, but we still recommend it.
BTW, this The Fog is no relation to J. Mascis' similarly named band.

FOG IN THE SHELL Private South (Paradigms) cd 12.98
Every time this gets played in the store, we rush up to the front to see what the heck they're listening to. And every time we're convinced it's some classic bit of math rock heaviness. Rodan? June Of 44? Lynx? And every time we're wrong. Fog In The Shell are from Italy and this record is brand new, but man, how it reminds us of the glory days of math rock and post rock, Shellac, Tortoise, Slint, Don Caballero, Breadwinner, Hoover, A Minor Forest, Bitch Magnet, Crain, you know what we're talking about. Thick crunchy guitars, long sprawling serpentine arrangements, epic stretches of brooding loping minimalism, bursts of anguished howled instrumental catharsis, tangled angular melodies, hushed sung spoken vocals buried in the mix, pounding mathy drumming, just check out the first track, "They", beginning with some quite minor key guitars, and thick blasts of crushing metallic heaviness, stop start, staccato, before lurching into some pounding keyboard laden post rock (we're hearing some Tarantula Hawk for sure), before mellowing way out, and letting the drums drift into the background, the bass pulsing darkly, the guitar offering up soft focus chords, the vocals hushed and moody, so awesome! It eventually builds to a cool chugging mathy riff, eventually taking off in a sort of Trans Am krautrock / space rock jam. Man, it's worth it for the first track alone. Definitely the best post/math rock jam we've heard since back in the day.
And so goes the rest of the record, exploring all facets of post rock, from crunching Neurosisy heaviness, to skittery, almost jazzy Tortoise style krautrockiness, to soaring slow building Godpseed sort of epic-ness, it gets downright poppy at times, the vocals melodic and emotional, hints of Stereolab here and there, Blonde Redhead too, but for us, it's when the songs get heavy and the guitars crunch and grind and chug, and the drums get all chaotic and the band lock into dizzying blown out math rock workouts, these guys destroy. Funny too, we had been hankering for a post/math rock resurgence, and to these ears it sounds like Fog In The Shell might be the first band capable of making it happen.
Released on the always kick ass Paradigms label, and like all their releases, limited to 500 copies!
MPEG Stream: "They"
MPEG Stream: "Love Is A Taenia"

FOJIMOTO Don't Let Your Baby Down (self-released) cd 9.98
With this sophomore album it's nothing but onwards and upwards for this great SF band! These fellows sure do have a knack for the hooks 'n' harmonies. As opposed to their strong 2002 debut, the scales lean even more generously on the buoyant pop rather than twangin' Americana this time out. Perhaps they're following a similar path as that of Jeff Tweedy and co., as Don't Let Your Baby Down is reminiscent of Wilco's country tinged pop (as well as that of their pop cohorts The Minus 5 or in Andee's opinion, the Old 97s), whereas their first album Just Now Finding Out more closely resembled Wilco's predecessor Uncle Tupelo's pop-tinged country. Yes, it's a subtle shift of gears, but a notable and good one at that. The rollicking third song "Dusted" also brings to mind the frantic guitars and slouchy vocals of the Strokes. Wisely keeping the energy high and keeping their soaring multi-part vocals and full, warm guitar blend of crunchy electric and strummy acoustic intact, Fojimoto have offered up a much more consistent and catchy album. A perfect sunny day driving disc. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Dusted"
MPEG Stream: "Beautiful Play"

FOJIMOTO Just Now Finding Out (Fojimoto) cd 9.98
What a pleasant surprise! The Bay Area's certainly rich in the pop department lately. Take for example the splendid new albums from Mr. John Vanderslice and this new group called Fojimoto. Their blend of country rock and sunny pop immediately brings to mind Uncle Tupelo, Weakerthans and even the Eagles. Indeed, there are some songs on Just Now Finding Out that are fantastic pure pop beauties. All jangling and jubilant, they're just slightly encumbered by the few slower numbers that aren't quite as engaging and break the firm hold of Fojimoto's infectious pop hooks which I quite fancy. Nice!
RealAudio clip: "Lovely Daughter"
RealAudio clip: "Summer Day Parade"

FOLDALATTI ULATULAT Phobia (Gungnir Productions) cassette 4.50
We've yet to get our hands on any releases by the black ambient band Hunok to list and review, but ever since we heard them on a split with AQ faves, Hungarian black metal outfit Marblebog, we have been on a quest! And while this is not in fact Hunok, it is a band featuring folks from Hunok, and the sound is a similarly creepy and haunting ambient weirdness. Foldalatti Ulatulat are from Hungary and have a very distinct and unique take on ambient music. Beginning with some strange disembodied vocals and radio static, the band soon settles into some seriously scary soundtrack music, sounding a bit like an extra creepy, slowed down Peter And The Wolf at times, playful a little, but very ominous, tons of space, low end drones and rumbles, beneath dark swells and strange minor key melodies, mysterious pulses and thick waves of crumbling whir. Very cinematic, like the part in the horror movie when you first enter the abandoned house, and you're slowly creeping up the stairs, the shadows flickering making you think someone is watching... It's all very intense and dramatic and pretty fucking great. Now we just have to track down some Hunok for the store...

FOLJAHN, TIM Obvious Urban Landscape (Old Gold) cd 9.98
Two Dollar Guitar head honcho Tim Foljahn, lays down said guitar and dips his toes into the field recording/drone/improv pool, coming up with somewhat ho-hum results. Kind of a shame too, since as a HUGE Two Dollar Guitar fan, I was so excited for this, thinking we'd be treated to more depressive back porch twang, but instead, Foljahn takes ambient sounds and turns them into raw drones with the occasional found sound surfacing here and there. The first track is marred by stupidly sped up chipmunk vocals, but the rest of the disc is pretty okay, just not what we expected and unfortunately not all that special.

FOLK IMPLOSION (Communion) cdep 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Despite the tracks having been combined from 2 different releases (Palm of My Hand 7" and Electric Idiot ep, which we hadn't heard in so long that they sounded brand new), this ep works Really Well as a whole, more like the KIDS soundtrack than the other FI releases. (You may already know that FI is Lou Barlow and John Davis.)

FOLK IMPLOSION Dare To Be Surprised (Communion) cd 11.98

FOLK IMPLOSION Dare To Be Surprised (Communion) lp 7.98

FOLK IMPLOSION One Part Lullaby (Interscope) cd 9.98
Sticking to pretty much the same recipe, rhythm and meter that made Natural One such a groovin' tune, Lou Barlow and John Davis serve up 13 new soon-to-be-heard-on-a-hip-film-soundtrack cuts. Don't come 'round here expecting any major twists or turns in the F.I. sound. It's smoooth.

FOLK IMPLOSION The New Folk Implosion (BMG) cd 11.98
With this new Folk Implosion album, Lou Barlow has further blurred the sonic lines between his various projects. Really, there's very little distinguishing this from any of his solo or Sebadoh releases. Since 1999's One Part Lullaby, it's all become a big Barlow indie rock stew. The man cannot be stopped. In the case of Folk Implosion, the shift can surely be pinpointed to the date John Davis (the other half of F.I.) departed. Whereas their early songs were quite groovy and electronic driven, this is all guitars, murky and somewhat lo-fi. Indeed, as the title states this is "The New Folk Implosion", but unfortunately "new" doesn't necessarily mean fresh. Sadly, this just doesn't measure up to past F.I. nor does it really stand up to other Barlow work. As a result, this may only find its way into the collections of Barlow completists, and leave the rest of us feeling more inclined to revisit his/their earlier releases.

FOLK MUSIC OF THE SAHARA Among the Taureg of Libya (Sublime Frequencies) dvd 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This newest DVD release from Sublime Frequencies, shot by Hisham Mayet (the man behind the Morocco DVD on SF), focuses its lense on the Taureg people. Filmed in the oasis town of Ghadames in Western Libya (bordering both Tunesia and Algeria), Mayet's camera follows the performances of men, women and children alike in what appears be a local music festival of sorts. Like the previous DVD releases from Sublime Frequencies, this one has no narration or commentary; you, the viewer, guided by the excellent single camera shooting, are left to figure it out for yourself. In the accompanying booklet Mayet points out that the Taureg are unique amongst their neighbors in that not only are they nominally Muslim -- still incorporating their unique and ancient practices that predate the religion -- but are also a matriarchical society (indeed, many of the men appear to be wearing full veils). Running 60 minutes, this DVD is region free NTSC format.

FOLK SPECTRE, THE The Blackest Medicine (Woodsist) lp 14.98
Not sure what exactly required the name to change from Spectre Folk, to the Folk Spectre, but fear not fans of all things folky and droney, fuzzy and drifty, this is still indeed the work of Mr. Pete Nolan, of the Double Leopards, GHQ, Wooden Wand and we're sure a handful more. At first we were tempted to think the name change had to do with a slight shift in sonics, as the first few tracks are totally stripped down lo-fi folk. No noise or drone or buzz to be found. At all. Just skeletal guitar, plaintive vocals, wrapped around sad sad melodies, and allowed to drift in wide open expanses of record crackle and tape hiss. But then the closer on side A finds some squealing feedback entering the fray, and simple Velvets like drumming, distant chanting, the main riff sort of wobbly and warbly, a gorgeous laid back stoned and droned drug jam, that while slightly noisier than the tracks preceding it, still falls well within the groovy hippy bliss we've come to expect from Nolan and his folky Spectre-d outfit.
The B side offers up more of the same, but varied a bit, a few tracks of hushed folkiness, but then a long stretch of high end hissiness draped over the lilting guitar beneath, a track of Middle Eastern style melody, with a distinct raga-like vibe, and the record finishes off with a gorgeous muted muddy slo-mo drone-jam, that sounds a bit like a much more mellow Wooden Shjips played at 16rpm, and a little bit like a folkier Spacemen 3. As usual, killer stuff.
Packaged in hand screened black and white sleeves with photocopied inserts, covered in drawings, lyrics and liner notes.

FOLKSTORM Folkmusik (Old Europa Cafe) cd 15.98
We've been blessed recently with multiple releases from the mysterious Nordvargr, whose dense dark ambience we can never get enough of. Nordvargr was a core member of legendary black ambient outfit MZ412, and has recorded as Toroidh, Hydra Head 9,Henrik Nordvargr Bjorkk, Nordvargr and of course Folkstorm. It's been far too long since the last Folkstorm record, Folkstorm being the guise Nordvargr takes on to produce his unique brand of tense, isolationist, dark and droning industrial music. Thick swells of minor key chords, hypnotic repetitive tribal drumming, all sorts of found sounds and snippets of speeches, traditional songs and old radio broadcasts, huge jagged distorted pulses (sounding almost like Techno Animal or Curse Of The Golden Vampire at times), haunting disembodied female vocals, radio static and amp buzz and all manner of sonic grit and crackle, pounding subterranean rhythms, warm warbly drones, disturbing minor key ambience, creaking industrial clatter, intense nightmarish melodies, all bathed in a thick swirl of fuzzed out distortion and crumbling machinelike whir. Super ominous and dark, intense and strangely beautiful.
Packaged in a gorgeous red, white and black digipak. And while they last we have the EXTREMELY LIMITED special edition (limited to 300 hand numbered copies) that includes a bonus 3" cd containing two unreleased tracks! Once those are gone, you'll receive the standard single disc version.
MPEG Stream: "Ty Han Ar Min Soldat"
MPEG Stream: "In All For All"

FOLKSTORM Hurtmusic (Old Europa Cafe) cd 17.98
Folkstrom is the solo project from MZ.412's Mr. Nordvargr, although it could be some lost leftfield recording from odd black metallers Abruptum or Vondur. It's a weird hyrbid of death industrial / power electronic brutality and Norwegian black metal misanthropy (though it only hints at that sound). Recorded live at Nar Mattaru, "Hurtmusic" is a punishing record loaded with landmine samples, electro-shock blasts of energy, and warbled megaphone shouts. The highlight of the album is a loose reinterpretation of the song "No Place" by notorious Swedish misanthropes the Brainbombs, complete with a slow grinding guitar chug perverted from the classic Stooges sound.

FOLKSTORM Information Blitzkreig (Old Europa Cafe) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

FOLKSWINGERS, THE Raga Rock (Fall Out) cd 17.98
Sixties Big Beat Classics with Sitar. "Paint It Black",
"Hey Joe", "Time Won't Let Me". They're all here. Hip!

FOLSOM, ROBERT LESTER Music And Dreams (Mexican Summer) lp 21.00

FOMA Inverness (self-released) cd 9.98
Great breezy indie pop sounds from this new San Francisco band. Foma explore a few different directions, from more spacious and dreamy sounds to a more straight ahead and catchy onslaught. Fans of folks like Arcade Fire, Grandaddy and Terror Twilight era Pavement will find lots to love on this debut. A few of the tracks here have caused customers to come up and ask what Death Cab For Cutie record we were listening to, as the vocals can definitely get into that super sweet Ben Gibbard territory. A very nice debut.
MPEG Stream: "Control Panel"
MPEG Stream: "Papillon"

FON Proof (Werkzeug / Mego) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The ultra-electronic parasitic duo Fon regurgitates the technological mutilations of wired arrangements of broken televisions, microwaves, metal detectors, etc. within piercing electronic architectural rhythmic packages. Released in conjunction with the Viennese conceptual electronics thinktank Mego, mutant electronics and digital glitch worship abound.

FONATINE, BRIGITTE L'Indendie (Actuel) lp 14.98

FONN Field 831 (Fat Cat) cd 16.98
Around these parts (Aquarius), 'post-rock' has become sort of a dirty word, synonymous with 'adult contemporary' or worse 'really bad jazz'. Yet a few gems have escaped the black hole that is Tortoise's all encompassing influence on the current state of indie rock, and done something interesting... Fridge's latest album "Eph" being one, and another being Fonn's "Field 831". Fonn's sonics do touch on the jazzy rhythmic elements of the Chicago scene, but employ the experimental spirit of Faust and bring a number of space rock guitar tricks to the realm of electronica, not unlike Bowery Electric.

FONODA Blinker : Farben (Keplar) cd 14.98
Fonoda is a German post-rock quartet that leans heavily on the blissed-out precendents of that genre, with plenty of nods to Seam, Low, Mogwai, Slint, and other proponents of cinematic, melancholic intrumentals. Quite pleasant.
RealAudio clip: "Analogie In Zm"

FONTAINE, BRIGITTE Brigitte Fontaine est... (Saravah) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
One of Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth's very favorite artists, Brigitte Fontaine did a kind of acid-folk French pop thing (from the early 70s) that's just delicious. These are reissues.

FONTAINE, BRIGITTE Je Ne Connais Pas Cet Homme (Saravah) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

FONTAINE, BRIGITTE Rue Saint Louis en L'ile (Virgin) cd 32.00
Attention les francophones!! If you've heard some of this new Brigitte Fontaine album, you may want to like it more than you actually find yourself doing so. If this is true, may we point you in the direction of Louise Forrestier? Please don't think we're simply generalizing when we say that stylistically there are many parallels between the music of Louise Forestier and Brigitte Fontaine. Much like that of chanteuse Fontaine, French Canadian actress/singer Forestier's music might initially strikes you as being fairly standard French Pop performed by seemingly straight-laced studio musicians, however listen closer / further to her Avec Enzymes album and you'll discover that's it's considerably more challenging and theatrical, at times drifting off into subtle eccentricities and some downright bizarre tangents. Quite campy but very cool.
If you're a die-hard Fontaine fan, you'll find her musical companionship with Areski here once again crafting futurist french pop tunes detailing her street and neighborhood. -- Very nice.

FONTAINE, BRIGITTE s/t (Saravah) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Brigitte Fontaine may get filed next to yeh-yeh girls like Francoise Hardy and Chantal Goya, but the eclectic avant-folk records she has been making with the help of percussionist Areski Belkacem since the seventies take the pop seed and mutate it far beyond the reach of any other French chanteuse. She cut a record with Art Ensemble of Chicago in 1971, and is making amazing records to this day, as evidenced by last year's excellent "Kekeland," featuring collaborations with the likes of Sonic Youth in addition to Areski. This is a reissue of her self-titled album from 1972, and it moves through the sounds of gorgeous pychedelic folk, string and organ-backed polyphonic liturgical-style chants advocating power to the people, medieval prog stylings, bizarre poetics, spoken word, barnyard avant-jazz, and the odd bout of screaming or anti-capitalist rallying. Her seductive voice grounds a kind of dada futurism that emerges alongside the deft navigation of styles, a hallmark of her work. Brigitte Fontaine's brand of cerebral pop experimentalism puts her in a strata attained by few artists. What reference points I can dig up-- Art Ensemble (of course), the best Os Mutantes records, Yoko Ono as a French situationist-- don't really suffice to explain Briggitte Fontaine's haunting oeuvre. Let me just say that listening to this album makes me giddy with joy (seriously!), and comes highly recommended, as does the reissue of 1971's "L'incendie."
RealAudio clip: "Brigitte"
RealAudio clip: "Marcelle"
RealAudio clip: "L'Eternal Retour"

FONTAINE, BRIGITTE / ARESKI L'Incendie (Spalax) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

FONTAINE, BRIGITTE / ARESKI Vous Et Nous (Saravah) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
An awesome, quirky slice of French hippy avant-pop with lots of ethno-electronic action. Allan's favorite of Fontaine's ouvre.

FONTAINE, BRIGITTE WITH ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO Comme à la Radio (Saravah) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
I somehow missed out on the first round of this reissue a little bit ago, but luckily for all of us, it's popped up again! This is an amazing collaboration between two totally incredible musical explorers, french chanteuse Brigitte Fontaine (with percussionist partner Areski) and avant-jazz greats Art Ensemble of Chicago, recorded during the Art Ensemble's stay in Paris in 1969. Though coming from very different backgrounds, each artist's idiosyncratic approach, commitment to experimentation, disregard for genre boundaries, and keen sense for improvisation and working collaboratively yields an album that pushes each performer to new heights. The blend of Fontaine's vocals, Areski's understated percussion, and the Art Ensemble's horns is really seamless, evoking the mysterious, intriguing sounds of lounge jazz in a dada cafe, or, well, an intellectual french chanteuse melding avant-folk with free jazz, which is exactly what it is. Brigitte Fontaine is becoming more and more cemented as one of my absolute favorite artists ever whith each reissue I get my hands on. So great, so recommended!
RealAudio clip: "Comme Á La Radio"

FONTANELLE F (Kranky) cd 10.98
We do declare this "Tortoiselab". Second album from these ex-Jessamine boys. Faux-krautrock groove/ambience.
RealAudio clip: "Charm and Strange"

FONTANELLE s/t (Kranky) cd 14.98
Fontanelle is the band comprised of ex-Jessamine folks attempting to evoke the wide open spaciousness of 1970s electric Miles Davis, such as "In a Silent Way" or "Get Up With It". But, no matter how much they may love jazz, face it, this is merely instrumental post rock with mighty pretensions. A disappointment.

FONTANELLE s/t (Kranky) lp 10.98
Fontanelle is the band comprised of ex-Jessamine folks attempting to evoke the wide open spaciousness of 1970s electric Miles Davis, such as "In a Silent Way" or "Get Up With It". But, no matter how much they may love jazz, face it, this is merely instrumental post rock with mighty pretensions. A disappointment.

FOO FIGHTERS In Your Honor (Sony) 2cd 17.98
As we all know since the last Foo Fighters' album Dave Grohl has kept himself knee-deep in high profile projects -- drumming for Queens Of The Stone Age, Tenacious D, and Killing Joke as well as his own 'metal' collaborative monstrosity Probot. He's certainly contributed much to the other bands he's played with and they in turn have left their influential marks on him. Unlike the likes of Keith Moon or Bill Ward, few drummers these days have honed their own distinct personal sound. Grohl is an exception. His drumming and songwriting both have an unmistakable Grohl-ness. This is apparent right from the lead-off track of In Your Honor. That song (which is also the title track) sure sounds like he nicked a few useful cues from the awesome force that is Killing Joke and encorporated them into the Foo Fighters realm. It introduces a much more unforgiving pummel to their already thoroughly punchy sound. In Your Honor has a loud/heavy disc and a quieter/gentler one -- embodying the two sides of Grohl. Where both sides of Grohl stumble a bit this time out however is in the lyric department. He's pulled out some serious cliche rhymes. But for fans who want some big catchy glossy rock (and maybe some more moody subdued mellow glossy rock to go along with it) this will probably hit the spot!

FOO FIGHTERS One By One (RCA) 2cd 16.98
Sounds like Mr. Grohl's been hangin' out with Queens Of The Stone Age... oh, he has. Seriously though, if you dug the most recent QOTSA album "Song For The Deaf" (which we did), this newest Foo Fighters record will probably also tickle your fancy. While not as 'weird' as the Queens, the Foo Fighters here mine similar territory, playing melodic and poppy hard rock, even flirting with full on metal (but never quite going all the way). This is definitely their heaviest, "grungiest" (!) album yet, again quite like QOTSA -- though the Foos' own trademark heartbreaking pop smarts shine through as well. We've loved Grohl & Company's previous albums too, and if there's a band you're gonna have to hear on the radio and in the mall and on the plane, might as well be an ass kicking rock and roll band like the Foo Fighters and not Celine Dion or O-Town! Recommended. (The copies we've got right now come with a limited bonus DVD disc with a video & live footage, dunno how long these will last though).
RealAudio clip: "All My Life"
RealAudio clip: "Have It All"

FOO FIGHTERS Skin And Bones (RCA) cd 13.98
We love the Foo Fighters... but this acoustic record blows.

FOOD Last Supper (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
4th album from Norweigan avant-fusioneers, 2nd for Rune G.

FOOD Molecular Gastronomy (Rune Grammofon) cd 17.98
We liked the other Food discs, but this one's just a bit to wanky fusiony whatever for us, sorry.

FOOD s/t (MolSook) lp 11.98
Another bad ass chunk of pounding post punk math rock heaviness from Virginia. We raved about Tigershark a while back, some seriously chugging riffery, then The Catalyst more recently, who knocked us on our asses with their weird post hardcore stoner grunge screamo (we still have a few of those left, check elsewhere on the aQ site), not sure if Food are related, but they might as well be, they're heavy as fuck, and offer up a similarly supercharged post punk, but while The Catalyst and Tigershark both channeled AmRep (The Catalyst mixing in plenty of Sub Pop), Food take that sound even farther, with their super thick distorted fuzzed out guitars, pounding caveman drums and thick ropy bass, they weave a pretty thick, almost dirgey at times, post punky metallic garage rock stomp, but it's the vocals that seal the deal, a wild feral howl, falling right between Rick Froberg of Drive Like Jehu / Hot Snakes and Mudhoney's Mark Arm, plenty of vitriol and swagger, and a paint peeling yowl that perfectly compliments Food's chug and churn.
Dense loping grooves give way to stripped down tribal workouts, give way to complex mathy jams, which give way to seriously murky, dirge-y, almost Brainbombs-ish sludge, slathered with plenty of squealing Eyehategod style feedback, and all locked into pounding metallic repetition. Some seriously killer garage-y metallic post punk for sure.
Incredible packaging, eye popping cover art, all recycled materials, heavy printed insert, and pressed on INSANELY thick vinyl. And probably pretty limited too.

FOOD Veggie (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Norway's Rune Grammofon label has become one of those imprints whose releases we ALWAYS have to pay attention to -- and not just 'cause of the lovely packaging courtesy artist/designer Kim Hiorthoy in which they are invariably resplendent, but because they are often quite excellent. As is this one, Food's "Veggie" (housed in, of course, a handsome Hiorthoy digipack). Apparently it's the third album from this experimental jazz group. The other two, unheard by us, were live recordings, but with "Veggie" Food move into the studio, and not just any: the "Audio Virus Lab" of Norwegian sound artist Deathprod. In the context of Helge "Deathprod" Sten's electronics-infused production, this becomes something rather other than normal "jazz". It's experimental indeed. Led by British saxophonist Iain Ballamy, the Food quartet also features Supersilent's Arve Henriksen on trumpet, Mats Eilertsen on acoustic and electric basses, and Thomas Stronen on drums (and most of 'em are also credited with "sampler", so it's not just Deathprod doing the electronicky stuff).
If you count Mr. Deathprod, who is also a Supersilent member (and who actually gets a whole track here, "Nofood", all to himself), this band is 2/5ths Supersilent, and boy, do we love Supersilent -- they're our favorite Norwegian "death-jazz" improv n' electronics group. So already we were anticipating good things from "Veggie", and you don't have to listen for very long to encounter echoes of Arve Henriksen's breathy solo album "Sakuteiki", the glacial drones of Supersilent's "5", and the electronic chaos of Supersilent's "1-3" as well. Bubbling underneath with electro-acoustic beats and drones, this is spacey, lyrical, melodic, 21st century jazz, establishing a range of moods from a mellow Miles Davis trumpet at sunset looking over a North Sea fjord kind of thing to more abrasive, paranoid glitching and shrieking experience... Really nice. Good, and good for you.
RealAudio clip: "Tofu"
RealAudio clip: "Veg"
RealAudio clip: "Chickpea"

FOOD , DJ Kaleidoscope (Ninja Tune) cd 16.98
DJ Food's trip hop ironies appear not so tongue in cheek now, as if the jokes once required within the hip hop tricknological breaks to be a Ninja Tune record aren't a part of the matured DJ Food. Filmic scores of sweeping strings, stand-up basslines, and so-downtempo-you-gotta-be-stoned breaks. In spite of the seductive spoken poetry of Ken Nordine, there's an atmosphere of sadness that pervades the moody theatricality of this album. Nice.

FOOD BRAIN Social Gathering (Universal Japan) cd 22.00
Another reissue of heavy psychedelic weirdness from early '70s Japan, in the same series as the Flied Egg and Flower Travellin' Band discs we've listed lately. Food Brain features the Hammond organ excess of Hiro Yanagida and the acid fried guitar of Shinki Chen (names you might know from other outfits like Speed, Glue and Shinki, Love Live Life +1, April Fool, and solo too). As well, Hiro Tsunoda (the Jacks, Strawberry Path, Flied Egg) is on drums, and Luis Kabe (Golden Cups) on bass. Together on this, their only album (1970), they cook up a progressive, confusionally avant-garde feast of bluesy riffage, freeform improv, drug-addled humor, and hippie rawk heaviosity. There's plenty of raw jamming, the sort of stuff these guys would probably have loved to bring to the ballrooms of San Francisco... but amidst and among, there's lots of weirder moments too, more at home in the krautrock realm perhaps. For instance, the brief track five, "The Conflict Of The Hippo And The Pig", what sounds like a guy maniacally playing a straw. Or the entirety of the epic quarter-hour 8th track, "The Hole In A Sausage", which features a horn-grunting free jazz freakout in collision with a near-metallic distorted bass riff on a famous classical symphonic theme.
MPEG Stream: "That Will Do"
MPEG Stream: "Liver Juice Vending Machine"
MPEG Stream: "The Hole In A Sausage"

FOOD, DJ A Dub Plate of Food (Ninja Tune) cd 9.98
It's been a longtime since we've heard from DJ Food, and the funkjaztikally tricknological lingusitics of DJ Food have certainly been missed. Working on one track with the seductive baritone spoken word of Ken "Colors" Nordine, DJ Food lays down four tracks of slippery noirish trip hop that would make Barry Adamson proud.

FOOD, DJ A Dub Plate of Food (Ninja Tune) 2x10" 11.98
It's been a longtime since we've heard from DJ Food, and the funkjaztikally tricknological lingusitics of DJ Food have certainly been missed. Working on one track with the seductive baritone spoken word of Ken "Colors" Nordine, DJ Food lays down four tracks of slippery noirish trip hop that would make Barry Adamson proud.

FOOD, DJ A Recipe for Disaster (Ninja Tune) cd 14.98
'U.K. co-conspirators Jonathan Moore and Matt Black record under a variety of names, including Hedfunk, Coldcut, Hex, and their more widely known moniker, DJ Food. A Recipe For Disaster is a collection of tracks--some old, some new--incorporating everything from lazy, ambient hip-hop to smoking R&B/funk to blazing, hyperkinetic jungle. Headz who've peeped the pair's past releases on the Funkjazztical Tricknology compilation and the handful of releases on their own Ninja Tune and Ntone labels will be pleased to know that the relentless experimenters have not rested on the laurels of their early successes (which include everything from the legendary "7 Minutes Of Madness" remix of Eric B. & Rakim's "Paid In Full" to cuts for Lisa Stansfield and Yaz, to full-length club gear such as Coldcut's Philosophy LP) ... Recipe is among Black and Moore's most listenable efforts to date, repaying repeated listening with a good mix of body and mind--sex music for the booksmart.' --Sean Cooper